Rural Livelihood Diversity in Developing Countries

Livelihoods are also about creating and embracing new opportunities. A livelihood is considered to consist of the possessions, actions, and privileges that enable people to make a living. Possessions may consist of natural resources, aptitudes, information, assistance, and employment opportunities. It is important to realize that assets are not only natural resources, such as land-living, marine, fisheries, crystals, but they may also include social, political, human, physical and financial dimensions. Actions are things that people do to gain a living and these will usually be based on available assets. Activities may be based on acquired information and assistance, thus education and training has a prominent position in a sustainable livelihoods approach to sustainable development. Information and assistance may also be acquired through traditional, cultural processes. Entitlements refer to those things that people may rely upon because of legal or customary rights. It may include the mutual the mutual support structures that are often included with village life in many different cultures. It brings all relevant aspects of people’s lives and livelihoods into development.

Rural livelihood is defined as the process by which households construct a diverse portfolio of activities and social support capabilities for survival and in order to improve their standard of living. Having alternatives for income generation can make the difference between minimally viable livelihoods and destitution. The diversity of livelihoods is an important feature of rural survival but often overlooked by the architects of strategy. In this sense, diverse living systems are less susceptible than expanded ones. A livelihood is environmentally sustainable when it maintains or enhances the local and global assets in which livings depends. It may include the mutual the mutual support structures that are often included with village life in many different cultures. It brings all relevant aspects of people’s lives and livelihoods into development.