Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches: Progress and Possibilities for Change
Diana Carney (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?
The conceptual understanding of poverty and its causes that underpins the SL approach has come to influence thinking and practice throughout the development world. 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, monitoring and 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.
Increasing the effectiveness of SL approaches as a means to poverty reduction involves continuing flexibility and innovation, and in particular:
- 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.
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Document Relevance
- DFID Programme Sector: Human Rights, Economic Development, Gender Equality, Poverty reduction, Sustainable Livelihoods
- DFID Programme Process: Empowerment, Planning, Policy
Publication Details
- Publisher: Department For International Development
- Language(s): English
- ISBN: 1-86192-491-7
- Year: 2002
Comments on gaps in or recommendations for the Key Documents database
are welcome at: livelihoods-connect@ids.ac.uk
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