SUSTAINABLE RURAL LIVELIHOOD CHALLENGES IN AFGHANISTAN'S GHAZNI PROVINCE: USING ATLAS.TI SOFTWARE

Abstract

To provide families with a stable source of income through productive activities, efforts must be made to sustain livelihood activities. In this regard, the goal of this research is to identify livelihood challenges in Andar district's northern villages. The current study belongs to the qualitative research category. Purposive sampling was used in this qualitative study, and data was collected using a semi-structured in-depth interview technique. The data was analyzed by ATLAS-ti software. The researcher attempted to discover the challenges and factors affecting sustainable livelihood in the northern villages of Ghazni province's Andar district, and first extracted 67 initial codes. 11 main categories and 19 subcategories were identified after many revisions and integration of codes based on similarity in several phases. The findings revealed that, despite the difficulties to a sustainable livelihood, the economy of the studied villages is based on traditional agriculture, and that such an economic structure is vulnerable to a variety of factors. According to the research results, agricultural activities determine the economic life of the studied villages that the agricultural sector alone is not able to provide livelihood for households. Therefore, as the agricultural sector is strengthened and modernized, the current economy of these villages must shift. To this purpose, a strategy of livelihood diversification is an effective way to alleviate the unfavorable living conditions in these villages.