Moreda, Tsegaye (2008) Household Livelihood Security: Resources, Vulnerability and Coping Strategies among Peasants in Tach Gayint Woreda, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Masters thesis, Addis Ababa University.
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Abstract
Studies on household livelihood security often explain what and how households make their livelihoods within the realm of prevailing contexts. This research explores livelihood resources, vulnerability and coping strategies of households in the three selected kebeles of Tach Gayint Woreda. To this end, household livelihood security approach was used to provide an explicit focus on what matters to rural livelihoods in the studied areas. The study findings were drawn from data generated through the combination of both qualitative research methods and quantitative household survey method. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques involved participants from various socioeconomic groups with the view of getting holistic views and a better picture of the prevailing contexts through the participation of the peasants in the study. Results obtained reveal that livelihood systems in the study areas are dominated by subsistence –oriented small holder agriculture in which households practiced mixed farming where both animal and crop production are carried out concurrently. In addition, the studied households also pursued non-farm activities although the activities were often low paid type. On the other hand, the stock of productive assets held by households such as holdings of land, livestock and other assets are low and possibly deteriorating. Evidences from the data also showed that the studied households have been suffering from frequent and severe disasters for many years which include drought, floods, insects and pests, and epidemics. As a result, livelihoods in the area are linked to persisting vulnerability which is the result of combination of factors constraining the options and opportunities open to the households. Ever increasing population growth which has placed extreme pressure on scarce land resources, increasing environmental degradation, low and erratic rainfall, depletion of asset base, declining land productivity and lack of appropriate technologies that are needed for intensifying production together with the lack of viable livelihood diversification opportunities were among the major causes for their vulnerability. More than half of the households do not produce enough food to cover their needs for six months and those that can produce enough food to feed themselves year round were about 15 percent. In this regard, repeated occurrences of drought and adverse weather pattern, food price inflation, inability to produce sufficient food crops and rear livestock due to various factors, and failure to properly utilize own production and other earnings were among the main reasons of households for being food insecure. The overall result is that the households have to cope with the persisting vulnerabilities to feed themselves and thus they have adopted coping strategies in response to the different risks and shocks to their livelihoods. This paper argues that effective ways to deal with household livelihood insecurity in Tach Gayint must address the underlying causes of increased vulnerability for most households in the area.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Masters) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Household, livelihood, vulnerability, and coping strategies. |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Divisions: | Africana |
| Depositing User: | Geoffrey Obatsa |
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jun 2019 11:52 |
| Last Modified: | 24 Jun 2019 11:52 |
| URI: | http://thesisbank.jhia.ac.ke/id/eprint/9232 |
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