rather than only in the testing of technologies
CASE 5: Livelihoods in Transition in the Marginal Dry Areas of Syria: Land and Resource Users in Khanasser Valley Integrated Research Site
Objective of the study and research questions:
The survey aims at providing quantitative and qualitative insights on people's livelihoods in Khanasser area, identifying the emerging opportunities in the local dynamic livelihood systems, the local role played by agriculture, and evaluating the viability and impact of agricultural technologies, policies, and other options for the households. Hence, because these household types represent the diversity of conditions present in Khanasser, and of the transition dry areas of Syria, it also provides a significant view of conditions across the range of several similar dry environments of the region.
Khanasser Valley Integrated Research Site:
The 'Khanasser Valley Integrated Research Site' (KVIRS) is ICARDA's benchmark area where the Integrated Natural Resources Management (INRM) approach is applied. It is aimed at addressing natural resources and livelihood problems that are distinctive of marginal dryland environments. The study is part of an effort aimed at developing an integrated and transferable approach to the analysis of the interrelationship between livelihoods and land degradation and the evaluation of potential land management technological options and policies that can be applied to ICARDA's mandate dry regions.
The envisaged goals of KVIRS consist of :
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Poverty alleviation and creation of job opportunities
in Khanasser through delivery of livelihood supporting options and
technologies
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Sustainable management of natural resources in marginal
dry areas
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Environmental-friendly "adoptable" agricultural
technologies and approaches
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An integrated and transferable approach to analyze natural resource degradation and evaluate potential resource management options applicable in dry areas beyond Khanasser |
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Understand and characterize the livelihood strategies
of different groups of land users, and assess the relationship among
livelihoods and natural and other resources, and the relative contributions
of different sources of livelihoods. In particular to understand:
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Understand the major problems hampering farmers'
livelihoods, and where these problems occur, who is affected, the
opportunities available to them, and what/how can these be improved;
and answer the following questions:
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The methodology for the characterization of land user livelihoods:
A sequence of steps - in Figure 1 - were followed to design and implement the survey.
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| Figure 1: A methodology for characterizing land users' livelihoods. |
General framework:
A Sustainable Livelihoods approach (Ellis, 2000) has been adopted to provide the overall framework to guide the characterization of livelihoods strategies of local households. This approach reveals problems and constraints, as well as opportunities and strengths, of different land users, and the economic and ecological - as well as human and socio-cultural - capital they have available. It assesses the land user's capability and resilience to respond to change and shocks - vital assets in dry areas.
Survey design:
The preparation of the study consisted in the design of a semi-structured, quali-quantitative, semi-random sample survey that included both individual and focus group interviews. A process of iterative consultation and knowledge sharing with different actors playing key roles in the area - which include ICARDA multidisciplinary scientists, NARS such as the 'Jebel el Hass (JEH)' Rural Community Development Project, the Extension directorate, as well as international scientists whose views were obtained during an INRM workshop (KVIRS, 2002) - took place in various phases . This process may continue when - as envisaged - the key results of the study would be eventually presented to the case study communities for verification and discussion of the implications of its major outcomes. The study design also benefited from joining up with other simultaneous actions such as drawing agricultural activities calendars, extensive literature research (including other studies previously developed for communities living in nearby dry areas, as well as of the underlining institutional and policy aspects), and the formation of local staff by means of linking with ICARDA's on-going theoretical and field action workshops on participatory work (e.g. Farmer Participatory Research - or FPR - workshops) and action field research (e.g. the Participatory Technology Evaluation - or PTE - field days), also to build in the capacity, team spirit , and awareness of the ultimate purposes of the research, in order to have its message clearly understood and transmitted to farmers.
Field actions preliminary to the implementation of the livelihoods field survey have consisted of:
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presenting and explaining the role of ICARDA, the
socioeconomic group at ICARDA, the general idea and purpose of the
KVIRS project and of the present study, to the identified candidate
communities and understanding their reaction, interest, and willingness
to take part in the research
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understanding households' needs and desires, and
establishing accordingly a win-win research action, by explaining
the actual linkages between current research and its expected impacts.
Each individual interview, in particular, had to be preceded by
developing a relationship of trust and understanding, and by carefully
explaining scope, purpose, extent, steps, and content of the study
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visually monitoring the degree of poverty on the
basis of farmer-perceived criteria identified by the RRA and in
line with the sustainable livelihoods approach (assets, opportunities,
coping strategies)
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understanding and defining the local operational
concept of 'household' or 'land user', to identify who the interviews
should be aimed at (i.e. with the head of the nuclear household
or of the extended household? with males and females separately
or together? and/or by developing group interviews…?)
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understanding when farmers were likely to be in
the village and available for interviews (hence, when they would
not be burdened by other activities and heavy workloads)
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conducting parallel informal talks with village
leaders and/or by rapid visual observations to gather information
on aspects such as the rough extension (size) and boundaries of
the village, the dominant land uses, the size of the community and
its major labor patterns and dynamics, and on the moving livestock
component (animals owned, production strategies, and flocks' seasonal
transhumance)
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having informal village talks with key informants
to describe the history timeline of the village and community, listing
its households and their main characteristics in terms of their
major activities
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Survey implementation:
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Components of the individual
households survey. The individual households survey is composed of
five major modules, which are listed below:
Subsequently, interviews followed with groups of representatives from the different farm household types to cover the communal topics. |
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Components of the group households'
survey. Components of additional semi-structured sub-groups interviews
with key informants consist of:
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