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The Secret Power of Sustainable Livelihood: How to Find Lasting Happiness in Adversity?
In today's world, sustainable development has become a global consensus, especially for the livelihoods of vulnerable groups. This is not only a matter of economic growth, but also a consideration of human well-being. The concept of sustainable livelihoods, rooted at the intersection of development and environmental studies, offers a new way of thinking about work, production and distribution, particularly for low-income groups and indigenous communities living at the bottom of poverty.
The definition of sustainable livelihoods reflects a profound new understanding of poverty research: it not only focuses on the material manifestations of poverty, but also includes factors such as vulnerability and social exclusion.
The word sustainability reflects an individual's ability to sustainably provide for himself. Under different shocks or pressures, the indicator of sustainability is not only survival, but also the ability to recover from difficulties and maintain or improve livelihoods.
The emergence of a sustainable livelihoods framework
The sustainable livelihoods framework provides a structure for comprehensive poverty alleviation action that focuses on development opportunities that are people-centred, dynamic and participatory. This concept builds a bridge between the environment and humans, allowing people to coexist in harmony. Among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations for 2030, all 17 goals are aimed at ensuring a sustainable world where "no one is left behind", which shows their importance.
However, with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, progress on all 17 goals has suffered significant delays, requiring the world to face these challenges in a more collaborative way.
Historical roots of sustainable livelihoods
The concept of sustainable livelihoods was first proposed in a rural context and subsequently revised by the Brundtland Commission, which further expanded the concept at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, viewing the achievement of sustainable livelihoods as a To achieve the broad goal of eradicating poverty. In 1992, Robert Chambers and Gordon Conway proposed a comprehensive definition of sustainable rural livelihoods.
“A livelihood consists of the capabilities, assets (savings, resources, rights to claims and acquisitions) and activities that enable it to thrive; to be sustainable, a livelihood must be able to cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and to maintain or Enhance its capabilities and assets. ”
Models and Practices
Many organizations have incorporated sustainable livelihoods concepts into their ongoing poverty alleviation efforts. These models’ approaches to adaptive sustainability are exemplified by the following key organizations:
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations in 2015 cover multiple areas, including poverty eradication. Each goal sets specific targets and is being pursued across the country, community and individual levels. This is a global effort.
Smart Community Development Framework (SCDF)
SCDF aims to identify problems in disadvantaged communities and propose solutions to eradicate poverty in the community. The framework focuses on empowering communities to make their own decisions and create an environment where problems can be solved in a lasting way.
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
The United Nations Development Programme uses a sustainable livelihoods approach to development, assessing different types of capital, including human capital, social capital, etc. UNDP designs initiatives across the spectrum to boost development and help people cope with external shocks.
CARE Organization
CARE, which focuses on emergency relief and long-term development projects, developed the Family Livelihood Security Framework in 1994 to better track its performance, moving away from traditional industry segmentation and focusing more on holistic development techniques.
DFID
The UK Department for International Development (DFID) is committed to eradicating extreme poverty and provides a comprehensive solution by integrating the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, which, as the name suggests, points to a people-centered, multi-level dynamic approach to continuously promote poverty improvement.
Overall, sustainable livelihoods is not only a methodology, but also an expectation for the future. Can such efforts really help vulnerable communities facing various challenges move towards a better tomorrow?
