COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts on land, governance, and livelihoods

This paper focuses on the impacts of COVID-19 on livelihoods, land access and governance in rural and periurban selected areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. Crises are usually expected to be worse for citizens in developing countries since most of their economic activities are in the informal sector, and access to the social protection programs is often limited and exclusionary. Those vulnerable and marginalized are often those who are hit the hardest and who struggle the most to recover after crises. The COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Extended lockdowns have put livelihoods under stress, underlying patterns of fragile livelihoods and inequality. There are also particular vulnerabilities with regards to land access and livelihoods of vulnerable populations. Our case studies document how the pandemic has affected livelihoods through several mechanisms relating to land access, including distress sales due to economic hardships and exacerbating land conflicts due to increased pressure on land and increasing trends of urban-to-rural migration. We reflect on how households act and react when faced with shocks and how this affects not only their current access to livelihood assets but might undermine their options for the future. In addition, a range of other effects were identified in our case studies that we expect to negatively impact livelihood recovery.

Automated summary

This paper examines the impacts of COVID-19 on livelihoods, land access, and governance in rural and periurban areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights that crises tend to have a greater impact on citizens in developing countries, given their reliance on the informal sector and limited access to social protection programs. The pandemic has further exacerbated fragile livelihoods and inequality in these regions. The study also explores the specific vulnerabilities related to land access and the livelihoods of vulnerable populations, such as distress sales and increased land conflicts. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding how households respond to shocks, as it can affect their current livelihood assets and future prospects for recovery.