Alternative Livelihood Strategies Research Articles

Sustainability of alternative livelihood strategies in selected sand mining communities in the Ga South Municipality and Gomoa East District of Ghana

Sustainability of alternative livelihood strategies in selected sand mining communities in the Ga South Municipality and Gomoa East District of Ghana

Gender-Based Assessment of the Effects of Adoption of Alternative Livelihood Strategies on Pastoral Households in West Pokot County, Kenya

Gender-Based Assessment of the Effects of Adoption of Alternative Livelihood Strategies on Pastoral Households in West Pokot County, Kenya

Taking high-stakes venture to make ends meet? Determinants and impacts of international migration of Ethiopians to the Middle East

Ethiopia is one of the major origins for international migrants to the Middle East in Africa regardless of the risks and the abuses that migrants face. The study aims to analyse the determinants of international migration of Ethiopians to the Middle East and its impact on the income of households staying behind particularly in the Dessie Zuria district of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. Data were randomly collected from 346 households and analysed using descriptive statistics, logit regression, and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) models. The logit regression analysis indicates that bigger family size, network with migrants/returnees, and the presence of peer/family pressure influence the probability of international migration positively. On the contrary, being a male household head, ownership of larger farmland and livestock, and participation in additional non-farm activities determine international migration negatively. The findings from the PSM model revealed that international migration increased the annual income of migrant-sending households by 13,079.51 ETB per year over non-migrant sending households. However, the benefits enjoyed by the families staying behind have been at the expense of migrants, whose income is hard-earned and they often take a risky route to reach the destination regions. The findings call for an integrated policy approach to control population pressure that depletes the key financial and physical assets of households in the origin and thus forces individuals to look for alternative livelihood strategies such as migration. Location-specific policy interventions are needed to create non-farm and alternative livelihoods, improve agricultural productivity, and access information to reduce exaggerated and misleading information about the destination areas.

Spatiotemporal variability and trends of rainfall and temperature in the tropical moist montane ecosystem: Implications to climate-smart agriculture in Geshy watershed, Southwest Ethiopia

This paper examines the spatio-temporal trends and variability of temperature and rainfall in Geshi Watershed of South Western Ethiopia. The available gridded daily rainfall and temperature data managed by Ethiopian National Meteorological Agency (NMA) for 1986–2020 was used. Spatial variability and temporal trends of temperature and rainfall were analyzed using XLSTAT and ArcGIS 10.8 software. The Mann-Kendall test was used for trend analysis. Variability analysis was also done using the coefficient of variation and precipitation concentration index. The study reveals constant increasing trends in rainfall; and insignificant and high variability but increasing trends of temperature. The variabilities and trends justify the spatio-temporal differences along different seasons (spring locally known as ‘belg’, summer locally known as ‘kiremt’, and annual). The watershed is characterized by high to moderate rainfall coefficient of variation, significant years of high concentration of rainfall, and substantial negative annual rainfall anomalies; that severe variability was found in the summerseason. These variabilities and trends, especially late onset and early cessation of rainfall and increase in temperature created favorable conditions for insect and disease proliferation that eventually reduces agricultural productivity. Household income, which is solely based on agricultural production, declines which in turn affects household resilience. Maladaptation in the form of deforestation, fuelwood and charcoal selling, agricultural land expansion, and practicing input-intensive agriculture that contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissionsare taken as an alternative livelihood strategy. In conclusion, spatiotemporal variabilities and trends of rainfall and temperature affect agricultural productivity, reduced household resilience leading to low adaptive capacity, and increased GHG emissions, which are known to be major pillars of climate-smart agriculture (CSA). In response, area-specific CSA technologies such as small-scale irrigation, improved animal husbandry, efficient inorganic fertilizer use, using manure, crop residue management, using high-yielding improved crop varieties, and using disease-resistant varieties are recommended.

Urban livelihoods beyond industrial ruins : the birth of an informal night-time economy in Norton, Zimbabwe

This paper focuses on Norton town, Zimbabwe, which was left in ruins after its industry succumbed to deindustrialisation as key industries closed. With rising unemployment and urban poverty, residents innovated and devised alternative livelihood strategies. This study explores several informal and innovative night-time economic activities : night vending, home-based industries, informal fishing, sand and quarry mining, transport, and the night-time leisure economy, among others that residents in Norton adopted. It unpacks the organisation of these activities and the logics behind going nocturnal. For their courage and ability to re-invent their livelihoods, we present the residents using the lens of Long’s Actor-oriented theory by framing them as social actors and agents of change working hard to find solutions to their challenges. Data was collected using ethnographic methods of interviews, night-time observations, and informal conversations. Our results show that Norton became a nocturnal hub of informal entrepreneurial innovation and creativity. This was a result of governance factors, due to daytime load-shedding (energy cuts), night-time leisure activities and as a way of working hard to survive in a difficult economic environment.

The ‘Spirit’ of Schooling: The relevance of the sense of a calling on the school experiences of secondary-school Roma/Ciganos students

In The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (PE), Max Weber examines the ecological domination of instrumental rationality to the detriment of value-oriented action. The concept of the calling (Beruf in German) becomes a key one for interpreting the process of value rationalization. One can find Weberian value-rationality among the Portuguese Roma/Ciganos, who seek alternative livelihood strategies via schooling, although they are still characterized by a high rate of early school dropouts, with a very low number of students attending secondary education. The EDUCIG (School performance among Ciganos/Roma: action research and co-design) project was launched in 2019 to grasp the multiple factors involved in this social problem. The project interview-based analysis entailed the participation of 31 Roma/Ciganos students from the metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto. Results suggest that despite the social, cultural and economic constraints affecting their school pathways, the academic success of young Roma/Ciganos is facilitated by the influence of religion, specifically the Pentecostal Evangelical Church and its respective values. Moreover, we can recognize the emergence of a new ‘spirit’ in these young Roma/Ciganos, a ‘spirit’ that does not aim at instant gratification but represents an investment in the future and, simultaneously, a desire for integration.

Assessing climate change-related losses and damages and adaptation constraints to address them: Evidence from flood-prone riverine communities in Southern Nigeria

Rising evidence over the years reveal that reduction in greenhouse gases emission and adaptation to climate change effects have been unable to resolve the issue of climate change impacts, resulting to losses and damages. This has been attributed to natural, technical and economic constraints. In Nigeria, extreme climate events such as precipitation extremes and floods have been increasingly observed resulting in losses and damages in flood-prone communities. This study was aimed at assessing climate change-related losses and damages due to floods among farm households in riverine areas of Southern Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was utilized in selecting 240 households within eight riverine communities in Southern Nigeria. A mixed method research approach was used in eliciting responses from the respondents. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The market cost approach was used to value the losses and damages due to climate change. The respondents identified flooding as the major climate change hazard in the study location. The major effects of flooding on the livelihood of the respondents were loss of crops (98.6%), rise in food prices (92.8%) and poor health (75.6%). In response to increased climatic threats, farmers adopted various adaptation measures such as altering inputs such as varieties/species, income diversification and chemical fertilizer and pesticide use. The estimated average monetary value of losses and damages in community infrastructure, employment, personal properties, crops and livestock were $28,409.09, $3095.23, $1583.52, $824.60 and $224.16, respectively. Perceived barriers to the respondents’ taking adaptation actions in response to climate change-related losses and damages are inadequate government support, poor income of the respondents, high cost of transportation to purchase inputs for climate change adaptation and inadequate knowledge/information on climate change adaptation measures. We recommend that early warning mechanisms and alternative livelihood strategies should be promoted in vulnerable areas in order to reduce losses and damages due to climate change.

Analyzing the perceived prioritized forest ecosystem services under the participatory management: A case of Maksegnit District, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

The participatory forest management (PFM) approach, as a policy decision, was introduced in Ethiopia in the 1990s to combat forest resource degradation and ensure decentralization in management. The success of forest resource conservation through PFM depends on the benefits received from the forest resources and their ecosystem services (ESs) attached by the local communities. Hence, this study examines the perceived prioritized direct and indirect benefits of forest ESs across wealth groups and membership status in Kulkal Ber forest, located in Maksegnit District, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Primary data are collected from 352 households in four peripheral forest villages through face-to-face interviews. Chi-square, Kruskal -Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests are conducted to explain the significant association between forest use and the importance of forest ESs with wealth groups and membership status, respectively. Perceptions on use, priority, and service trends are analyzed using descriptive statistics. We found a significant trade-off between subsistence and cash uses of provisioning, regulating, and cultural ESs across wealth groups. Food-provisioning services are essential for subsistence and cash uses for low wealth households than high wealth households, and they are more prioritized than regulating services. The perceived importance of different ESs categories varied significantly across all wealth groups. High-wealth households have more perceived importance in provisioning, regulating, and supporting services than low-wealth households. Medium wealth respondents have more perceived importance of regulating and supporting services than low wealth respondents. But no significant difference is found in the importance of cultural services across all wealth groups. There is a statistically significant difference between member and non-member households for the perceived importance of different ecosystem categories. Member households have more perceived importance towards provisioning, regulating and supporting, and cultural services than non-member households. There is a need for advocacy and awareness creation about regulating and supporting services among local households who are non-members of PFM, enhancing agricultural productivity, and promoting alternative livelihood strategies for forest-dependent poor households to maintain sustainable forest conservation and flow of provisioning ESs.

Key dimensions of land users’ perceptions of land degradation and sustainable land management in Niger State, Nigeria

Declining land productivity remains a challenge for agriculture-based livelihoods and for achieving food security. Yet identifying how land users perceive land degradation and their capacity to manage land in an environmentally sustainable manner can influence the measures initiated to address it. Using the case of Niger State, Nigeria, this study examines land users’ perceptions of land degradation and land management measures to address it in the Nigerian Guinea Savannah. We used the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as a proxy for degradation status, selecting 30 communities based on the extent of degraded areas. We adapted the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies, Sustainable Land Management questionnaires to capture perceptions and administered 225 questionnaires to land users. Through key informant interviews, we collected narrative insights and data on perspectives and motivations of land users to understand land degradation situations and to interpret the questionnaire surveys. We analysed data through descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis and qualitative analysis. Our analysis identified four perceptions dimensions of land degradation characteristics, two perceptions dimensions of land degradation drivers, and six perceptions dimensions of sustainable land management. The results also confirmed that degradation in Niger State is both due to widespread unsustainable human activities within Niger state and those by migrant farmers and pastoralism from adjoining Sudan Sahelian states that push people further south, a leakage of ongoing land degradation and conflicts in other areas. To deal with local land degradation in Niger State, improved land tenure, alternative livelihood strategies, poverty eradication and awareness, nature-based sustainable land management practices such as tree-based initiatives, environmentally friendly agriculture such as Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration supported by the necessary political will and institutions are critical.

Financial Analysis of the Use of Land: Agriculture or Woodlot

Agriculture is the main driver of deforestation. In other to reduce deforestation, a viable alternative livelihood strategy, aside from agriculture, must be in place to provide a sustainable income for investors. Managing forests for sustainable production (the forest economy) has been suggested as an alternative for sustainable land use practice. In the current study, we undertook a comparative analysis of woodlots and agriculture. The profitability of agriculture and woodlot production in Ghana was compared using a profitability model. We looked at profitability in terms of Net Present Value (NPV) and the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) of three regions in Ghana, namely, Ashanti, Bono-East, and Western Regions. We found that woodlot producers with contractual relationships with the Forest Commission and other forestry companies produce the highest Net Present Value (NPV) and Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). However, this profitability is marginally higher than that of agriculture, which gives a fixed yearly return. This means woodlot production may not be a panacea to reducing agriculture in Ghana.

Climate change-induced livelihood adaptive strategies and perceptions of forest-dependent communities: The case of Inanda, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Many South African rural communities depend directly or indirectly on natural forests to meet their livelihoods. Climate change can alter many of the mutual relationships between rural communities and natural resources (forests) by posing a variety of new challenges to these resources, agriculture, biodiversity, rural livelihoods and food (in) security. This study aimed to assess how forest-dependent rural communities perceive climate change and how that perception and other socio-economic factors affect their adaptation. In doing so, it identifies the barriers and enablers to adaptation in response to changes in the community forest status that threaten their livelihoods. The study employed a multinomial logit (MNL) model to analyse how socio-economic and institutional factors influence their choices among the alternative livelihood strategies. The study reveals that factors such as the capacity of community forests to support rural community livelihoods, awareness of community members about the change in temperature and rainfall, and the trend in the availability of natural forest products play important roles in enhancing adaptation capabilities. In addition, households with better knowledge about the trend in temperature and rainfall and also those endowed with human capital are less likely to create pressure on natural forests. Taking forests and their services as impure public goods, the study recommends the need for public-private partnerships (between local municipalities/government and/or non-government entities and the private sector) to invest in building institutions that improve community forest governance, capacity empowerment on collective management of common-pool resources, and creating employment and livelihood opportunities to forest-dependent rural communities.

Organic Farming as an Alternative Maintenance Strategy in the Opinion of Farmers from Natura 2000 Areas.

Agricultural land accounts for approximately 40% of the total Natura 2000 (N2K) network area. Therefore, many habitats and species protected under the Habitats and Birds Directives are dependent on or linked to agricultural practices. This implies that sustaining agriculture of a high natural value is a priority in achieving the aim of halting the loss of biodiversity in the European Union (EU). However, extensive agriculture is unprofitable in many regions of the EU, which results in it being either abandoned or intensified in the absence of financial support. Hence, organic farming (OF), which is most often supported with public funds, can be an alternative to conventional agriculture in N2K areas. This article is an empirical study of the differences in perceiving the possibilities of farm functioning in a protected area (PA) by organic and conventional farm owners. It was examined whether this could be the actual path to improving farmers’ living conditions in the context of legal protection of naturally valuable areas. The study material comprises the results of a survey conducted at the turn of 2016 and 2017, which addressed a total of 292 farmers, including 152 organic farm operators and 140 conventional farm operators, whose areas under cultivation were located within the N2K “Dolina Biebrzy” (“Biebrza Valley”) PLH200008 area in Poland. For the analysis of the data collected using structured questionnaires, a variety of statistical methods and techniques were applied. The study results indicated that in terms of satisfaction with the economic performance of their farms, there is no major difference between the opinions expressed by organic and conventional farm owners. However, organic farming could be an alternative livelihood strategy from the environmental policy perspective.

Diversification into agritourism by cocoa farmers in Ghana as an alternative source of income

PurposeThe authors investigate cocoa farmers' willingness and motivation to participate in agritourism entrepreneurship in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were obtained from 583 cocoa farmers. Contingent valuation method, ordered probit and truncated regressions were employed.FindingsCocoa farmers' willingness to participate in agritourism was high. The minimum fee farmers were willing to charge per tourist per day ranged from US$0.870 to US$6.957. Agritourism products farmers were willing to offer to tourists are interaction with rural folks, indigenous cuisine, quality locally stored drinking water, indigenous primary healthcare and on-site restrooms. Cocoa farmers' motivations to participate in agritourism are income generation, alternative livelihood strategy and education. Education, being a native, farm size, motorable roads to farm, and distance to farm influence minimum fee farmers were willing to accept to participate in agritourism.Research limitations/implicationsAgritourism could be considered in rural and tourism development policies of developing countries.Originality/valueThe authors investigate cocoa farmers' participation in agritourism, motivations and determinants of willingness to participate.

Effects of fisheries policy implementation strategies on regulatory compliance in the small-scale fisheries sector in Lake Victoria: A case study of Busia County, Kenya

Lake Victoria is an integral part of Kenya's food production system. Fisheries policies and regulations have been formulated and implemented for sustainable management of the lake's resources, but the lake's ecological health continues to deteriorate. This study investigated the effect of fisheries policy implementation strategies on regulatory compliance in the small-scale fisheries sector in Lake Victoria, in Busia County, Kenya. A descriptive and explanatory research design was applied to a cross-section of randomly selected 324 respondents. Findings from the study show that legitimacy was not significant in compliance on closed seasons and mesh size regulations (p˃0.05). Examining the fishery's specific conditions is required to debate the importance of non-recognized regulations, why this happens, and how to strengthen the procedures to make them legal. The study further indicated that fishermen with consistent income do not violate the regulations (p˂0.05). Government commitment is thus required to implement long-term alternative livelihood strategies to increase compliance with fisheries regulations.

Livelihood coping strategies among displaced small scale miners in Ghana

One major sub-sector that contributes immensely to job creation among people in rural Ghana is small scale mining. Notwithstanding, it has spawned land degradation, water pollution and regular reports of death attributed to pit collapse but these do not deter the miners from such enterprise. Government's attempt to streamline the sector through a moratorium has deprived the miners from their livelihood, compelling them to adopt alternative livelihood strategies. This study investigated the livelihood coping strategies adopted by the displaced miners. Cross-sectional data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. A multivariate probit model was used to analyze the determinants of the coping strategies. The three livelihood coping strategies adopted by miners were farming, trading, and labor supply. Of the three, farming emerged as the most dominant livelihood coping strategy. Institutional factors, personal characteristics, and location-specific factors influenced the adoption of livelihood coping strategies. The paper suggests the need to understand the far reaching livelihood implications of policy decisions on regulating the small scale mining sector. Therefore, there is the need for duty bearers to design tailor-made training programmes for the displaced miners and the employers to capacitate them in coping with the ban. This paper highlights that good policies also have negative consequences that need to be managed well by the government and other stakeholders.

Community-based Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR): Determinants and policy implications in Tanzania

Forest landscape restoration (FLR) has gained global scientific and political attention in recent times, with many sub-Saharan African countries committing to restoration targets. Despite the commitments, there is a dearth of information on the factors shaping community participation in FLR in the context of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). To close this gap, this study explored Babati District in Tanzania to investigate determinants, choices and policy implications of community-based FLR. A total of 98 households were surveyed in two villages, complemented by four experts’ interviews. We employed a hybrid analytical lens; the socio-ecological co-evolution, and the livelihoods framework for the study. The logistic regression analyses revealed that: (i) while both perceived monetary and non-monetary benefits shape households’ interest in FLR, asset-poor households are more interested in the monetary benefits than their rich counterparts, (ii) households FLR choices are largely shaped by the effectiveness of community-based institutions, (iii) natural, financial and social capital positively shaped households’ choices in FLR while a negative link was established for physical capital, and (iv) crop farmers choose to participate in FLR activities by growing a mixture of fruit and native timber tree species while those in other professions participated by planting only fruit trees species. Policy interventions which valorise community-based institutions should be prioritized to ensure equitable land access and tenure security, and promote the growing of native species. This would increase trust on land tenure and would invariably enhance participation in FLR activities. Moreover, policy incentives (e.g., training, micro-credit and market access) should be introduced to foster agro-based restoration approaches – involving the deliberate combination of tree-planting with crop-farming (agroforestry). Finally, policy support for alternative livelihood strategies such as bee keeping, butterfly gardening, snail and mushroom farming should be promoted to reduce monetary expectations from FLR interventions.

Can creating sustainable livelihoods with communities impact cotton‐top tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) conservation in Colombia?

AbstractConservation and development organizations around the world are increasingly promoting livelihood programs for rural communities as a means of creating sustainable alternatives to activities destructive to remaining wildlife and habitats. In impoverished communities in Colombia adjacent forest patches with critically endangered cotton‐top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus), this study evaluates alternative livelihood programs' impact on participating community members' income, wellbeing, sustainable resource use, and attitudes about cotton‐top tamarin conservation. We surveyed program participants, their neighbors, and members of reference communities nearby for comparison (n = 253). Participants in the alternative livelihood programs had significantly more access to resources and benefits compared to both the non‐participating neighbors and people from the reference communities. However, results revealed challenges of scaling up the programs to include more community members. Participants' attitudes toward sustainable resource use and cotton‐top tamarin conservation were not stronger than others who do not receive benefits from the alternative livelihoods programs, and at times were contrary to the conservation goals, revealing a gap in program training for newer participants. Conservation programs using alternative livelihood strategies can apply the lessons learned in our 16 years of implementation and this post hoc evaluation to strengthen the connection between alternative livelihoods and conservation goals.

Local Perceptions on the Impact of Drought on Wetland Ecosystem Services and Associated Household Livelihood Benefits: The Case of the Driefontein Ramsar Site in Zimbabwe

The paper assesses local people’s perceptions on the impact of drought on wetland ecosystem services and the associated household livelihood benefits, focusing on the Driefontein Ramsar site in Chirumanzu district, Zimbabwe. Field data were obtained using a questionnaire from 159 randomly selected households, key informant interviews and transect walks. The study findings show that provisioning, regulating and supporting services are severely affected by a high frequency of drought, occurring at least once every two years, compared to cultural services. There is a reduction in water for domestic use and crop farming, pasture for livestock, fish, thatch grass and ground water recharge. Although cultural services such as traditional rain-making ceremonies and spiritual enhancement are largely unaffected by drought, the wetland’s aesthetic value was reported to be diminishing. The habitat and breeding areas of endangered crane bird species were perceived to be dwindling, affecting their reproduction. All the household heads are not formally employed and largely depend on the wetland resources for food and income. However, drought is adversely affecting wetland-based agricultural activities that are key pillars of the households’ economy. Therefore, there is a need for alternative livelihood strategies that enable local communities to adapt to drought impacts without exerting more pressure on the declining wetland resources.

Nature and level of NTFP reliance: a case study in the buffer zone of Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam

ABSTRACT There is growing evidence that collection of non-timber-forest products (NTFPs) remains an essential part of livelihoods for people living near protected areas in developing countries. This study examined the nature and level of livelihood reliance of households on the collection and use of NTFPs and alternative income streams for three ethnic groups (Chau Ma, Stieng and Kinh) in a village in the buffer zone adjacent to Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai province, Vietnam. Household surveys (n = 150) and key informant interviews (n = 10) were conducted to collect data on forest usage, household socio-economy, and collection of NTFPs. About one-third of Chau Ma and Stieng households had a high reliance on NTFPs, while Kinh households having no reliance on NTFPs for their livelihood. The dependence on NTFPs for Chau Ma and Stieng people was a result of limited opportunities for other livelihood options due to a complex set of factors, including among others low education levels and imposed fundamental changes to their traditional livelihoods. For Chau Ma and Stieng people struggling to adjust from a subsistence forest-based livelihood to living outside the forest, around 42% continued to visit the forest for cultural reasons including traditional food and ceremonies, albeit at low to moderate levels (63%). It is proposed that government authorities acknowledge the livelihood role for local people of low-level traditional use of NTFPs. In addition, for those people who are highly reliant on NTFPs, alternative livelihood strategies should be developed further, to better engage their local knowledge and skills in the co-management of the Park forest.

The socio-economic impact of relocation policy to the communities affected by the mount sinabung eruption: a preliminary study

Mount Sinabung has long been dormant. Since 2010, the great giant has woken up from the big sleep and has periodically been erupting ever since. The series of eruption resulted in catastrophic damage to many of the surrounding area, resulted in inhabitable villages. Many of the relocated inhabitants returned to their home village for one or more reasons while some others never moved at all. This indicated that there are some problems in the relocation policy. As a part of the research project ‘The Socio-Economic Impact of Relocation Policy to the Communities Affected by Mount Sinabung Eruption’, this study aims to explore the underlying factors of the returning relocated inhabitants from the relocation area to their home village and those who chose to stay in the andger area. The results demonstrated that the loss of source of income and the lack of alternative livelihood strategy are the main reasons to leave the relocation area. The secondary reason is the difficult access to children’s education and the problematic policy. From the results we learned that housing quality and the supporting facility are not the only factor that needs to be considered in the relocation plan.