Conclusions

The intention of this book was to address the question of whether a livelihoods approach to analysing development problems and informing the design of policies and programmes for poverty reduction is appropriate for the urban context and can provide an effective framework for addressing urban poverty reduction. It was noted at the outset that the livelihoods approach is first, a way of thinking about objectives – the scope and priorities for development policy and action; second, it is a set of principles and a framework for analysis and policy or project preparation; and third, it is a basis for evaluating interventions with respect to their effectiveness in achieving policy reduction. It is, in other words, potentially both a conceptual framework for analysis and a guide to development policy and practice. Some of the practical and operational implications of adopting a livelihoods approach have been discussed in the previous chapter, so this conclusion will identify initially some of the key issues and themes which have emerged from the book in relation to the reduction of urban poverty. It will then review the livelihoods approach and framework itself, with respect to its utility as an analytical framework, some of the important distinctions and relationships between the use of a livelihoods approach in urban and rural areas, and a range of broader issues which are related to its operationalization in policy and practice. At each stage in the discussion, attention will be paid to issues on which further research is required. ¹