Environment Degradation And Rural Poverty

Contents: Introduction, Environmental Degradation and Rural Poverty, Environmental Degradation in Study Districts, Impact of Environment Degradation on Rural Poverty, Summary and Conclusions.

Case studies-- of the links between highlands and lowlands in Latin America; of transmigration in Indonesia; and of migration and desertification in the Sudan-- illustrate the relationship between poverty, internal migration, and environmental change in rural areas of developing countries.

The origin of rural poverty is complex and multidimensional. Some aspects of this origin include culture, climate, gender, markets, and public policy. Similarly, the rural poor population is quite diverse both in the problems they face and the possible solutions to those problems. This book examines nature and characteristics of rural poverty and how it develops, its persistence, and how it has caused destruction to environmental resources. The quest for global stability and peace has placed poverty issues at the centre of deliberation. In the year 2000, the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) directly addressed the problem of poverty and its alleviation. Natural resources degradation is usually understood in terms of over use of scarce non-renewable and potentially renewable resources. It entails damage or destruction of key natural resourcessuch as soils and forestsand the subsequent production of wastes. Low-income rural dwellers have much lower levels of consumption than middle and upper income groups, but occupy much more land per person than middle and upper income groups. Yet, low income groups consume less food and generally have diets that are less energy and land intensive than higher income groups. However, low income populations deplete natural resources for settlements, farming and extraction of resources for many urban dwellers. This book has created the linkages between poverty in rural areas and environmental resources degradation. It draws conclusions from examples from all over the world and emphasises on a case study in rural Ghana. This book is recommended for academicians, rural development professionals, environmentalists and the general public.

In his study of the poverty alleviation programmes, the author finds that even though the poorest of the poor are relatively efficient in utilizing the assistance they receive, the schemes themselves are heavily dependent on the bureaucracy, leading to inefficiencies and leakages. Environmental degradation is attributed to the slow rate of land-augmenting technological change and the inequitable distribution of gains resulting in pressure on the environment from the poor as well as the affluent. On account of the low rate of capital formation and relatively efficient use of available resources, the author sees little scope for raising agricultural output in India merely by freeing the markets. On the basis of his study, Dr Rao recommends stepping up public investment in agriculture, especially in irrigation and research, as essential to raise the growth rate, and to realize the possible gains from trade as well as to ensure the equitable sharing of such gains.

This paper relies on empirical material drawn from anthropology, demography, economics, and the environmental sciences for identifying possible links between rural poverty, fertility behavior, and the local environmental resource base in poor countries. The authors argue that poverty and institutional failure are both moot causes of environmental degradation and that the latter may well be a cause (as well as an effect) of high fertility rates. The article provides the background to the discussion and the capital theory that is necessary for any exploration into the economics of environment and development. The authors summarize and extend the literature on optimal development, intertemporal accounting prices, and the idea of net national product in both first and second best economies.

'A valuable contribution to our collective knowledge about governance, poverty and the environment' Frances Seymour, World Resources Institute 'Detailed and realistic documentation of contemporary development and governance relationships and trends' Melissa Leach, Institute of Development Studies There are growing signs that development work by governments, aid agencies and non-government organisations ignores the fact that environmental quality matters to the poor. There are also indications that some environmental work is pushing 'people-out' protection methodologies. Yet recently, an extensive range of project, programme and policy level activities has focused attention on the important links between poverty and the environment, and the benefit of entrenching these links in policy-making processes at all levels. The role that politics plays in all of this is of overriding importance. This volume is the first to address the role of politics in environmental issues that matter to the poor through a series of case studies. It describes experiences at regional, national and local levels in low and middle income countries including China, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Pakistan, Colombia, Peru, India, Saint Lucia and countries in East Africa. Ultimately the book demonstrates how understanding the national and local political context is crucial for addressing poverty-environment issues such as environmental health, access to natural resources for livelihoods and security, and coping with environmental disasters. The editors advocate ways in which political processes can be used to make positive changes - from the perspectives of both poverty reduction and the environment.