Unit summary
In this unit you learned about aligning existing livelihoods with sustainable, climate-responsive approaches to agriculture and food production. You also learned that sustainable livelihoods are ways of making a living that protect the environment and address the impacts of climate change. They can help people to reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, improve their food security, increase their income, create jobs and protect the environment.
A few examples of climate-responsive and sustainable livelihoods are:
- agroecology
- community forestry
- renewable energy
- sustainable tourism
To design climate-responsive and sustainable livelihoods, we can:
- diversify livelihoods,
- improve climate resilience,
- build social capital, and
- empower women.
Some parameters to consider when looking for climate-friendly livelihood opportunities:
- Your knowledge, skills and interests
- The resources available to you
- The market for the products or services you would be offering
- The climate risks in your area and community
- How you can make your livelihood more resilient to climate change
- The social and environmental impacts of your livelihood
When you are thinking about and designing climate-friendly and gender-sensitive livelihoods, you must consider the following points:
- The specific needs of the target buyers
- The specific needs of women’s businesses and resources to help meet those needs
- The risks associated with the business, including climate risks, gender-based risks and other financial and operational risks
- How to promote gender equity and inclusion
- How to design the business to be resilient to climate change and minimise its environmental impact
