LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES OF DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF HOUSEHOLDS IN RURAL AREAS OF ABBOTTABAD, PAKISTAN

The study was designed to investigate different livelihood strategies and the factors affecting the livelihood strategies in district Abbottabad, NWFP, Pakistan. Five hundred respondents were purposively selected for the study from 20 villages that included households from different groups on the basis of their economic status. The main findings of the study show that only 15.8% of the poorest households were having secondary income from other sources. The average or better-off households were mostly depending on government and private services, remittances from within the country and abroad, self-employment and farming. Majorities (80.4%) of the respondents were involved in secondary source of incomes and hence livelihood strategies were classified in diversified group. Well-off (rich households) were in big businesses, self-employment, private sector high level jobs or remittances from family members working abroad. The income of the well-off category was also highly diversified. Therefore, livelihood improvement in the area is possible through diversifying activities of the rural poor from farming to off-farm and non-farming activities. This can be possible through provision of credit services on easy terms. Similarly, improvement in infrastructure can stimulate economic activities and hence income