• Introduction
• Land, Poverty and Institutions
• Water, Livelihoods and Sustainable Development
• Forestry, Rural Development and Poverty
• Economics and Politics of Environmental Change and Degradation

Introduction

First, there is a renewed focus on land as a crucial resource in rural livelihoods and the appropriate institutions that can contribute to a more equitable access to land, through land reform. The governance of other resources, such as forestry is also seen as crucial in this respect. Second, water, particularly in relation to governance, access and use is increasingly perceived as decisive for the quality of rural and peri-urban livelihoods. There is a growing attention to issues of distribution and access to water resources and a parallel move away from conceptualizing water politics through the concept of shortage. Consequently, the study of institutions and specific policies that enhance access to water has emerged as a central concern over the traditional security-based focus on conflict and war. Third, environmental change as well as degradation of resources is a very important theme. It is intimately related with forest resources that are rapidly diminishing due to indiscriminate logging both for extractive purposes but also for other livelihoods-related issues, such clearing of land for cultivation.

Given the important of conducting critical economic analysis as well as evaluation the efficacy and impact of environmental politics and policy, the cluster utilizes interdisciplinary methodologies to understand the inter-relationships between resources, environment and livelihoods. In so doing, the cluster pays particular attention to rural areas of developing and transition economies. The cluster involves a dynamic group of geographers, economists, sociologists, and public policy specialists. Together, they have regional expertise covering South Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Central Asia. Currently, the RELIVE cluster focuses on four interrelated areas of research.

Land, Poverty and Institutions

The theme of land policy in general, and land reform in particular, is back in the agendas of (inter)national (non-)governmental development institutions as well as of many states. Globally, poverty still has primarily a rural face. Effective control over productive resources, especially land, by the rural poor is important to their autonomy and capacity to construct a rural livelihood and overcome poverty. This is because in many agrarian societies significant portion of the income of the rural poor still comes from farming, and hence access to land is strongly related to the ability to escape poverty.

Moreover, for many rural people, land (and landed property rights) has a multidimensional character. In addition to being an economic resource, it also has significant political, cultural and social dimensions. As a consequence, lack of access to and/or loss of land can foster social exclusion, diminution of human capabilities, and result in violence and conflict. This research area includes studies on land reform, institutions (such as property rights), sustainable land use, land conflicts, and the relation between poverty, land and rural livelihoods. ( AD, CK, MS)

Water, Livelihoods and Sustainable Development

Water is now universally accepted as central to sustainable development. Academics and policy makers alike emphasize the urgent need to protect increasingly scarce water resources and the necessity to create effective and equitable distribution mechanisms. However, the social scientific literature on water scarcity remains problematic. While water is widely acknowledged as a finite resource, existing analyses do not adequately explain or theorize the complex political, socioeconomic and cultural processes that create water scarcity and mediate its societal perception.Access to water is most often related to distribution, policy and power relations, which need continuous critical study and appraisal. The research theme includes studies in integrated water management, trans-boundary water institutional development, the effects of subsidies on the poor and the problems of water efficiency and their impact on sustainable use of resources. ( KK, MA, MS)

Forestry, Rural Development and Poverty

Climate change and the solution of carbon sinking have put forest conservation or plantation back on the agenda. Many questions of access, use and management of forested land and their impact on rural communities remain understudied and unanswered. Community based forestry models of management have been promoted in a number of countries, with emerging ‘second generation’ issues. The results of people centred forestry policies, programmes and projects have delivered

mixed results. Whilst forest cover is on the increase, gender and social inequity remain dominant features, while exclusion of the poor has increased rather than decreased. The precise links between poverty alleviation and community forestry need to be understood. On the one hand, access to markets is difficult for many poor farmers. On the other, unequal costs of protection and management reinforce inequity. Comparative research would provide a better understanding of links between resource management and livelihood options. (AD, LP)

Economics and Politics of Environmental Change and Degradation

Issues of environmental change and degradation and problems of access to natural resources have an impact on the livelihoods of the poor. While a set of policy instruments (such as payments for environmental services) have been put in place in developing countries, especially during the last decade, the objective of reaching environmental conservation along with poverty alleviation has failed to materialise in many instances. Shortcomings in the policy design stage and political dynamics have contributed to the failure of many projects. Given the fact that these policies have been only recently implemented, these concerns are under- researched. Analyses on these issues include evaluative studies of existing projects and investigations of how new environmental policies can provide incentives for environmental protection while serving the needs of the marginalised in society. (KK, LP, MA, MS)