The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and its Contribution to Poverty Reduction

Poverty is a multidimensional issue and any efforts to fight poverty must recognize the various features and factors of this multidimensionality. Developmental theory and practice has been evolved over the second half of the 20th century and improved significantly efforts for poverty alleviation. These improvements have been particularly marked since the 1980s, when development shifted from a top-down approach to model that afforded greater respect to the human element.

The Sustainable Livelihoods Approach is a synthesis of these improvements offering a holistic people-centred alternative to these traditional economic, top-down models of poverty reduction. However the full application of this approach has been limited at an operational level, by institutional and power-related issues which are still prevalent within the field of development. Since that perspective the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach also challenges the development theory and practice in the way in which policy for poverty reduction is devised and delivered.

This dissertation has been examined by the first board of examiners of the University of Bristol and it has been considered for 'commendation'. The final mark will be delivered during the last weeks of December this year.