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An Empirical Assessment of Households Livelihood Vulnerability: The Case of Rural Ghana

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  • Gideon Baffoe

    (The University of Tokyo)

  • Hirotaka Matsuda

    (The University of Tokyo)

Abstract

This study seeks to extend the analytical utility of the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI). Four major contributions were made in this respect; (1) the study introduced institutional influence into the framework, (2) LVI was estimated for each household and results visually presented, making it possible to understand the spatial distribution, (3) it investigated spatial variation of households’ livelihood vulnerability and lastly, (4) results were analysed based on gender (household headship). Mixed methods, including personal observation, structured and unstructured interviews and questionnaire survey (N = 110) were utilized in collecting empirical data. Results show high households livelihood vulnerability, with institutional influence and socio-demographic profile recording the highest and lowest scores respectively. In terms of headship, male-headed households were likely to be more vulnerable than their female counterparts, although the difference were found not statistically significant (0.617 against 0.580). Spatial variation analysis shows differences in spatial distribution of livelihood vulnerability, albeit insignificant differences, indicating that social groups are likely to vary, hence, erroneous to assume homogeneity among study populations. Results clearly suggest rethinking of institutional roles in livelihood activities and mainstreaming of gender into rural development and livelihood policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Gideon Baffoe & Hirotaka Matsuda, 2018. "An Empirical Assessment of Households Livelihood Vulnerability: The Case of Rural Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 140(3), pages 1225-1257, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:140:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11205-017-1796-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-017-1796-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. John E. Koku & Jan-Erik Gustafsson, 2003. "Local institutions and natural resource management in the South Tongu District of Ghana: a case study," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(1), pages 17-35.
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    5. Flatø, Martin & Muttarak, Raya & Pelser, André, 2017. "Women, Weather, and Woes: The Triangular Dynamics of Female-Headed Households, Economic Vulnerability, and Climate Variability in South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 41-62.
    6. Norman Uphoff & Louise Buck, 2006. "Strengthening Rural Local Institutional Capacities for Sustainable Livelihoods and Equitable Development," World Bank Publications - Reports 8194, The World Bank Group.
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    2. Hong Chang & Xinchao Liu & Yu Xie & Yahong Liu & Wu Yang & Jianming Niu, 2022. "The Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy Drives the Differentiation of Herders’ Livelihoods in Inner Mongolian Desert Grassland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, August.
    3. Van Thanh Tran & Duc-Anh An-Vo & Geoff Cockfield & Shahbaz Mushtaq, 2021. "Assessing Livelihood Vulnerability of Minority Ethnic Groups to Climate Change: A Case Study from the Northwest Mountainous Regions of Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-22, June.
    4. Dingde Xu & Zhixing Ma & Xin Deng & Yi Liu & Kai Huang & Wenfeng Zhou & Zhuolin Yong, 2020. "Relationships between Land Management Scale and Livelihood Strategy Selection of Rural Households in China from the Perspective of Family Life Cycle," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(1), pages 1-15, January.
    5. Dao Duy Minh & Philippe Lebailly & Nguyen Dang Hao & Philippe Burny & Ho Thi Minh Hop, 2019. "The Dynamics of Livelihood Vulnerability Index at Farm Household Level: An Empirical Analysis of the Coastal Sandy Zone in Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(5), pages 77-89.
    6. Thinh An Nguyen & Bich Thi Nguyen & Hanh Ta & Nhung Thi Phuong Nguyen & Huong Thi Hoang & Quan Phung Nguyen & Luc Hens, 2021. "Livelihood vulnerability to climate change in the mountains of Northern Vietnam: comparing the Hmong and the Dzao ethnic minority populations," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(9), pages 13469-13489, September.
    7. Ha Thi Thuy Nong & Christopher Gan & Baiding Hu, 2022. "Livelihood vulnerability to climate change: a case of farm households in Northeast Vietnam," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(10), pages 12059-12078, October.
    8. Bo Yang & Marcus W. Feldman & Shuzhuo Li, 2021. "The Status of Family Resilience: Effects of Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural China," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 1041-1064, February.
    9. Fatma Aribi & Mongi Sghaier, 2021. "Livelihood vulnerability assessment to climate change and variability: the case of farm households in South-East Tunisia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 12631-12658, August.
    10. Yang Liu & Qing Zhang & Qingfu Liu & Yongzhi Yan & Wanxin Hei & Deyong Yu & Jianguo Wu, 2020. "Different Household Livelihood Strategies and Influencing Factors in the Inner Mongolian Grassland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-15, January.

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