Livelihood Recovery Research Articles

Economic recovery of the new poor created by COVID-19: evidence from Bangladesh

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 shock resulted in a large number of people becoming newly poor in Bangladesh, for whom recovery was slow and difficult. In response, BRAC implemented a nationwide program – credit, business planning support, and mentoring – targeting the economic recovery of the new poor. This paper estimates its impact using a mixed method and finds that the program had a significant positive effect on employment, income, and assets, indicating a faster economic recovery of program participants. The learnings from this program can have major policy implications for future disaster responses targeting livelihood recovery, specifically during the time-sensitive transitory phase from relief to long-term development.

Integration of Tacit and Explicit Strategies in Sustainable Livelihood Recovery: A Case Study on Project-Affected Communities of a Hydropower Plant in West Java, Indonesia

Since the 1970s, large-scale dam construction has become a trend in developing countries. During the 1960–2020 period, 235 large-scale dams were built in Indonesia. However, all of them left a negative socio-economic impact. Explicit strategies to recover project-affected communities’ (PAC’) livelihoods have been implemented but need to be sustained. In 2011, the pumped storage innovation was adopted, and Upper Cisokan, West Java, became the pilot. The recovery of PAC livelihoods is also designed to be sustainable by integrating a “tacit and explicit strategy”. This paper aimed to determine the implementation and impact of this strategic innovation. The research was designed through a survey of 325 PAC families (975 persons) and in-depth interviews with 32 informants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and dialectics. The result revealed that strategy integration could speed up the post-resettlement livelihood recovery time and collaborate with various local institutions in the academics, businessmen, community, government, media (ABCGM) scheme. In addition, increasing the number of PAC livelihoods by 155 percent and expanding the diversity of livelihoods from agricultural domination to MSMEs and the non-agricultural sector. The involvement of women and youth in livelihood recovery has also increased by 85 percent, especially in micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the non-agricultural sector.

COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts on land, governance, and livelihoods

This paper focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on livelihoods, land access and governance in rural and peri-urban selected areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. Crises are usually expected to be worse for citizens in developing countries since most of their economic activities are in the informal sector, and access to the social protection programs is often limited and exclusionary. Those vulnerable and marginalized are often those who are hit the hardest and who struggle the most to recover after crises. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Extended lockdowns have put livelihoods under stress, underlying patterns of fragile livelihoods and inequality. There are also particular vulnerabilities with regards to land access and livelihoods of vulnerable populations. Our case studies document how the pandemic has affected livelihoods through several mechanisms relating to land access, including distress sales due to economic hardships and exacerbating land conflicts due to increased pressure on land and increasing trends of urban-to-rural migration. We reflect on how households act and react when faced with shocks and how this affects not only their current access to livelihood assets but might undermine their options for the future. In addition, a range of other effects were identified in our case studies that we expect to negatively impact livelihood recovery.

The role of access to finance in disaster recovery: Evidence from coastal communities in India

AbstractNatural disasters affect economic activities and welfare of small‐scale producers in developing countries, but may also offer opportunities to reinvest in productive asset, economic capital, and new technologies for future economic prospects. This paper investigates the impacts of a livelihood recovery project that provided access to finance and rehabilitated communal infrastructures in the coastal communities of Tamil Nadu, India which were severely affected by the 2004 tsunami. We replicate the project's eligibility criteria to build the counterfactual to identify control households based on the validation of secondary data and administrative records. Using data from a carefully designed primary survey, we estimate the impacts of providing access to finance and rehabilitating communal infrastructures on economic and livelihood outcomes. Results indicate positive and significant impacts on income, asset and food security. These impacts are mainly driven by improved access to finance provided and participation in groups. Findings highlight the importance of ensuring access to finance for sustainable economic recovery among small‐scale producers, particularly in the aftermath of natural disasters.

Learning capacity and diversification, enabling and constraining factors, and external assistance: A cross-national comparative analysis of long-term livelihood recovery

Despite a wide recognition of the importance of learning capacity and diversification, enabling and constraining factors, and external assistance in facilitating long-term livelihood recovery (LTLR), there is a paucity of comparison for a nuanced understanding of interconnections among the three themes (learning capacity and diversification, enabling and constraining factors, and external assistance) in different societal and disaster scenarios. Accordingly, this article employs a cross-national comparative approach in examining the interplay of these three factors in LTLR, within rural communities, following the two international post-disaster case studies, the 2007 Cyclone Sidr, Barguna, Bangladesh and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan, China. This cross-national comparison indicates that the affected communities in both cases experienced extreme challenges in LTLR while illustrating the differences. Learning capacity and diversification facilitated asset loss recovery and risk mitigation in the Sidr case, while the Wenchuan case demonstrated a limited learning opportunity for livelihood diversification. Enabling and constraining factors were identified in both case studies. Particularly, people-place connections positively shaped the LTLR in the Wenchuan case while producing negative results in the Sidr case. External assistance facilitated livelihood provisioning, protection, and promotion for the Sidr case; in contrast, giving little, if any, credence to the local traditional livelihood practice, the top-down external interventions in the Wenchuan case jeopardized the rural communities LTLR. This article defends that promoting grassroots participation in community reconstruction and recovery and strengthening grassroots livelihood learning and practice capacities would advance LTLR.

Measurement and Spatial Differentiation of Farmers' Livelihood Resilience Under the COVID-19 Epidemic Outbreak in Rural China.

Livelihood resilience is the ability of individuals, families or communities to withstand external shocks based on existing resources. It is an important research paradigm in sustainable development studies. The outbreak of COVID-19 and strict epidemic prevention policies have greatly impacted the production and life of rural farmers in China. The resilience of farmers' livelihoods during the epidemic is crucial to the sustainable development of their livelihoods and regional stability. This study uses classic buffer capacity, self-organization ability, and the capacity for learning a three-dimension livelihood resilience framework using the comprehensive index, OLS, and geographical detector methods based on Hubei province and neighboring Anhui and Chongqing. Rural household survey data investigate the background of epidemic hit the livelihood of farmers resilience and its spatial distribution pattern and identify the key influencing factors. The results show that the livelihood shock faced by farmers was higher than the risk of disease, and the overall level of livelihood resilience was low after the pandemic. Financial capital and social capital can effectively help farmers to eliminate livelihood difficulties. In contrast, natural capital has a limited driving force, and physical and human capital have no obvious impact. The spatial agglomeration differentiation is obvious, indicating that the impact of COVID-19 on livelihoods was closely related to the degree of local socio-economic development and geographical location. The results of this study provide targeted recommendations for the development of epidemic prevention and livelihood resilience policies tailored to local conditions, emphasizing the importance of boosting livelihood recovery at both the government and household levels.

Minor Forest Produce Gathering & Sustainability of Tribal Livelihood Assets –Challenges and Issues in Kerala

This paper presentation is an attempt to understand the challenges and issues in protecting livelihood assets in relation to forest gathering of tribal communities in Kerala. The concept of protection of livelihood assets is one of the core concept of livelihood recovery processes necessitated basically in the event of calamities and other adverse events. The guidance note published by the UNDP on recovery processes is a detailed document on this topic. Forest gathering in Kerala is slowly dying out and is in a stage warranting immediate intervention for revival as if it is affected by adverse events. This study is therefore concentrated on identifying the livelihood assets based on Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF), which is a tool developed based on Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) formulated by Chambers & Conway, in 1991. The assets thus identified, in the broad classes of Human, Social, Natural Physical and Financial assets, are Skilled Human resources, Aboriginal Knowledge and Gathering Skills, Tribal Cooperatives and other self-help groups, Forest resources, Forest Dwelling Rights, other related Infrastructure Facilities and Cash Assistances. Each of this assets are discussed primarily based on hands-on experience and exposure of the paper presenter as an official associated with the operations of tribal cooperative sector in Kerala for a period of 5 years and wherever necessary historical data, related literatures and governmental reports are relied. Based on the discussions, reviews, and analysis of data, this paper put forth its findings and conclusions to the intended audience for necessary remedial steps and future studies.

Agency-driven and community-driven impact in livelihood recovery: Beneficiaries stories.

These findings highlight the key elements of recovery implementation based on community perspectives to achieve impact of livelihood recovery.

Livelihood recovery for sustainable development: A study of the Lushan earthquake

Livelihood plays an indispensable role in sustainable community development. Previous studies of sustainable livelihood have focused on the factors that contribute to the vulnerability or resilience of livelihood, but there is limited understanding of the factors that determine people's livelihood restoration after a major disaster. By using a mixed method, combined interviews with questionnaires, this research has quantified the critical factors that influence the livelihood recovery of local communities affected by the Lushan earthquake in 2013, China. The statistical analysis shows that the most highly ranked top four factors are access to income generation assets, external housing recovery support, the level of community participation in decision making, and availability of family support. Factor analysis further suggested that the 16 critical factors identified fall into four categories, namely: 1) government policies; 2) access to resources; 3) social cohesion; 4) individual characteristics. For livelihood recovery to be embedded in the long-term sustainable development of earthquake-affected communities in Lushan, it is important to address the sustainable development through a proper knowledge transfer process including training, education, and more novel community services.

From goods to goats: examining post-disaster livelihood recovery in the aftermath of the Nepal earthquake 2015

Disasters can have substantial impacts on people’s livelihoods in developing countries. Further, if the need for livelihood interventions is ignored or delayed, the crisis may trigger unexpected harmful consequences in the affected households in the aftermath. Therefore, restoring livelihoods should remain a priority in the post-disaster recovery process. However, such recoveries in rural contexts and developing countries, like Nepal, are complex as the livelihood restoration process is affected by serious spatial, socio-economic, and political factors. We employed qualitative research methods in four highly affected districts in the 2015 Nepal Earthquake (7.8 Mw) to examine post-disaster livelihoods recovery. Our paper critically assesses the humanitarian response based on the narratives and lived experiences of affected households. The findings show that humanitarian assistance was crucial in addressing several unmet needs of disaster-affected rural households in resource-poor settings in Nepal. However, the interventions were generally fragmented, insufficient, neoliberal led (forcing market dependencies), and largely business-as-usual in their orientation. Previous studies in Nepal paid insufficient attention to the goods provided to affected households in the name of recovery. Therefore, our paper scrutinises selected humanitarian objects, such as power tillers, and unpacks their political economy and effectiveness in local contexts. Further, our findings show that some livelihood policies reinforced the gap between the haves and have-nots, thereby reproducing pre-disaster inequalities in the post-disaster field.

Social Stability Risk Assessment of Disaster-Preventive Migration in Ethnic Minority Areas of Southwest China.

Disaster-preventive migration (DPM) is an important method for disaster risk management, but migration itself entails a potential social stability risk. This study took County D in Yunnan Province, one of the counties most severely threatened by geological disasters in China, as an example to construct an indicator system of social stability risk factors for disaster-preventive migration based on a literature survey and in-depth interviews. The system consists of 5 first-level risk factors and 14 s-level risk factors. The social stability risk of DPM in County D was assessed using a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method based on experts’ weights. The results showed that the overall social stability risk level of disaster-preventive migration in County D is ‘high’. In terms of importance, the five first-level risk factors were ranked as follows: public opinion risk > compensation risk > livelihood recovery risk > cultural risk > geological disaster risk. Among the risk factors, the level of public opinion risk and compensation risk appeared to be high, whereas that of livelihood recovery risk, cultural risk and geological disaster risk resulted to be medium. To our knowledge, this paper is the first research to evaluate the social stability risk of DPM; it not only enriches the theories of social stability risk assessment, but also has important guiding significance for people relocation and resettlement in Chinese ethnic minority areas.

What catalyzes the proactive recovery of peasants from the COVID-19 pandemic? A livelihood perspective in Ningqiang County, China

The livelihood recovery strategy is utilized for peasants during the COVID-19 pandemic. This strategy serves a salient role to help them recover from the relevant hazardous impacts. Disaster risk has been a major concern among hazards for the increasing likelihood of exposure and vulnerability, especially in the process of poverty alleviation in China. However, few studies have discussed the factors and mechanisms that influence peasants to adopt livelihood recovery strategies in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Based on a case study of Ningqiang County, China, this study explores the mechanisms that catalyze the proactive recovery of peasants from the COVID-19 pandemic from a livelihood perspective. Methodologically, the study proposes a framework that integrates the modified pressure-state-response (PSR) framework and the sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA), and it employs structure equation modeling (SEM) approach to examine how specific factors affect peasants to proactively adopt livelihood strategies to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicate that the COVID-19 pressure significantly increases the risk perception of peasants and decreases their livelihood capital. Further, the decreased livelihood capital, the improvement of risk perception and supportive policy will promote peasants to adopt livelihood recovery strategies. Moreover, the results specify that risk perception and supportive policy mediate the relation between livelihood capital and recovery strategy. The findings will be beneficial for policymakers and researchers to understand the mechanisms that peasants adopt livelihood strategies to recover from disasters, and can serve as references for formulating disaster risk reduction and resilience policies.

Picking Up the Pieces: Social Capital, Psycho-Social Support and Livelihood Recovery of Displaced Populations in Northeast Nigeria

This paper examines the role of social capital on livelihood outcomes of households forcibly displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency in Northeast Nigeria. Drawing from in-depth interviews of 21 respondents and a cross-sectional survey of 810 household heads across 12 locations in Northeast Nigeria, the study finds that social capital provides a channel of critical psycho-social support for households. Further, the results of the structural-equation modelling indicate that bridging-linking social capital has a strong positive impact on livelihood outcomes, while the impact of bonding social capital on livelihood outcomes is partially mediated by resilience. The study contributes to recent conversations on the imperative of a triple-nexus strategy by highlighting the unique roles that social capital can play in complementary humanitarian, developmental and peace-building programming, especially in protracted crises and contexts of forced displacement where short-term material and financial interventions may not be adequate. The paper also offers practical and policy recommendations and suggestions for future research on operationalisation of social capital in protracted crises.

Displaced, excluded, and making do: a study of refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to use the special context of the Kenyan encampment policy to interrogate the role of social capital as a driver of resourcing for entrepreneurial action in the resource-constrained environment of refugee entrepreneurship in Kenya.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes conceptual and case study approaches to investigate how refugees deploy social capital to aggregate and recombine resources for entrepreneurial action and livelihood outcomes. It draws on 21 selected secondary sources and semi-structured interviews of 24 respondents from Kakuma camp and Kalobeyei settlement, as well as Nairobi city in Kenya.FindingsThis study proposes a new conceptual framework that illuminates the interaction between social capital, resource aggregation and resource recombination for entrepreneurial action and livelihood recovery. This framework was elucidated within the specific Kenyan context, where social capital was found to play a key role in enabling access to other resources such as financial and human capital to refugee entrepreneurs that would otherwise be inaccessible within the resource-constrained context. It also underlines the capacity of refugees to mobilise these resources in the creation of new ecosystems and institutions.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the conceptual contribution of the paper holds broad explanatory powers, the empirical aspect is limited in terms of its focus on the Kenyan contexts. Future studies can benefit from cross-country comparisons of empirical, including longitudinal, data.Social implicationsThis paper argues for a new approach that can enable better integration of refugees through the provision of opportunities for full economic participation for refugees. This will be a win-win outcome for both refugees and host communities.Originality/valueThis paper makes original contribution by proposing a new conceptual framework that explains the bricoleur’s resource process through the lense of social capital in a resource-constrained and challenging institutional environment. This framework is elucidated with empirical qualitative data from Kenya. This study also signposts new operational and policy directions for humanitarian action among refugees.

紛争後のスリランカ北部農村におけるタミル人世帯の生計再建メカニズム

紛争後のスリランカ北部農村におけるタミル人世帯の生計再建メカニズム

When Housing and Communities Were Delivered: A Case Study of Post-Wenchuan Earthquake Rural Reconstruction and Recovery

This study contributes to an in-depth examination of how Wenchuan earthquake disaster survivors utilize intensive built environment reconstruction outcomes (housing and infrastructural systems) to facilitate their long-term social and economic recovery and sustainable rural development. Post-disaster recovery administered via top-down disaster management systems usually consists of two phases: a short-term, government-led reconstruction (STGLR) of the built environment and a long-term, survivor-led recovery (LTSLR) of human and social settings. However, current studies have been inadequate in examining how rural disaster survivors have adapted to their new government-provided housing or how communities conducted their long-term recovery efforts. This qualitative case study invited sixty rural disaster survivors to examine their place-making activities utilizing government-delivered, urban-style residential communities to support their long-term recovery. This study discovered that rural residents’ recovery activities successfully perpetuated their original rural lives and rebuilt social connections and networks both individually and collectively. However, they were only able to manage their agriculture-based livelihood recovery temporarily. This research suggests that engaging rural inhabitants’ place-making expertise and providing opportunities to improve their housing and communities would advance the long-term grassroots recovery of lives and livelihoods, achieving sustainable development.

Gorkha Earthquake and Its’ Impact On Livelihoods; The Case of Four Rural Municipalities of Nuwakot District

Gorkha Earthquake has been a synonym of destruction and devastation, 8790 have lost their life, 22,300 people injured and 498 852 private houses, 3622 government buildings, 19000 classrooms were completely damaged and 256 657 partially damaged, 40000 animal lost their lives, it affected the livelihoods of over 2.28 million households and 8 million people with total damage and loss to livelihoods of NPR 28.4 billion (USD 284 million) in 32 districts. How the livelihood recovery and restore were carried out, the method of applying to restore and recover? Was it appropriate or should have done differently? How did the stakeholders respond to the livelihood restoration and recovery? How many agencies involved in those exercises? Was livelihood connected to the reconstruction and rebuilding effort? These questions were addressed from the secondary and primary data collection. The primary data collection carried out earthquake-affected districts, particularly highly affected area Nuwakot district. Dupcheswore, Panchkanya, Tadi, and Kipping, altogether 330 people w asked the questions randomly from the list of 2162 earthquake affected people and these were the beneficiaries for housing construction. Livelihood restoration was not carried out immediately after the earthquake, which should have immediate priority as well. Livelihood restoration started after a month of the disaster, the shops opened, small industries operated, barley and wheat harvested. In the reconstruction phase 252 I/NGO, including world bank, ADB, JICA, Government line ministries involved for livelihood related program. Some of these were mason, carpenter and electrician, offseason vegetable farming, and it helped to gain livelihood of the people. The research found out ‘people think differently for creating livelihood as paid work in the rescue and restoration of livelihood with the support even to increase means of production; the more on livelihood restoration and creation would help to come out quickly from the loss and trauma. This should be carried out simultaneously with relief distributions exercises, as have done temporary settlements. The livelihood program should save people to be pushed into the poverty trap; government intervention is highly required.

The Priority Dilemma of Western Sanctions on Syria’s Agricultural Reconstruction

ABSTRACT The current relationship between Syria and the West cripples any real prospect for reconstruction. Western sanctions on reconstruction as a political tool aimed at the regime, have wide-ranging negative impacts on the civilian population – while having little hope of political success. For agriculture the repercussions of sanctions on reconstruction are severe, affecting refugee returns, livelihood recovery, food security and stabilization. This article examines the priority dilemma of sanctions on agricultural reconstruction, and argues that they are counterproductive, particularly given that the war is now larger and more problematic than what a reformed government's relationship with civil society could resolve.

An assessment of livelihoods program in earthquake affected areas of Nuwakot district, Nepal

A study was conducted in Nuwakot district to explore how the transition from relief to livelihoods restoration was managed and whether efforts were timely, socially justifiable and adequate to promote sustainable livelihoods of the earthquake victims. A transition period existed between relief and livelihood recovery support, which not only ensured survival of the victims but also paved way for livelihood interventions. Supports were timely and socially justifiable but with questions. Livelihoods of the beneficiaries improved in general while achievement of sustainable livelihood was limited to a few. Synergy among multiple support providers prevailed specially after introduction of one-door policy.

Mediating role of post-traumatic growth in the relationship between inadequate disaster recovery and mental health outcomes: long-term evidence from the Wenchuan earthquake

ABSTRACT Background: The mental health outcomes from disasters have aroused great concern worldwide, yet few studies incorporate a long-term disaster recovery perspective. Evidence has also emerged about the importance of the social determinants of mental health, but aspects of recovery including disruptions to livelihoods and social networks remain relatively understudied. Objective: This study utilizes cognitive adaptation theory to examine the long-term relationship between inadequate disaster recovery and mental health outcomes while considering domains of post-traumatic growth (PTG) as mediators. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1369 adult survivors of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Correlation analyses and multivariable regression analyses examined the association between inadequate disaster recovery and mental health outcomes, while parallel multiple mediator models and structural equation model explored the mediating role of PTG among these relationships. Results: 52.2% and 8.1% of the respondents reported inadequate recovery on livelihood and social ties, respectively. Inadequate disaster recovery was associated with higher levels of PTSD and depressive symptoms, and this association was partially mediated by PTG. Lower reported PTG on the interpersonal relationship and new possibilities domains mediated the association between inadequate livelihood recovery on PTSD and depressive symptom severity, and enhanced personal strength mediated the association between inadequate social ties recovery on these symptoms. Conclusion: Enhancing disaster recovery is essential for mental health protection, and PTG may be a valuable starting point in cognitive therapy to protect against stress responses after trauma.