My Japanese grammar book states that "-neba naranai" means the same as "-nakereba naranai" and can replace it. It also says that "-neba" is the conditional form of the old negative verb suffix zu or nu.
Some examples it gives:
1. もう行かねばなりません。
Mou ikaneba narimasen.
I have to leave now.
2. 若いうちはもっと仕事せねばなりません。
Wakai uchi wa motto shigoto seneba narimasen.
You must work harder while you are young.
It also mentions that example 2 uses the antiquated form "seneba" instead of the more common form "shinakereba". Seneba here matches up with what Kota is saying, I think. :)
Thanks for asking this question though because I have never seen this form either and would have thought it should be written like you said (生きなければ) to mean "you have to live". :)
By the way, in case you are interested, the book I got this grammar pattern from is "Essential Japanese Grammar : Write and Speak Japanese Like a Native!" by Masahiro Tanimori and Eriko Sato. I don't think any of the other grammar books I have seen include this pattern.