Sustainable Livelihood Framework: The Case of Lante Rural Village, Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study mainly focused on sustainable livelihood applied to the livelihood strategies, assets, transforming structures and processes, livelihood outcomes and vulnerability context in Lante village, Gamo Gofa Zone, southern Ethiopia. The main research questions tried to find an answer to in this paper were: 1. what are the main livelihood strategies in study area? 2. What is the influence of being a member of the cooperative on the livelihood outcomes of the households? 3. What is the role of irrigation and what opportunities does it provide to the people? Interviews were held with a group of village leaders, old and well educated inhabitant of the village, managers of the irrigation system and the leaders of the local cooperative for banana and mango. More detailed information was acquired at household level, using a questionnaire. The sample size for this interview was 20. The main livelihood strategies in study area are cropping (such as banana, mango and maize) and livestock agriculture, off-farm employment and non-farm activities. The livelihood asset endowments observed in the area are consists of five capital indicators: human capitals (health and education centers), physical capitals (transportation, irrigation system, housing standards and farming equipments), natural capitals (freely access and use of land), social capitals (community relationship and membership of community group) and financial capitals. Transforming Structures and Processes that support developments of people’s livelihoods are: government, cooperatives and extension programs. Climate, hydrology, pathogen, market fluctuation, economic and population growth are dynamic vulnerabilities that determine the achievements of sustainable livelihood outcomes.

Keywords: livelihood strategies, vulnerability, poverty, cooperative, irrigation