POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The paper examines the relationship between poverty and environmental degradation, arguing that while poverty does not necessarily cause degradation, the poor are disproportionately harmed by the loss of natural capital. It critiques the 'Environmental Kuznets Curve' and suggests that sustainable development requires tracking total wealth (natural, human, social, and physical capital) and strengthening institutional frameworks to manage common resources.

• The author argues that there is no definitive empirical evidence to support the claim that an increase in poverty directly causes an increase in environmental degradation, noting a lack of studies correlating the two variables over time.
• Environmental degradation typically harms the poor more than the rich because vulnerable populations are often the primary users of marginal and common resources, such as fuelwood and water.
• The 'Environmental Kuznets Curve'—the theory that environmental quality initially declines and then improves as GDP per capita increases—is described as misleading for policy because some degradation is irreversible and cross-sectional data does not guarantee a specific country's path.
• Sustainable development is defined as requiring that the sum total of natural, human, social, and physical capital remains non-decreasing over time to ensure intergenerational equity.
• Institutional breakdown in the management of common resources can create a cycle where degradation leads to higher fertility rates as families require more members to maintain welfare, further increasing environmental pressure.
• The distributional impact of environmental regulations varies; for example, in Indonesia, transport policies were found to be more 'distribution friendly' than energy policies because they affect the rich more heavily.
• The author suggests that Joseph Stiglitz's development strategy is necessary for sustained growth and poverty alleviation, but it lacks detailed operational guidance on tracking sustainable development and managing natural capital.
• Effective management of natural resources often depends on the evolution of institutions; some cases in India and Kenya show that property rights and community cooperation can successfully arrest erosion and improve resource management.

APA

Markandya, A. (2001). POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pe_markandya_presentation.pdf

Chicago

Markandya, A. POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2001. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pe_markandya_presentation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Markandya |first1=A. |title=POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=April 2001 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pe_markandya_presentation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{markandya2001poverty, author = {Markandya, A.}, title = {{POVERTY ALLEVIATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2001}, month = apr, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/pe_markandya_presentation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }