Long term poverty dynamics in Nepal.

We combine quantitative and qualitative methodologies to understand long term poverty dynamics in rural Nepal. We conduct life-history interviews with a large random sample of households, preferably with an elderly person in each household. Major events a re recorded, such as child births, separation of households, education, land purchases and sales, medical and other crisis, migration events, and changes in occupations. We classify the long term asset accumulation strategies of each household, including the major events, and attempt to identify critical events and household characteristics that may explain why some households are trapped in poverty, while other households have prospered.