Poverty and Environmental Degradation

Varnessa Kayen Varlyngton

Most countries, mainly developing in the  Global South, suffer from both  poverty and environmental degradation. The people do not have enough resources to meet their important needs and later act or rely on unsustainable practices that harm the environment. This creates a cycle of poverty and environmental destruction.

Poverty is a global phenomenon, which is a significant cause and effect of global environmental problems. Poor people are short-run maximizers who focus on meeting their present needs at the cost of the future. In doing so, they often destroy the environment for their immediate survival (Ssekibaala & Kasule, 2023).In a similar way, environmental problems have led to shortages of food, clean water, materials for shelter, and other essential resources. As forests, land, air, and water are degraded, people who live directly off these natural resources suffer most from the effects(Bada, 2019).

To understand this more, take for instance a rural village that includes lots and lots of  families that rely on farming as their main source of income. They do not have access to  resources and lack of access to modern farming tools. The soil quality starts deteriorating , reducing crop yields and  increasing food insecurity leading to hardship for the villagers. According to the global journal of human - social science , poverty may be created by negative and unjust social conditions such as structural inequality. The concept of equity and meeting the needs of the citizens is central to sustainable development?Those who are poor and hungry will often destroy their immediate environments in order to survive. 

Social and environmental goals can sometimes be at odds. Researchers have tried their best to find out ways to balance the two. A study published in the journal Nature Sustainability was made up of an  international team of scientists investigating the environmental impacts of eliminating poverty. The study was focused on ensuring minimum access to resources and services for the most disadvantaged populations (University Communications and Future Earth,2022).  

It is imperative that we strive to strike a balance between our social and environmental goals in order to break the cycle of poverty and environmental degradation. By addressing both aspects simultaneously, we can create a sustainable future that benefits both people and the planet. It is only through this holistic approach that we can ensure a prosperous and thriving world for current and future generations.

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References 

Ssekibaala, S. D., & Kasule, T. A. K. (2023, September 4). Examination of the poverty-environmental degradation nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa. Regional Sustainability. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666660X23000440

Bada, B. S. B. (2019, November 13). Environment, Ecosystem And Man. Retrieved from https://funaab.edu.ng/funaab-ocw/opencourseware/Environment,%20Ecosystem%20And%20Man.pdf

View of Poverty, Environmental Degradation And Sustainable Development: A Discourse | Global Journal of Human-Social Science. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://socialscienceresearch.org/index.php/GJHSS/article/view/463/1-Poverty-Environmental-Degradation_html

University Communications and Future Earth. (2022, November 10). Researchers explore how to protect the environment while helping those living in poverty. Researchers explore how to protect the environment while helping those living in poverty | University of Arizona News. Retrieved from https://news.arizona.edu/news/researchers-explore-how-protect-environment-while-helping-those-living-poverty