What are livelihoods approaches?
Sustainable livelihoods approaches: progress and possibilities for change
A review of the diverse uses and users of sustainable livelihoods
Authors:
D. Carney
Publisher:
Eldis Document Store, 2002
How have Sustainable Livelihoods (SL) approaches been used and adapted in recent years? In which areas could the approach be adjusted, in order to contribute more to development? This paper by Diana Carney reviews the diverse uses and users of SL over the past five years. She finds that the approach has been successfully used, often with pertinent adaptations, at international, national, regional and local levels; for research, planning, monitoringand evaluation, and policy development; and to move beyond sectoral concerns to address livelihood issues which cross sectoral and institutional boundaries.
She also finds that attention now centres on:
- addressing the implications of the approach for institutional and organisational change
- developing the approach to fill some gaps, particularly regarding rights and power issues including gender; and deepening the analysis of market issues.
- maintaining high levels of critical thinking in analysis; avoiding using the approach as a blueprint; and prioritising the sharing of ideas
- actively maintaining a clear poverty reduction focus and a strong emphasis on people-centred development; and always thinking through to actual livelihood impacts on poor people.
