Access to land, housing and other productive resources

The mix of activities that make up household livelihood strategies in many parts of the world requires access to a range of productive resources. Land and housing function as sites of production, stores of value, buffers against contingencies, sources of income and collateral for credit for consumption and investment purposes. They also provide security and define social identity. Land and other natural resources, together with the infrastructure and services needed to realize their productive potential, are critical to rural and urban livelihoods. Women and men in rural areas need access to water and forest products, as well as to productive inputs for farm and off-farm work, to support their livelihood strategies.

Related Subject(s): Economic and Social Development