6
2.1 Introduction
This chapter proposes the sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) as the governing
conceptual approach to research that explores the interaction between global
resource development and local livelihoods in resource regions. It also provides
recommendations relevant to the achievement of SDG 1 No Poverty through suggestions for poverty alleviation and thus contributes directly to SDG1 No Poverty.
The innovative application of the SLF helps us understand the way in which key
areas of research connect and interact as inherent constituent components of the
SLF. This chapter also argues that this framework increases our understanding of
community capacity-building for forging sustainable livelihoods in resource
regions. It presents a justification for the use of the SLF, followed by an examination
of the SLF principles, their implications for communities and relevance for empirical research in this field. The chapter shows the way in which the SLF can be modified for application to local circumstances.
The SLF is an approach to sustainable development extensively applied by aid
agencies to examine poverty issues in the developing world. In the recent years, a
wide number of frameworks have served as a platform to better understand community livelihoods in resource regions. The SLF is one such (see Fig. 2.1). Originally
developed to help address rural poverty in the Global South (Carney 2003; Rakodi
and Lloyd-Jones 2002), here it is adopted to link mining activities and community
livelihoods. The chapter also shows the way in which the SLF can be modified for
local application, in this case through two case studies conducted in Antioquia and
Risaralda, two resource regions of Colombia (Franco 2014). Nevertheless, the findings of the research can be applied to other resource locations.
Resource exploitation provides both strong advantages and powerful difficulties
to the communities adjacent to the resource operations (such as mining, oil and gas).
This chapter explores the mining case. Communities are often highly dependent on
mining for employment and financial support, but this dependence comes with inevitable economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities. If these communities are
in the Global South, the difficulties are exacerbated because they experience unequal
access to political and economic resources, poor local governance, unbalanced
access to the resources and often, low levels of education and skills (Franco 2014).
Yet mining can also be a critical component of local, regional and national sustainable development.
This chapter is based on research into mining-dependent communities in resource
regions of Colombia. It focuses on community livelihoods in these resource locations and through this develops a framework to show how mining and exploration
interventions can help support communities adjacent to mining operations to maintain their livelihoods, meet their own development aspirations and reduce poverty.
The framework used in the chapter is based on the sustainable livelihoods approach
(Carney 2003, pp. 14–15; Rakodi and Lloyd-Jones 2002), but it modifies this classic
approach to make it more appropriate to resource regions where mining forms a
major component of the local and regional economy.
I. B. Franco and J. Minnery
2.1 Introduction
This chapter proposes the sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) as the governing
conceptual approach to research that explores the interaction between global
resource development and local livelihoods in resource regions. It also provides
recommendations relevant to the achievement of SDG 1 No Poverty through suggestions for poverty alleviation and thus contributes directly to SDG1 No Poverty.
The innovative application of the SLF helps us understand the way in which key
areas of research connect and interact as inherent constituent components of the
SLF. This chapter also argues that this framework increases our understanding of
community capacity-building for forging sustainable livelihoods in resource
regions. It presents a justification for the use of the SLF, followed by an examination
of the SLF principles, their implications for communities and relevance for empirical research in this field. The chapter shows the way in which the SLF can be modified for application to local circumstances.
The SLF is an approach to sustainable development extensively applied by aid
agencies to examine poverty issues in the developing world. In the recent years, a
wide number of frameworks have served as a platform to better understand community livelihoods in resource regions. The SLF is one such (see Fig. 2.1). Originally
developed to help address rural poverty in the Global South (Carney 2003; Rakodi
and Lloyd-Jones 2002), here it is adopted to link mining activities and community
livelihoods. The chapter also shows the way in which the SLF can be modified for
local application, in this case through two case studies conducted in Antioquia and
Risaralda, two resource regions of Colombia (Franco 2014). Nevertheless, the findings of the research can be applied to other resource locations.
Resource exploitation provides both strong advantages and powerful difficulties
to the communities adjacent to the resource operations (such as mining, oil and gas).
This chapter explores the mining case. Communities are often highly dependent on
mining for employment and financial support, but this dependence comes with inevitable economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities. If these communities are
in the Global South, the difficulties are exacerbated because they experience unequal
access to political and economic resources, poor local governance, unbalanced
access to the resources and often, low levels of education and skills (Franco 2014).
Yet mining can also be a critical component of local, regional and national sustainable development.
This chapter is based on research into mining-dependent communities in resource
regions of Colombia. It focuses on community livelihoods in these resource locations and through this develops a framework to show how mining and exploration
interventions can help support communities adjacent to mining operations to maintain their livelihoods, meet their own development aspirations and reduce poverty.
The framework used in the chapter is based on the sustainable livelihoods approach
(Carney 2003, pp. 14–15; Rakodi and Lloyd-Jones 2002), but it modifies this classic
approach to make it more appropriate to resource regions where mining forms a
major component of the local and regional economy.
I. B. Franco and J. Minnery