Livelihood could be explained as how the people access the resources (land, water, forest etc), what they get in the ways to access the resources, how they exploit the resources to build assets and how those assets reduce their vulnerability to stress (ill health, hunger etc). A livelihood is sustainable when it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks and maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future, while not undermining the natural resource base.

The socio-economic need is changing. To keep people at par with the current trend of living, means of livelihood also needs to be strengthened and updated. So CIRTD always strives to strengthen the sources of livelihood and took the following activities.

Our Perspectives on Sustainable Livelihood

• People-Centered: ‘focusing on what matters to people’.
• Holistic: ‘identify constraints and opportunities regardless of the sector, geographical space or level at which they occur.
• Responsive and participatory: ‘poor people themselves must be key actors’.
• Multi-level: ‘the micro-level informs the development of policy’ and ‘macro-level structures and processes support people’.
• Conducted in partnership: ‘with both the public and the private sector’.
• Sustainable: ‘economic, institutional, social and environmental sustainability’.
• Dynamic: ‘recognize dynamic nature of livelihood strategies, respond flexibly, and develop long-term commitments’.

Activities

• Promotion of Grain Bank & Seed Bank
• SHG Bank Linkage
• Promotion of IGP on non – farm sector
• Promotion of sustainable agriculture and horticulture
• Capacity building on livestock management
• Campaign for proper implementation of NREGA and other govt. schemes
• Collection, Storage & marketing of NTFP
• Promotion of Organic Farming & Sustainable Agriculture
• Promote people’s campaign for safeguarding their sources livelihood like land, water and forest.