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Livelihood Mapping
Livelihood zoning involves more than just the drawing of maps. A livelihood zone map is of little use unless it is accompanied by a basic description of the patterns of livelihood in each zone, and ideally by an analysis of the underlying reasons for differences between zones. This means analyzing in some detail the production and trade/exchange options in each of the zones and the influence that the underlying geography has on each of these.
What is a livelihoods zone?
Most livelihoods are complex, and are shaped by a wide range of factors. Generally, when defining livelihood zones we look at three primary factors.
We can think of these three factors as linked to consumption as follows: geography affects both the options for production (climate, soil, etc.) and for marketing/trade (roads, proximity to urban centers, etc.), which in turn affect consumption by the household. Household production (of food and other items) may either be directly consumed or may be traded/exchanged for other items in the market. Consumption is also critically determined by what is available in these markets, and how people obtain the means to purchase these commodities.
Why do a livelihoods zoning?
There is increasing interest in using livelihoods analysis as the ‘lens’ through which to view a number of problems ranging from emergency response to disaster mitigation to longer term development. This interest rests upon two basic observations:
