The objective of the thesis is to investigate the ways in which institutions shape livelihood resilience. Livelihood resilience is defined as the ability of an individual or household to recover from, or to withstand changes in, the social or physical environment, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and thus ensure security of livelihood. To analyse the extent to which institutions shape livelihood resilience I examine the way in which institutions affect access to natural resources and the role of this access in producing resilient livelihoods. This exploration is carried out by examining in turn the role of formal structures, of informal processes and of the geographical and historical context in shaping access to resources and livelihood resilience