Environmental variability and vulnerable livelihoods: Minimising risks and optimising opportunities for poverty alleviation

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis that explores theoretical and policy debates on environmental variability, sustainable livelihood strategies, household well-being and development policy. The paper focuses on communities in vulnerable environments with limited well-being and poor assets. The study examines the changing livelihood strategies and livelihood options of households located within ecosystems perceived to be experiencing environmental change in Northeastern Ghana. Livelihood diversification as a poverty reduction strategy has been argued to result in improved well-being or perpetuates a cycle of impoverishment. On-farm and non-farm diversification and migration as livelihood strategies are considered as survival strategies in environments experiencing rising temperatures and erratic rainfall patterns. It is argued that diversified livelihoods are operated within a cycle of impoverishment. The paper calls for geographically and locally sensitive policy intervention approaches that can sustainably expand the livelihood options of the poor in changing environments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

When households stop logging — Evidence for household adaptation from East Kalimantan

“…Our findings emphasise the non-linear nature of diversification strategies; by removing one critical livelihood a whole bundle of livelihoods could be replaced. This does not disagree with findings by studies that underscore how increased livelihood diversification contributes to poverty alleviation (Murphy, 1999;Luttrell, 2001;K. Assan et al, 2009) or helps reduce household risks (de Sherbinin et al, 2008).…”

Introduction to climate, disasters and international development

“…His discussion of scales for policy interventions matches the recommendations from Assan et al (2009) in their livelihoods analysis of communities in Ghana that are perceived to be undergoing significant environmental changes. Vulnerability, adaptation/adjustment, capacity, migration and security are embedded within wider development topics and, to yield effective policy, need to be viewed within a context far broader than climate change-including the historical context.…”

Introduction: Livelihood options for the poor in the changing environment

“…The first paper by Assan et al (2009) triangulates primary quantitative and qualitative data with secondary meteorological data to show that climate change threatens to exacerbate high temperatures and bring more erratic rainfall patterns in the Upper East Region of Ghana. This has important implications for the livelihoods of rural dwellers, who often derive a large proportion of income from non-farm income sources (petty trading, shoe making, charcoal production).…”