A Study on Livelihood Strategy ofthe Urban Poor Inramhity,Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract

Migration from rural areas of Nepal has resulted in the formation of squattersettlements in the urbanareaofKathmanduValley. High unemployment and day-to-day struggles to survive have compelled people living in rural areas to leave theirplaces of birth in search of a better life in the city. In addition to this, the poor familiesoriginating in the Kathmandu Valleyhave ended up being squatters mainly due topoor economic conditions. Because squatter settlements are communities wherepeople have no legal right to the land they occupy, they are inherently insecure placesto live. A poor squatter's life is not easy. Squatters face a constant fear of eviction, haveinadequate access to basic facilities like drinking water and toilets, and do the jobsthat no one else wants to do. Above all, there is the squatter stigma like they are dirtyand lazy, andsquatter settlement isaneyesore.They are the people who sweep thestreets and sell us meat and vegetables. They are a source of cheap labor forconstruction work and transporting goods. Squatters help keep the national economygoing, and are as vital to itas any otherperson. This paper tries to exploredifferent livelihood strategies adopted bythe poorresidingas squatters in Ramhity squatterusing DFID’s livelihood framework. The aim of thispaper is to provideabetter picture of thestate of affairswhich has been used by theurban poor to support their urban livelihoods along withvarious coping strategies todeal with different kinds of risks and vulnerabilities in absence and presence ofdifferent kinds of capital asset.