Current rural and urban livelihood transformation at selected sites in Botswana: Coping strategies, household risk management and livelihood security under the impact of environmental threats, modernization, and HIV and AIDS.

The aim of our project is to analyse the socio-economic consequences of current economic and social transformation processes for rural and urban low-income households in Botswana. A special focus lies on the impact of environmental threats (i.e. drought), modernisation processes, and HIV and AIDS on livelihood security.

The core questions are:

• How do people who must face environmental and/or social stress factors cope with (potential) crises?
• Which measures have been developed by communities/societies to secure livelihoods?
• How do knowledge capacities influence risk management decisions?
• How do modernisation processes and threats like drought or HIV and AIDS affect livelihood security - especially of low-income or marginalized population groups?
• What are the specific conditions and activities that enable people to cope with shocks and stresses brought about by such threats?
• Which external interventions may be useful or necessary to stabilise livelihoods?
  

Our aim is to differentiate between the impact of HIV and AIDS on society and other current influences.

More detailed project outine: download here (PDF – German)

The team (from left to right: Bene, Jasmin, Klaus, Fred):