A Livelihood Zone Map divides the country into homogenous zones within which people share broadly the same pattern of livelihood, including access to food and income and patterns of exchange. It provides geographical orientation of livelihood systems and a sampling frame for future Livelihood Zone Profiling and Livelihood Baseline development.

Livelihood Zone Maps are typically accompanied by Livelihood Zone Descriptions. They briefly describe the main characteristics of livelihoods in each zone. On their own, livelihood zone maps and descriptions aid development of monitoring systems by identifying geographically relevant variables to monitor.

What defines a livelihood zone?

• Geography: Affects both the options for production (climate, soil, topography, etc.) and for marketing/trade (roads, proximity to urban centers, etc.), which, in turn, affect consumption by the household.
• Production: Household production (of food and other items) may either be directly consumed or may be traded/exchanged for other items in the market.
• Market access: Determines the ability of people to trade their goods (e.g. crops, livestock or other items) or sell their labor and the prices they obtain.

What does it help you do?

• Inform food security analysis and assistance targeting
• Provide a sampling frame for on-the-ground assessments
• Provide a basis for identifying geographically relevant food security monitoring indicators