LIVELIHOOD Projects

LIVELIHOOD

A livelihood is a means of making a living by “securing the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing)". It encompasses people’s capabilities, assets, income and activities required to secure the necessities of life. Such activities could include securing water, food, fodder, medicine, shelter, clothing. A livelihood is sustainable when it enables people to cope with and recover from shocks and stresses (such as natural disasters and economic or social upheavals) and enhance their well-being and that of future generations without undermining the natural environment or resource base.

These had been found to be too narrow because they focused only on certain aspects or manifestations of poverty, such as low income, or did not consider other vital aspects of poverty such as vulnerability and social exclusion. It is now recognized that more attention must be paid to the various factors and processes which either constrain or enhance poor people’s ability to make a living in an economically, ecologically, and socially sustainable manner.