Understanding livelihood change and evolving vulnerability in Lesotho

1
Understanding livelihood change and evolving
vulnerability in Lesotho and appropriate
programming responses

• Palesa Ndabe
• Stephen Turner

2
Livelihoods in Lesotho diverse and dynamic

• To help reduce vulnerability and alleviate
  poverty, we must
• understand the diversity
• track the dynamics
• LRAPs research component tried to do both

3
LRAP research activities

• Literature review
• Research strategy
• Eight other research studies
• Emphasis on longitudinal work, including access
  to past data

4
LRAP research activities

• Literature review
• Research strategy
• Eight other research studies
• Emphasis on longitudinal work, including access
  to past data
• Analysis of the underlying causes of poverty

5
Poverty and vulnerability in Lesotho

• Poverty is spreading and deepening
• Vulnerability is spreading and changing

6
Underlying causes of poverty

• Geopolitical history and status
• Gender inequity
• Governance and politics

7
Intermediate causes of poverty

• Unemployment
• Environmental problems
• HIV/AIDS

8
National consultations, 2002 causes of poverty
Rank rural lowlands and foothills Rank mountains and Senqu valley Rank all consult-ations
Agricultural problems 1 1 1
Employment, problems in the economy 2 2 2
Health, sanitation, water supply 3 3 3
Politics and governance 4 5 4
Crime, poor law enforcement 5 4 5
Poverty, hunger 6 7 6
Poor natural resource management, land degradation 7 6 7
Lack of equipment 8 - 10
Education 9 9 9
Welfare, social problems 10 8 8
Poor roads and infrastructure - 9 -
9
Evolving vulnerability employment

• Rural Lesotho is not an agrarian economy or
  society
• South African mine labour more than halved in 15
  years
• Lesotho factory work new opportunities, new
  vulnerabilities
• Livelihoods and their vulnerabilities
  increasingly span urban and rural Lesotho

10
Evolving vulnerability environment

• Unreliable climate a constant
• Land degradation continues we think
• Water a key constraint
• Increasing dependence on the biosphere for energy

11
Evolving vulnerability HIV/AIDS

• The nations worst crisis
• Deeper vulnerability for women and girls
• New vulnerability for children and older people
• New vulnerability for livelihoods
• New vulnerability for the state

12
Evolving vulnerability institutions

• Deteriorating governance hurts the poor most
• A new start a fragile time
• Many indigenous institutions are resilient
• Formal institutions threatened by HIV/AIDS

13
Evolving vulnerability sharing and support

• Some sharing mechanisms resilient others fading
  away
• A decline in community spirit?
• The massive new burden of HIV/AIDS
• Can support groups help?

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Programming responses

• Link livelihoods and HIV/AIDS initiatives
• Link rural and urban initiatives
• Help society to tackle gender inequity
• Promote effective interventions in governance and
  social support

15
Programming responses

• Support ways for the vulnerable to produce food
• Help people overcome water constraints
• Help extension services adjust to new
  vulnerabilities
• Adjust, extend, reinforce development roles

16

• Khotso
• Pula
• Nala