Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural Uganda— Programmes, Projects, and Participants in the Face of Pandemics

This study examines institutions’ contributions to sustainable livelihood activities in rural Uganda, focusing on how these activities adapt in times of crisis and what resilience mechanisms might enhance recovery from disasters. Centred on the Kabuyanda sub-county selected for its vulnerability to frequent droughts and floods, this research employs the sustainable livelihoods framework to investigate institutional roles, community engagement, and the resilience capacity of developmental projects. Data was gathered through a household-level survey, targeting 400 representative households from the 26,000 in Kabuyanda, conducted in November 2021 via the online KoboToolbox platform. The household-focused sampling approach provided nuanced insights into governance processes and relationships from the perspective of governance recipients. Descriptive statistics, including frequency tables and graphs, were used to analyse the data. This study highlights how institutional support, beneficiary participation, and resilience-oriented project designs collectively foster durable livelihoods. The findings underscore the necessity of resilience focused strategies in sustainable rural development, providing critical insights for policymakers to align local and global recovery efforts during COVID-19.