Livelihoods

A growing body of thinking in the water sector emphasises understanding the ways in which people secure a livelihood as a basic starting point for analysis...

Livelihood issues in Sri Lanka

Concept of livelihoods is critical to the understanding of poverty and water security. Poverty is complex and multifaceted and reflects both material and non material conditions of peoples lives. Any effective strategy to target the need and potential of poor needs to reflect on the multidimensional, character of poverty. Water security means people and communities have reliable and adequate access to water to meet their different needs and take advantage of different opportunities water resources offer and protect from water related hazards. A livelihood comprises the capabilities, assets and activities required for a means of living. Livelihood if sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future without underestimating the natural resource base (Carney 1998) People draw on five capital assets (Human, natural, financial, physical and social) for livelihoods. Livelihoods are built from a series choices over the use these asserts. For a common property resource like water, key issues is the system of entitlement through which people , especially the poor gain access to water. This includes legal, social and other actors that dictate who is able to draw upon the resource and who is not. In the case study locations of Diyabaeduma and Kailapathana land livelihoods of most settler families are farming and wage labour. Availability of paddy is mainly distributed among the wealthy (high – middle – low) households, while land ownership pattern of low income householders give a clear indication of poverty. Poor access to safe drinking water has been one of the main reasons for low quality of livelihoods in the two villages. Settlers close to irrigation canals and dug well have been more fortunate, but those living far away from water sources have experienced problems. Women and children have suffered as water carriers and there have been complaints arising from carrying water over long distances. Social problems associated with using the same source of water by different families and humiliation of women and children have been some of the important issues that have affected livelihoods of these families. Studies on poverty and irrigation infrastructure have recorded that highest poverty was recorded among households deriving income from agriculture. Slow per capita growth in the paddy sector, major droughts and contraction in the paddy sector have contributed to this situation. Besides these, one of the major factors affecting rural poverty is lack of basic infrastructure including water and electricity. These features are prevalent in both villages where most poor households have to depend for livelihoods on rain-fed cultivation of highlands and unpredictable seasonal wage labour.

attachments