Abstract
This paper analyzes livelihood change and livelihood sustainability of households in the upland part of the Lembang subwatershed, West Sumatra, in response to changes in the natural resource management context during the last decade. Using the sustainable livelihood framework (SLF), we measured livelihood changes at two separate points in time, 1996 and 2006, and assessed their environmental, economic, social, and institutional sustainability. We found that people with a low income had less access to capital assets than people from middle- and high-income groups. Our analysis revealed, however, that access to capital assets increased over time, and that poor households experienced economic improvement, indicating an overall increase in economic sustainability. Environmental sustainability, however, is threatened by intensive agricultural practices such as high agrochemical input and intensive soil tillage on steep slopes, leading to pollution and soil erosion. Social sustainability is also a matter of concern: while social exclusion has been reduced, income inequity has increased. Institutional sustainability is likely to remain uncertain, as local institutions for natural resource management are still weak, despite the fact that decentralization has been implemented during the last 8 years. External facilitation is needed to improve the livelihood of upland people while, at the same time, enhancing the sustainability of watershed management. Strengthening local institutions, conserving natural resources, and promoting environmentally sound agricultural practices are the three most important policies to be promoted within the watershed.
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Acknowledgments
It is duly acknowledged that this study was funded by a grant from the Ford Foundation-Jakarta Office to Andalas University and the Asian Institute of Technology. We are grateful to local residents of Lembang subwatershed for their participation in interviews and surveys. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the regional conference on “Environmental Planning and Management in Southeast Asian Countries” in Hanoi, March 6–8, 2007. Thanks are also extended to Prof. Jonathan Rigg, Prof. Gopal B. Thapa, and other participants of the regional conference for their valuable comments on earlier version of the paper. Comments from two anonymous reviewers substantially improved the quality of the manuscript.
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Mahdi, Shivakoti, G.P. & Schmidt-Vogt, D. Livelihood Change and Livelihood Sustainability in the Uplands of Lembang Subwatershed, West Sumatra, Indonesia, in a Changing Natural Resource Management Context. Environmental Management 43, 84–99 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9142-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-008-9142-2