The urban below poverty line (BPL) families residing in certain pockets of the city of Imphal are particularly vulnerable and struggle to gain access to services and opportunities to improve their livelihoods. They generally possess low skills and lack the level of education required for the better paid jobs in the formal sector. Working in the informal sector are the only means for their survival. This has led to a rapid growth of the informal sector in the Imphal city.

One of the most promising approaches to poverty reduction in developing countries is to encourage sustainable livelihoods for the poor. This takes account of their opportunities and assets and the sources of their vulnerability. Based on recent and extensive research, this volume thoroughly assesses the value of the livelihoods approach to urban poverty. The book reviews the situation and strategies of the urban poor and identifies the policies and practical programmes that work best. Lasting improvements depend not just on economic development, but on political commitment and structures that are responsive to the claims and needs of different groups of poor people.

This book deepens the understanding of the broader processes that shape and mediate the responses to climate change of poor urban households and communities in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Representing an important contribution to the evolution of more effective pro-poor climate change policies in urban areas by local governments, national governments and international organisations, this book is invaluable reading to students and scholars of environment and development studies.

The analysis of urban poverty has traditionally been dominated by economic approaches, often neglecting the social questions arising from poverty. This book seeks to redress the balance and is based on both quantitative and qualitative data collected from different slums in Dhaka City, Bangladesh. Shahadat Hossain shows that the slum communities experience the highest level of poverty and marginality in the city. They remain very much dependent on their families and social networking in their struggle to adapt to urban life. This book will be invaluable for those working in the areas of urban studies, development studies, Asian studies, sociology and social policy studies.

This report examines the nature of urban poverty and how it relates to food in-security and malnutrition in Accra, Ghana. By exploring the major determinants of food security and nutritional status, it develops indicators that are appropriate in an urban context, identifies vulnerable groups within the city, and suggests policies and programs to improve the lives of the urban poor. (Adapté du résumé).

Poor urban households in the economic 'south' deploy various livelihood activities. One of these is a Home-Based Economic Activity (HBEA), e.g. sales of home-made snacks or car maintenance. This study examines the prevalence, organisation and relevance of HBEAs in four neighbourhoods in the Caribbean cities Paramaribo (Suriname) and Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago). Recent economic developments in these countries diverge; Suriname recovers slowly from a crisis while Trinidad and Tobago's economy is buoyant. These economic features together with local political developments have produced distinct institutional contexts. This gives ground for a comparison between the two cities. In addition, the study discusses the relevance of currently popular policies on entrepreneurship and micro-finance. The above issues have been assessed through use of multiple quantitative and qualitative methods. The study shows that forty percent of households in the examined neighbourhoods earn money through operating HBEAs. These are mainly operated by women and assist households in improving their livelihoods from a level of survival to a level of security. Most HBEA-operators aim at earning additional incomes and reducing vulnerability. Only a small group meets the image of the classic operator who innovates, takes risk and aims at growth and profit. The two groups organize their HBEA in very distinct ways. Differences between Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago are small. First of all economic growth has limited impact on assets and vulnerability of low-income groups. Moreover, policies aiming at stimulation of entrepreneurship such as micro-credit are relevant to classic entrepreneurs and not to the largegroup of security-seeking HBEA-operators.

Provides a collection of essays that draw attention to urban environments, such as high unemployment, inadequate housing, poor services, and often extreme poverty, in which children and youth have to live and survive. Looks at poor to middle-class communities in African cities (in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe), and illustrates how young people find ways not only of surviving, but also of enjoying themselves.

The international development policy agenda is currently dominated by the theme of poverty reduction. The theme has been vigorously pursued by multilateral donors, such as The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, and others. Their assistance has also been tuned to pro-poor policy frameworks. Poverty, however, is understood mainly to be a rural phenomenon. This is based on the fact that rural poverty is widespread and pervasive and affects a large segment of the population since the majority of people in less developed countries reside in rural areas. There is, however, an increasing trend of urban growth and with it urban poverty all over the world. In Ethiopia urban poverty, in comparison to rural poverty and national level poverty, has increased over time. This has necessitated urban poverty reduction as an important area of intervention in urban development and planning. The objective of this study is to understand the livelihood situations of the poor in big and small towns, and identify the gaps and linkages between the livelihood requirements of the poor and policies at municipal level. The study was conducted in nine cities and towns of the country, including the capital city.

This is compounded by the lack of voice and influence that low income groups have in these official spheres.