IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/wdevel/v169y2023ics0305750x2300102x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Large-scale monitoring in the DRC’s Ituri forest with a locally informed multidimensional well-being index

Author

Listed:
  • L'Roe, Jessica
  • Detoeuf, Diane
  • Wieland, Michelle
  • Ikati, Bernard
  • Enduyi Kimuha, Moïse
  • Sandrin, François
  • Angauko Sukari, Odette
  • Nzale Nkumu, Junior
  • Kretser, Heidi E.
  • Wilkie, David

Abstract

To monitor quality of life in changing landscapes and assess impacts of interventions, development scholars and practitioners continue to seek sensitive, flexible, practical means of measuring well-being. An approach that has received relatively little attention from development scholars but that is gaining traction among NGOs is the use of a well-being index derived from a list of locally defined and democratically weighted basic necessities. The Wildlife Conservation Society has been piloting a tool called the Basic Necessities Survey (BNS) in and around protected areas in Central Africa and beyond for over a decade. Adapted from consensual relative poverty metrics developed in the UK and Sweden, BNS data can be used to calculate a Well-being Index (WBI) that is locally relevant and comparable. To demonstrate its applicability in a lower-income context, we present findings from the Ituri Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where over 2,000 households were surveyed using the BNS tool in 2015, 2017, and 2019. WBI scores were lower among traditionally vulnerable and marginalized groups: Indigenous and female-headed households, those with young or elderly heads, and households that were smaller or had high ratios of dependents. WBI varied with livelihood and geography and was sensitive enough to detect group-specific changes over a short time; namely an economic shock concentrated in villages along the main local highway in 2017 when the DRC experienced a major currency devaluation. Scores can be calculated to either incorporate or isolate variability in subjective expectations about what constitutes well-being; we show that expectations differed for Indigenous households and expectations rose faster than assets in this period. Findings build confidence in the utility of this type of locally informed multidimensional well-being metric in low-income regions. Those seeking practical instruments to produce flexible and regionally comparable well-being measures may wish to consider this approach.

Suggested Citation

  • L'Roe, Jessica & Detoeuf, Diane & Wieland, Michelle & Ikati, Bernard & Enduyi Kimuha, Moïse & Sandrin, François & Angauko Sukari, Odette & Nzale Nkumu, Junior & Kretser, Heidi E. & Wilkie, David, 2023. "Large-scale monitoring in the DRC’s Ituri forest with a locally informed multidimensional well-being index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:169:y:2023:i:c:s0305750x2300102x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106284
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305750X2300102X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.worlddev.2023.106284?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christopher Barrington-Leigh & Alice Escande, 2018. "Measuring Progress and Well-Being: A Comparative Review of Indicators," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(3), pages 893-925, February.
    2. Jayne, T. S. & Yamano, Takashi & Weber, Michael T. & Tschirley, David & Benfica, Rui & Chapoto, Antony & Zulu, Ballard, 2003. "Smallholder income and land distribution in Africa: implications for poverty reduction strategies," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 253-275, June.
    3. Ragasa, Catherine & Kinwa-Muzinga, Annie & Ulimwengu, John M., 2012. "Gender assessment of the agricultural sector in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:," IFPRI discussion papers 1201, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Joost Puijenbroek & An Ansoms, 2011. "A Legacy from the Past Hindering the Future: Land Conflicts in Ituri (DRC)," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: An Ansoms & Stefaan Marysse (ed.), Natural Resources and Local Livelihoods in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, chapter 3, pages 49-67, Palgrave Macmillan.
    5. Shailen Nandy & Marco Pomati, 2015. "Applying the Consensual Method of Estimating Poverty in a Low Income African Setting," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 124(3), pages 693-726, December.
    6. Alkire, Sabina & Santos, Maria Emma, 2014. "Measuring Acute Poverty in the Developing World: Robustness and Scope of the Multidimensional Poverty Index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 251-274.
    7. Sollis, Kate & Yap, Mandy & Campbell, Paul & Biddle, Nicholas, 2022. "Conceptualisations of wellbeing and quality of life: A systematic review of participatory studies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    8. Osnat Israeli, 2007. "A Shapley-based decomposition of the R-Square of a linear regression," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 5(2), pages 199-212, August.
    9. Romina Boarini & Alexandre Kolev & Allister McGregor, 2014. "Measuring Well-being and Progress in Countries at Different Stages of Development: Towards a More Universal Conceptual Framework," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 325, OECD Publishing.
    10. Mduduzi Biyase & Talent Zwane, 2018. "An Empirical Analysis Of The Determinants Of Poverty And Household Welfare In South Africa," Journal of Developing Areas, Tennessee State University, College of Business, vol. 52(1), pages 115-130, January-M.
    11. Clements, Tom & Suon, Seng & Wilkie, David S. & Milner-Gulland, E.J., 2014. "Impacts of Protected Areas on Local Livelihoods in Cambodia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 125-134.
    12. Breslow, Sara Jo & Sojka, Brit & Barnea, Raz & Basurto, Xavier & Carothers, Courtney & Charnley, Susan & Coulthard, Sarah & Dolšak, Nives & Donatuto, Jamie & García-Quijano, Carlos & Hicks, Christina , 2016. "Conceptualizing and operationalizing human wellbeing for ecosystem assessment and management," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 250-259.
    13. Menno Pradhan & Martin Ravallion, 2000. "Measuring Poverty Using Qualitative Perceptions Of Consumption Adequacy," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 82(3), pages 462-471, August.
    14. Kant, Shashi & Vertinsky, Ilan & Zheng, Bin & Smith, Peggy M., 2014. "Multi-Domain Subjective Wellbeing of Two Canadian First Nations Communities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 140-157.
    15. Barrett, C. B. & Reardon, T. & Webb, P., 2001. "Nonfarm income diversification and household livelihood strategies in rural Africa: concepts, dynamics, and policy implications," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 315-331, August.
    16. Joël Masimo Kabuanga & Onésime Mubenga Kankonda & Mehdi Saqalli & Nicolas Maestripieri & Thomas Mumuni Bilintoh & Jean-Pierre Mate Mweru & Aimé Balimbaki Liama & Radar Nishuli & Landing Mané, 2021. "Historical Changes and Future Trajectories of Deforestation in the Ituri-Epulu-Aru Landscape (Democratic Republic of the Congo)," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-24, October.
    17. Coomes, Oliver T. & Barham, Bradford L. & Takasaki, Yoshito, 2004. "Targeting conservation-development initiatives in tropical forests: insights from analyses of rain forest use and economic reliance among Amazonian peasants," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(1-2), pages 47-64, November.
    18. Sunmee Cho & Taeyoon Kim, 2017. "Determinants of Poverty Status in Rwanda," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(2), pages 337-349, June.
    19. Miller, Daniel C. & Hajjar, Reem, 2020. "Forests as pathways to prosperity: Empirical insights and conceptual advances," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Megbowon Ebenezer Toyin, 2018. "Multidimensional Poverty Analysis of Urban and Rural Households in South Africa," Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Oeconomica, Sciendo, vol. 63(1), pages 3-19, April.
    2. Shunji Oniki & Melaku Berhe & Koichi Takenaka, 2020. "Efficiency Impact of the Communal Land Distribution Program in Northern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Wunder, Sven & Angelsen, Arild & Belcher, Brian, 2014. "Forests, Livelihoods, and Conservation: Broadening the Empirical Base," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(S1), pages 1-11.
    4. Shabana Mitra, 2016. "Synergies Among Monetary, Multidimensional and Subjective Poverty: Evidence from Nepal," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 103-125, January.
    5. Shaikh M.S.U. Eskander & Edward B. Barbier & Benjamin Gilbert, 2018. "Fishing and Nonfishing Income Decisions: The Role of Human Capital and Family Structure," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 94(1), pages 114-136.
    6. Jayne, Thomas S. & Mather, David & Mghenyi, Elliot W., 2006. "Smallholder Farming Under Increasingly Difficult Circumstances: Policy and Public Investment Priorities for Africa," Food Security International Development Policy Syntheses 54507, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Ali Akbar Barati & Milad Zhoolideh & Mostafa Moradi & Eydieh Sohrabi Mollayousef & Christine Fürst, 2022. "Multidimensional poverty and livelihood strategies in rural Iran," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(11), pages 12963-12993, November.
    8. Muraoka, Rie & Jin, Songqing & Jayne, T.S., 2018. "Land access, land rental and food security: Evidence from Kenya," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 611-622.
    9. Merten, Sonja & Haller, Tobias, 2008. "Property rights, food security and child growth: Dynamics of insecurity in the Kafue Flats of Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(5), pages 434-443, October.
    10. Lumet, Kenedy & Gitau, Raphael & Owuor, George, 2022. "The influence of women’s empowerment on poverty reduction: A case of smallholder sugarcane farmers in western Kenya," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 17(3), September.
    11. Robert B. Richardson, 2010. "Ecosystem Services and Food Security: Economic Perspectives on Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 2(11), pages 1-29, November.
    12. Ayal Kimhi, 2010. "Entrepreneurship and income inequality in southern Ethiopia," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 34(1), pages 81-91, January.
    13. Marco Pomati & Shailen Nandy, 2020. "Measuring Multidimensional Poverty According to National Definitions: Operationalising Target 1.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 148(1), pages 105-126, February.
    14. Razafindratsima, Onja H. & Kamoto, Judith F.M. & Sills, Erin O. & Mutta, Doris N. & Song, Conghe & Kabwe, Gillian & Castle, Sarah E. & Kristjanson, Patricia M. & Ryan, Casey M. & Brockhaus, Maria & Su, 2021. "Reviewing the evidence on the roles of forests and tree-based systems in poverty dynamics," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    15. Jorge Garza-Rodriguez & Gustavo A. Ayala-Diaz & Gerardo G. Coronado-Saucedo & Eugenio G. Garza-Garza & Oscar Ovando-Martinez, 2021. "Determinants of Poverty in Mexico: A Quantile Regression Analysis," Economies, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-24, April.
    16. Oya, Carlos., 2010. "Rural inequality, wage employment and labour market formation in Africa : historical and micro-level evidence," ILO Working Papers 994582213402676, International Labour Organization.
    17. Dingde Xu & Xin Deng & Shili Guo & Shaoquan Liu, 2019. "Sensitivity of Livelihood Strategy to Livelihood Capital: An Empirical Investigation Using Nationally Representative Survey Data from Rural China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 113-131, July.
    18. Demie, Ashebir & Zeray, Negussie, 2016. "Determinants of participation and earnings in the rural nonfarm economy in Eastern Ethiopia," African Journal of Rural Development (AFJRD), AFrican Journal of Rural Development (AFJRD), vol. 1(1), June.
    19. Soltani, Arezoo & Angelsen, Arild & Eid, Tron & Naieni, Mohammad Saeid Noori & Shamekhi, Taghi, 2012. "Poverty, sustainability, and household livelihood strategies in Zagros, Iran," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 60-70.
    20. Felkner, John S. & Lee, Hyun & Shaikh, Sabina & Kolata, Alan & Binford, Michael, 2022. "The interrelated impacts of credit access, market access and forest proximity on livelihood strategies in Cambodia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:wdevel:v:169:y:2023:i:c:s0305750x2300102x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/worlddev .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.