Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Livelihoods and Disasters

  • Reference work entry
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

The concept of livelihood reflects the ability of people to sustain their daily needs and draws on the combination of a large array of resources which are natural, physical, human, social, financial, and political in nature. These resources strongly interplay with the ability of people to face the threat of and recover from the impact of natural hazards. Therefore strengthening livelihoods and making them sustainable is a crucial component of disaster risk reduction.

Defining livelihoods

The concept of livelihood emerged in the 1980s as an alternative to the technocratic concept of “employment” to better describe how people struggle to make a living (Chambers and Longhurst, 1986; Swift, 1989). It emphasizes people’s view of their own needs. According to Chambers and Conway (1991, p. 1) sustainable livelihoods comprise “people, their capabilities and their means of living, including food, income and assets. Tangible assets are resources and stores, and intangible assets are...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 449.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 649.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Bibliography

  • Anderson, M. B., and Woodrow, P., 1989. Rising from the Ashes: Development Strategies in Times of Disasters. Boulder: Westview Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baird, A., O’Keefe, P., Westgate, K., and Wisner, B. 1975. Towards an explanation and reduction of disaster proneness. Bradford: Disaster Research Unit, University of Bradford. Occasional Paper No. 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benson, C., Twigg, J., and Myers, M., 2001. NGO initiatives in risk reduction: an overview. Disasters, 25(3), 199–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cannon, T., 2003. Vulnerability Analysis, Livelihoods and Disasters Components and Variables of Vulnerability: Modelling and Analysis for Disaster Risk Management. Manizales: Inter-American Development Bank//Instituto De Estudios Ambientales, Program on Indicators for Disaster Risk Management, Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannon, T., Twigg, J., and Rowell, J., 2003. Social Vulnerability, Sustainable Livelihoods and Disasters. London: Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance Department and Sustainable Livelihoods Support Office, Department for International Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R., 1994. The origins and practice of participatory rural appraisal. World Development, 22(7), 953–969.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R., 1995. Poverty and livelihoods: whose reality counts? Environment and Urbanization, 7(1), 173–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R., and Conway, G. R., 1991. Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: Practical Concepts for the 21st Century. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies. IDS discussion paper 296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambers, R., and Longhurst, R., 1986. Trees, seasons and the poor. IDS Bulletin, 17(3), 44–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, I., Haghebeart, B, and Peppiatt, D., 2004. Social Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis. Geneva: ProVention Consortium. Discussion paper and workshop report.

    Google Scholar 

  • de la Peña, A., 2008. Evaluating the World Bank’s concept of social capital: a case study in the politics of participation and organization in a rural Ecuadorian community. Ph.D. dissertation, Gainesville, University of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department for International Development, 1999. Sustainable Livelihoods Guidance Sheets. London: Department for International Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devereux, S., 2001. Livelihood insecurity and social protection: a re-emerging issue in rural development. Development Policy Review, 19(4), 507–519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaillard, J. C., 2010. Vulnerability, capacity, and resilience: perspectives for climate and development policy. Journal of International Development, 22(2), 218–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaillard, J. C., and Cadag, J. R., 2009. From marginality to further marginalization: experiences from the victims of the July 2000 Payatas trashslide in the Philippines. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 2(3), 195–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaillard, J. C., and Maceda, E. A., 2009. Participatory 3-dimensional mapping for disaster risk reduction. Participatory Learning and Action, 60, 109–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gaillard, J. C., Maceda, E. A., Stasiak, E., Le Berre, I., and Espaldon, M. A. O., 2009. Sustainable livelihoods and people’s vulnerability in the face of coastal hazards. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 13(2–3), 119–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoon, P., Singh, N., and Wanmali, S., 1997. Sustainable Livelihoods: Concepts, Principles and Approaches to Indicator Development. New York: United National Development Program.

    Google Scholar 

  • International Institute for Sustainable Development, InterCooperation, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Stockholm Environment Institute, 2007. Community-Based Risk Screening – Adaptation and Livelihoods – CRiSTAL v.3.2. Winnipeg: International Institute for Sustainable Development.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelman, I., and Mather, T., 2008. Living with volcanoes: the sustainable livelihoods approach for volcano-related opportunities. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 172(3–4), 189–198.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maskrey, A., 1989. Disaster Mitigation: A Community Based Approach. Oxford: Oxfam. Development Guidelines No, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quarantelli, E. L., and Dynes, R. R., 1972. When disaster strikes: it isn’t much like what you’ve heard and read about. Psychology Today, 5(9), 66–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanderson, D., 2000. Cities, disasters and livelihoods. Environment and Urbanization, 12(2), 93–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scoones, I. 1998. Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: a Framework for Analysis. Brighton: Institute of Development Studies. IDS working paper 72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scoones, I., 2009. Livelihoods perspectives and rural development. Journal of Peasant Studies, 36(1), 171–196.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A., 1981. Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen, A., 1986. Food, Economics and Entitlements. Helsinki: World Institute for Development Economics Research, United Nations University. WIDER working paper 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Start, D., and Johnson, C., 2004. Livelihood Options? The Political Economy of Access, Opportunity and Diversification. London: Overseas Development Institute. Overseas Development Institute working paper 233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swift, J., 1989. Why are rural people vulnerable to famine? IDS Bulletin, 20(2), 8–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Twigg, J., 2001. Sustainable Livelihoods and Vulnerability to Disasters. London: Benfield Hazard Research Centre. Working Paper No 2.

    Google Scholar 

  • Twigg, J. 2004. Disaster Risk Reduction: Mitigation and Preparedness in Development and Emergency Programming. London: Humanitarian Practice Network. Good Practice Review No 9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watts, M. J., and Bohle, H. G., 1993. The space of vulnerability: the causal structure of hunger and famine. Progress in Human Geography, 17(1), 43–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wisner, B., 2009. SHINK & Swim: Exploring the Link Between Capital (Social, Human, Institutional, Natural), Disaster, and Disaster Risk Reduction. Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. Washington: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wisner, B., Blaikie, P., Cannon, T., and Davis, I., 2004. At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability, and Disasters. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wisner, B., Gaillard, J. C., and Kelman, I. (eds.), 2012. Handbook of Hazards and Disaster Risk Reduction. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Prof. J. C. Gaillard

Authors
  1. Prof. J. C. Gaillard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. C. Gaillard .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada

    Peter T. Bobrowsky

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Gaillard, J. (2013). Livelihoods and Disasters. In: Bobrowsky, P.T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4399-4_220

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation