Rural Livelihood Strategies Selected Case Studies From South Asia (2002) Study Commissioned by APRLP, Hyderabad.

Eliminating poverty by creating sustainable rural livelihoods is the greatest challenge the world faces today.   Many NGOs and International Developmental Agencies are working together to create rural livelihoods by constantly refining and applying new strategies.  Of late, their main objective is to work together and learn from each other in order to reduce poverty.  Experiences of different organizations have shown that people and not the resources they manage, must be placed at the centre of development if poverty is to be reduced and eliminated. 

More livelihoods can be created for rural poor only through constant efforts to increase opportunities and choices and improve resource productivity, thereby resulting in income generation and improved access to better living conditions.  The promotion of equitable access to natural and economic resources and social services is crucial and will require specific action to address gender issues, empowerment, etc.  Since most of poor live in rural areas, a major challenge is to generate rural livelihoods both in economically marginal areas and among the resource poor in more favorably endowed areas.

Since rural household livelihood activities are multiple, involving on-farm as well as off-farm actions and since inter household links and relationships at community and macro levels are constantly changing as they adjust to new situations, rural development approaches must also become more comprehensive, multi-sectoral and flexible.  As mentioned earlier, the case studies presented in the report give due attention to these factors by stressing the need to improve opportunities available to the rural poor so they can strengthen, diversify and sustain their livelihoods and increase their income.

The cases presented in this report are grouped into five broad categories i.e. Natural Resource Management, Cooperative, Micro Enterprise, Micro Credit and Empowerment based on the main strategy behind the implementation of the programme.  The material used for developing case studies is drawn from various secondary sources (published as well as unpublished) like books, reports, and articles.  The sources from which the case studies are written are given at the end of the each case study. The format followed for presentation of case studies goes into details of organizational setting, context for intervention, objectives, processes and impact of the programme. However, to avoid monotony in presentation a strict order mentioned above is not followed.