Abstract:
Public infrastructures such as roads, agricultural extension services, electricity, ICT,protected
water sources, irrigation,formal education centers, and formal health centersare essential for
economy and society to operate properly. They have irreplaceable role in the improvement of
rural people‟s livelihood outcomes. The general objective ofthis studyis to examine the possible
effect of rural public infrastructures on the rural households‟ livelihood outcomes. The empirical
assessments elsewhere in Ethiopia and the circumstances on the rural livelihood in association
with public infrastructures have conferred the paucity of sociological research. The assumptions
of activity theory deployed to carry out the analysis of concepts, facts and themes. This study
used the pragmatist research philosophy that advocates ontological and epistemological mixes
in an effort to minimize the gaps noted on the empirical knowledge. Accordingly, the research
strategy employs the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative approaches. As mirror to the
methodological triangulation, the analysis has followed a convergent design that combines
descriptive and inferential techniques with the themes emerging through qualitative
explorations. Cross-tabulation descriptive statistics and binary and multinomial logistic
regression were employed.Consequently, the findings of the research revealed that public
infrastructures have a significant influence on selected livelihood bases, livelihood
diversification strategies, and components of livelihood outcomes. Specifically, there were
significant associations whereby households who have an access to assumed infrastructures did
more likely improve their livelihood assets, engage in mixed livelihood diversification strategies,
feel as a livelihood outcomes components (food security, job opportunities, adequate house,
contacting and consulting formal health professionals) are being improved and feel as a social
capital such as (respecting each other, trusting each other and helping each other) are
decreasing than households who don‟t haveaccess to respective rural public infrastructures.
Thus, by including cultural elements of local people, responsible bodies should increase the
required resources for the purpose of upgrading and managing public infrastructures
particularly on all-weather roads.
