Livelihood Reconstruction Research Articles

Examining the links between household livelihood resilience and vulnerability: disaster resettlement experience from rural China

Livelihood status of rural households is the focus of disaster resettlement research. Influenced by various factors, rural households face multiple environmental and social pressures after relocation, and the study of livelihood resilience and vulnerability provides a new framework for research into the livelihoods of relocated households. There has been a call for more quantitative evidence about the links between livelihood resilience and livelihood vulnerability in the context of disaster resettlement. This study uses data from a sample of 657 individuals from the relocation area of Ankang prefecture in southern Shaanxi, China. The resilience of rural household livelihood systems is quantified in terms of two dimensions of general resilience and specific resilience using the spatial vector method from systems engineering. The IPCC framework was used to measure three dimensions of livelihood vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability, and a threshold regression model was applied to investigate the impacts of livelihood resilience on livelihood vulnerability. Results show that: (i) livelihood vulnerability of relocated households (−0.042) was significantly lower than that of local households (0.091), while relocated households in the process of livelihood reconstruction had a certain degree of vulnerability risk. (ii) there is a significant threshold effect of livelihood resilience on livelihood vulnerability of rural households. (iii) increasing livelihood resilience significantly reduced the degree of vulnerability of rural households, and the marginal effect of general resilience on livelihood vulnerability shows a decreasing trend. Specific resilience has a positive influence on livelihood vulnerability before it exceeds the threshold, but the effect disappears above the threshold of resilience. (iv) The threshold value of livelihood resilience of local households (0.5039) is generally lower than that of relocated households (0.6548), and relocation does improve the ability of rural households to resist uncertainty risks. It is necessary for local governments to formulate more targeted policies to reduce the livelihood vulnerability of rural households and thereby promote sustainable livelihood development.

The Reconstruction of The Livelihood Concept from A Mubādalah Perspective in Lampung Province

The laws and regulations in Indonesia exhibit gender bias, resulting in a rise in divorce cases within the Religious Courts. This can be attributed to the prevailing perception among women that the burden for sustaining livelihoods lies mostly with their husbands. This case pertains to the challenge of formulating legislation that effectively incorporates the notion of livelihood reconstruction while avoiding any gender biases. The objective of this study is to provide a re-evaluation of the notion of livelihood in order to facilitate the development of novel legal products that are more suited to meet contemporary demands. This is qualitative research, wherein data was collected from the Religious Courts in Lampung and subsequently examined through the use of the mubādalah theory. The present study has identified that the prevalence of divorce in Lampung may be attributed to the provisions outlined in Law no. 1 of 1974 and Compilation of Islamic Law (KHI). These legal provisions alone mandate husbands to provide financial support, hence leading to the increased occurrence of divorce. The implementation of these two legislation led to a notable rise of 34.25% in the occurrence of contested divorces within the Province of Lampung. This increase can be attributed to several grounds, including income-related issues accounting for 41.3%, disagreements and domestic violence contributing to 33.3%, and other miscellaneous variables comprising 28% of the overall increase. The promotion of family resilience entails the establishment of a symbiotic partnership between spouses, thereby reinforcing the husband-wife paradigm. This entails the implementation of rights and responsibilities, particularly in relation to income, to foster interdependence and mutual support within the marital union. The novelty of this study is in the ability of the idea of mubādalah to establish a connection between husbands and wives, enabling them to fulfil their respective rights and obligations, particularly in terms of partnership and mutual support within the context of cohabitation.

Disaster Resettlement and Adaptive Capacity among Rural Households in China

It has long been thought that the implementation of resettlement programs should focus on livelihood reconstruction in the long run rather than just concentrating on material compensation. There is to date little empirical evidence of the extent to which disaster resettlement may affect household adaptive capacity (HAC) in rural communities. To explore whether and how disaster resettlement is shaping HAC, this article conceptualizes and measures adaptive capacity at the household level using household surveys in rural China. An indicator-based framework is adopted to identify and evaluate HAC. The results indicate that resettlement and its consequences have a significant negative impact on HAC. Although resettlement appears to have a central place in development projects in China, we provide evidence that it leads to reducing rather than improving household capacity to adapt to natural disasters.

A place-based framework for assessing resettlement capacity in the context of displacement induced by climate change

Place-based resettlement capacity assessments to identify potential resettlement places for climate migrants are needed to guide resettlement programs related to climate change. This article proposes and validates a conceptual climate change resettlement capacity (CCRC) framework that can be used to identify potential resettlement places for climate migrants. The CCRC framework focuses on livelihood reconstruction, as this is the primary aim of most resettlement programs and a key for successful resettlement and mitigation of impoverishment of resettled people and communities. The framework has two main dimensions – assets and conditions – as its foundation, with a set of subdimensions and generic indicators identified for both of them. Expert evaluation was used to validate the framework. The operationalization of the framework is illustrated through a case study of two regions of Ethiopia vulnerable to climate change. The framework is designed to assist international organizations, governments, planners, and policymakers in identifying both the most suitable and least suitable places to resettle communities in the face of actual or anticipated displacements due to climate change. In addition, the framework can be used by researchers to undertake theoretical and empirical studies on resettlement induced by climate change. With minor modifications, the framework can also be applied to resettlement capacity assessments for non-climate resettlement programs and research.

Land Loss with Compensation: What Are the Determinants of Income Among Households in Central Vietnam?

The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of household income following the loss of land owing to urban expansion in central Vietnam. Using data mainly from household surveys in the peri-urban areas of Hue city, the regression model indicates that demographic factors and livelihood strategy choices have important impacts on household income; financial compensation and support packages do not appear to be strong determinants of household income after the loss of land. This implies a failure of the current compensation programmes in the process of compulsory land acquisition, because the government believes that compensation packages make important contributions to livelihood reconstruction. This study suggests that investing in education and skill training for household members affected by land loss as well as assistance in converting compensation money into an adequate livelihood should be taken into consideration.

Rebuilding Livelihood of the Rural and Peri-Urban Resettlers in Post-Involuntary Displacement of Saguling Dam Construction

The construction of dams and reservoirs often comprises the displacement of not only communities but also the livelihood of the communities itself. This study aims to explore the effects of Saguling Dam construction on the livelihood re-establishment of the displaced people, by paying more attention on the sociographic localities of the new settlement, i.e. the rural and peri-urban areas. A survey was conducted on two groups of resettlers equiped with structured questionnaire. The results indicated that the project has imposed hardship on the displaced people in the process of livelihood re-establishment. Beside changes and lost of occupation, lost of resources, and insufficient cash compensation, sociographic localities of the two groups determined their social capital, which was also vital to their livelihood reconstruction.

The Strength of Near and Distant Ties

This study uses longitudinal semi-structured interview data to understand the role of social capital in environmental migration. I investigate how rural agricultural households displaced by the Belo Monte Dam in the Brazilian Amazon used ties to family and close friends in both the origin and destination during the course of migration, from pre-migration planning through post-migration livelihood reconstruction. I discover that the majority of households made strategic use of strong ties, relying on local and translocal social capital to help them find and purchase new property. Also, numerous households migrated to the same destinations as other displaced households and/or to places where family and friends had already lived beforehand. Maintaining strong ties in the destination was a priority for many households, as it facilitated the process of rebuilding livelihoods by providing social, financial, and emotional support. This study sheds light on how households make use of social networks during environmental migration, which can in turn help us better understand how social ties may shape migration decisions, capabilities, and destination choices among those displaced due to future environmental change.

The Strategies of Government and Nongovernmental Actors in the Resettlement and Reintegration of IDPs in Eldoret, Kenya

The Kenya government was between 2008 and 2015 completely stretched in terms of intentions and resources to resettle and reintegrate more than 650 000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled their homes following violence arising from 2007 disputed elections. This study examines the strategies used by the government and nongovernmental actors in the resettlement and reintegration of IDPs in Eldoret. The study is informed by the Cernea (2000) Impoverishment Risk and Livelihood Reconstruction (IRLR) model which helps in the analysis and prediction of risk, impoverishment and reconstruction, in their relation to resettlement. It employs the ex post facto comparative research design to draw comparisons between 189 in camp and a further 189 out of camp respondents drawn from a population of 7,249 IDP households, regarding their views on the design and implementation of the resettlement and reintegration programs by the government and nongovernmental actors. Results indicate that the process suffered many gaps, like failure to profile the IDPs, poor distribution of resources and failure to consult the victims, which made IDPs doubt the commitment of the actors to resettle them. The study concludes that the process would have been conclusive if there was adequate coordination.

Assessing Livelihood Reconstruction in Resettlement Program for Disaster Prevention at Baihe County of China: Extension of the Impoverishment Risks and Reconstruction (IRR) Model

The paper develops a tool for livelihood recovery assessment in disaster-preventive resettlement. A new conceptual framework is built based on the impoverishment risks and reconstruction (IRR) model. This framework leads to a quantitative model that was designed and tested using the disaster resettlement preventive engineering (DRPE) project in Baihe county of China. The new model evaluates the qualities of livelihood recovery in terms of three components: Life reconstruction, development reconstruction, and safety reconstruction, which consider features specific to the Chinese society, and introduce a new insecurity factor. The model showed good reliability, validity, and sensitivity for the evaluation of livelihood reconstruction in disaster-preventive resettlement. Its application will help to target interventions to improve public services in resettlement areas by identifying cases with inadequately sustainable livelihoods.

Factors Associated With Worsened or Improved Mental Health in the Great East Japan Earthquake Survivors

The aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to the worsening or improved mental health of long-term evacuees over three years following the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Japanese version of the K6 questionnaire was used as a measure of mental health. The first- and third-year survey results were compared and differences in mental health status calculated. Respondents were then divided into two groups according to worsening or improved mental health status. Differences in stress factors, stress relief methods, and demographics were compared between the two groups. Factors associated with exacerbation of poor mental health were the stress factors "Uncertainty about future" (p=0.048) and "Loss of purpose in life" (p=0.023). Multivariable analysis identified two factors associated with improved mental health, the stress relief methods "Accepting myself" (odds ratio (OR): 2.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-4.51) and "Interactions with others" (OR: 3.34, 95% CI: 1.43-7.79). While motivation and hope of livelihood reconstruction have gradually risen in the three years since the disaster, anxieties about an uncertain future, loss of purpose in life, and disruption of social networks continue adversely to affect the mental health of survivors.

Who is Responsible for Decision-making in Participatory Development? – Lessons Learned from the Social Reconstruction Plan for the Nam Theun 2 Dam Project

The livelihood reconstruction plan implemented in villages affected by the Nam Theun 2 Dam has been facing the limited sustainability of resource use and increasing economic and social disparity among the 16 relocated villages. The objective of this paper is to describe the problems that arose despite a carefully planned resettlement scheme, which included the participation of the residents from affected villages. Issues can be categorized into three types, based on whether risks were identified before decision-making and whether appropriate mitigation measures were considered for the identified risks. Local consensus may not be in agreement with development goals, and the issues that can be addressed by local consultation are limited. Therefore, whether to use local consultation or not should be considered carefully.

Compulsory land acquisition for urban expansion: livelihood reconstruction after land loss in Hue’s peri-urban areas, Central Vietnam

Land acquisition for urbanisation in Vietnam has become a hot topic, attracting attention not only from land administrators, but also from the media and politicians. This paper draws on the case of Hue to investigate how farmers reconstruct their livelihoods after land loss. The findings indicate that the majority of people are able to reconstruct their livelihoods with better living conditions. Besides the employment opportunities derived from an expanding local economy, such as in Hue, remaining in the same physical environment and the retention of social networks are important factors for successful livelihood reconstruction. However, there are emerging issues that challenge equitable development and sustainable livelihoods, such as increased vulnerability for the elderly and infirm after land loss, in addition to the difficulties casual workers may face in the long term. The capacity of households to adapt to new situations, training, consultations and social security systems for the affected farmers ...

Hydropower resettlement and livelihood adaptation: The Nam Mang 3 project in Laos

Mekong hydropower is developing rapidly. Laos is at the forefront of this development. While hydropower development supports the country's economic growth, many observers have highlighted the potential negative impacts for people's livelihoods. Taking the Nam Mang 3 hydropower project as a case study, we examine the impacts of hydropower development on farming households of differing livelihood assets and resources, and how they have responded to these impacts. Linking livelihood asset substitution with livelihood outcomes, we examine factors constraining livelihood adaptation and how these shape rural households' strategies to cope with socio-economic and environmental impacts from hydropower development. We conclude that while asset substitution generally can improve people's livelihoods, access to land continues to play an important role in the process of livelihood reconstruction and the shaping of livelihood outcomes.

Dealing with the Grey Contours: Displacement Circumstances and Livelihood Adaptation between Congo Brazzaville and the United Kingdom

The categorization of displaced people is grounded in criteria enshrined by international and regional conventions as well as receiving states’ asylum and immigration policies. However, drawing distinctions between displaced people remains a controversial issue because the causes of displacement are more diverse than the categories assigned. Whilst various categories confer different rights and entitlement, the forcibly displaced are often obliged to aspire to particular identities driven by their resettlement livelihood objectives. This paper is based on a study carried out in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo and Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. The paper argues that the institutional and policy environments in the locations where resettlement is sought determine the way displaced people identify themselves in displacement and how they appraise their circumstances and their consequent adaptive livelihood reconstruction strategies. Furthermore, it is shown here that formalized displacement categorization adds complexity to the way displaced people must deal with their circumstances and negatively impacts on livelihood adaptation. Whilst categorization may serve perceived institutional needs, this study finds that displaced people’s self-identification makes them resilient and enables survivability.

Environment-Related Resettlement in China: A Case Study of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province

Environment-related migration in China is shaped by a complex set of factors and their interactions. The central question addressed in this study is: how does economic well-being at the household level change after displacement and what shapes it? Based on a survey of households displaced in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province between 2004 and 2009, the study demonstrates that livelihood reconstruction is influenced by a mixture of household, institutional and community contextual factors. Government-led resettlement could be an effective approach to diversifying livelihood and building the future resilience of households to rural poverty and environmental change. The study contributes to the discussion on economic outcomes of resettlement due to environmental change, which can assist in suggesting how to improve the economic well-being of the recently resettled populations. Further resettlement action and policy measures need to be adjusted based on a more comprehensive understanding of the variety of factors that affect people's overall well-being to develop better ways to ensure improved livelihoods and long-term well-being of the displaced.

The livelihood reconstruction of resettlers from the Nam Ngum 1 hydropower project in Laos

The Nam Ngum 1 hydropower project took place in the early 1970s and displaced about 23 villages and 570 households. This research focuses on two resettlement villages: Pakcheng and Phonhang. A comparison is made concerning the livelihood conditions of these two villages, resettled in 1968 and 1977, respectively. The methodology involved consultation meetings in each village and one-on-one interviews of 100 households (50 households per village). This case study has determined that in terms of family income for these two villages, Pakcheng is significantly more affluent than Phonhang. This is probably because Pakcheng is located along a main road and has far better facilities and irrigation systems.

From South Africa with love: the malayisha system and Ndebele households' quest for livelihood reconstruction in south-western Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTIn the 1980s and early 1990s, sending remittances from South Africa posed major challenges for Ndebele migrants. As a result households receiving remittances only did so at irregular intervals. With increased diasporisation into South Africa, it was to be expected that new channels would open up. This article explores what is known as the malayisha system, its role and significance as an informal channel of remittances into Ndebele society. It argues that the system bridged the geographical gap between Matabeleland and Johannesburg, averting food insecurity and poverty for semi-proletarian households in Matabeleland. By facilitating the movement of goods and people between Matabeleland and South Africa, the system became instrumental in the quest of households to reconstruct their livelihoods after the destruction of their rural–urban-based livelihoods in Zimbabwe due to perennial droughts and ESAP. As a result, the services of omalayisha are highly sought-after, by both the migrant community in South Africa and households in Matabeleland.

Consideration on Public Support to Housing and Livelihood Reconstruction for Disaster Victims

Consideration on Public Support to Housing and Livelihood Reconstruction for Disaster Victims

Displacement and Economic Consequences of the Three Gorges Project: A Case Study of Resettlers in Sichuan Province

Due to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, more than 10,000 rural migrants from Kaixian County were displaced and resettled in Sichuan Province under the “government-organized distant resettlement” program between 2000 and 2004. This study examines the circumstances of the migrants' livelihood reconstruction in the early stages after displacement. Six towns that received migrants were selected as sites for the case studies. Structured question interviews with migrants and host residents were conducted from April to June in 2007 and in January 2008. Survey data on the livelihoods of resettled migrant households show a propensity for impoverishment. The study concludes with some insights into the development impact of environmental displacement.

Displacement and Resettlement in the Three Gorges Project: Issues Confronting Women Migrants

This article focuses on the situation of women migrants displaced by the Three Gorges Project (TGP) in China. It examines the participation and types of work undertaken by women migrants in the resettlement process, the strategies of the government and women migrants in coping with risks (especially impoverishment) that migrant families face after physical displacement, and some gender-related issues relevant to planning in the TGP. Data show that women migrants have limited opportunities to participate in the decision-making process of displacement. Following resettlement, women migrants face difficulties in finding employment in the non-agricultural sector while those who remain in the agricultural sector encounter extreme difficulties in attempting to engage in new agricultural practices in their new environments. The study found that a gendered perspective in planning for livelihood reconstruction and skills training is generally inadequate or absent.