Abstract

This paper is a first attempt to explore the complex inter-linkages between social, environmental, health-and-wellbeing crises in small-scale fisheries and their consequences for the sustainability of rural livelihoods. For this purpose it outlines the concept of complex crises through a description of small-scale fishing in Lake Chilwa, Malawi. The paper also discusses how complexity as concept features in ecological, social, health-and well-being studies. It will argue that existing literature across scientific disciplines fails to relate the origin, nature and effects of complex crises with the robustness and diversity of livelihood strategies of lower-level social collectivities, such as communities and households. The preliminary conclusion of this paper uses this blind spot to draft a research agenda, pushed by the question whether people are ‘coping’, ‘adapting to’ or ‘struggling’ with complex crises, and how this affects poverty alleviation and livelihood security

Published in

Utsikt mot utveckling
2009, volume: 32, pages: 345-354
Book title: Meeting Global Challenges in Research Cooperation
ISBN: 9789197574198
Publisher: Collegium for Development Studies

Conference

Meeting global challenges in research cooperation

Authors' information