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Mikael
Joined: Apr 12, 2002
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Effects of Development on Poverty
September 2, 2003 - 01:26 AM
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From http://www.sustainableresources.org/sr2003/index.html
"With a current population of 6 billion, the world is becoming a place in which human populations are more crowded, more consuming, more polluting, more connected, and in many ways less diverse than at any time in history. In the next two decades, almost 2 billion additional people are expected to populate the Earth, a number roughly equivalent to the world’s total population in 1940. It is estimated that 95% of that growth will take place in developing or under-developed countries. Such growth will create demands on an unprecedented scale for energy, food, land, water, transportation, materials, waste disposal, earth moving, health care, environmental cleanup, infrastructure, jobs, new skills, new opportunities, and security. Today, 20% of the world’s population lack clean water, 40% lack adequate sanitation, 20% lack adequate housing, 50% lack adequate energy resources, and 30% live in conflict zones, in transition, or in situations of permanent instability."
As can be seen from this quote, there are many problems that currently exist in developing nations. These problems relate to many essential aspects of life, such as access to clean water and food, sanitation and housing.
It can be argued that the goal of most under-developed nations is to raise their living standards to be similar to those of developed nations. However, for poverty in developing nations to cease, and consumption to rise accordingly, there must be a huge increase in the consumption of resources. This may rapidly lead to negative consequences, as the demand for resources such as fresh water outgrows the supply.
My question to you is, what can we do now to prevent such negative consequences from occurring in the future? How can we set out a map of sorts for future growth of developing nations, which can allow them to grow without leaving such a huge ecological footprint?
Or, seen from another way, is it possible for developing nations to reach the quality of life of developed nations without conflict erupting? Is it inevitable that the very development that is so sought-after will lead to yet more poverty?
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Chiran
Joined: Oct 8, 2002
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Re: Effects of Development on Poverty
October 28, 2003 - 08:56 AM
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It is possible for developing states to come out of poverty without leaving such a huge ecological footprint. Developed states needs to send foreign aid to help start and/or stabilize projects in less developed states that offer sustainable agriculture without exploiting the environment.
Trade:
Obviously most are aware that trade is one of the major answers to ending or alleviating poverty. Opening the markets of developing states to the markets of developed states will be a huge step in alleviating poverty. By allowing local farmers in rural areas to get a fair price which is not blocked due to tariffs will bring major income to less developed states. For example if a farmer sells a pound of coffee for $1, but only receives $.50 cents for it because of tariffs that farmer will now have to sell 2 pounds of coffee to make the price he/she would otherwise be making for 1 pound. Doing this will use up more natural resources and will further the damage done to the environment. If that tariff was lifted the farmer would not have to exploit the land twice as much to make the same amount. (Obviously it’s more complicated than this, but this is just an example made simple). Increasing trade does not have to mean that more natural resources are taken from the planet thus further deteriorating it. By giving a fair price for local farmers, poverty will be decreased greatly if not eradicated. The same case may be said for industrial workers, in which they receive a fair and decent pay because the factory or company they work for will have access to other markets, thus increasing the company’s profit.
Agricultural subsidies:
Most are aware of how developed states spend money in subsidizing their farmers, and dumping surplus’s abroad to developing states. Farmers in less developed states see little point in competing with free food aid from abroad thus driving them into more poverty. Governments in less developed states need to give their farmers more incentive to practice sustainable agriculture that will not deteriorate the environment. Developed states can offer advice to governments of developing states in different ways of achieving this. Foreign Aid should also be sent to governments of less developed states to help fund these programs/projects. In which otherwise giving food aid constantly only makes less developed states dependent on developed states, which is not a sustainable answer.
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farhana siddique
Joined: Sep 24, 2003
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Re: Effects of Development on Poverty
October 30, 2003 - 11:44 AM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by mikael
[B]From http://www.sustainableresources.org/sr2003/index.html
"In the next two decades, almost 2 billion additional people are expected to populate the Earth, a number roughly equivalent to the world’s total population in 1940. It is estimated that 95% of that growth will take place in developing or under-developed countries. Such growth will create demands on an unprecedented scale for energy, food, land, water, transportation, materials, waste disposal, earth moving, health care, environmental cleanup, infrastructure, jobs, new skills, new opportunities, and security."
"My question to you is, what can we do now to prevent such negative consequences from occurring in the future? How can we set out a map of sorts for future growth of developing nations, which can allow them to grow without leaving such a huge ecological footprint?"
"Is it inevitable that the very development that is so sought-after will lead to yet more poverty?"
Mikael, your question demands to set out a map of sorts for the future growth of developing nations. I , myself belonging to an under-developed country (Pakistan ), believe in only one solution to all the problems prevailing in such countries. The root cause of all the present and upcoming hazards, eg shortage of food,water,energy, waste disposal etc. etc with povety at the bottom-line, in such nations to me is "Population Explosion / The Population Bomb" . I simply believe in "uprooting" this cause to achieve a sustainable living standard.
"Nothing to eat, but generate new souls to share the hunger" seems to be the cherished slogan of the inhabitants of under-developed countries.The people of such territories just need behavior change. They must be made aware of the fact that as many less number of mouths to eat, so less chances of poverty and economic instability.
Why should we wait for such a dreadful picture as drawn by the statistics, to prevail the globe? Why not check the birth - rate to prevent such scenario to occur?
This is 1001% right that with the ever- increasing population,all the efforts to reach the highest step of the ladder of development,would inevitably end in smoke; rather would generate more poverty.
Unless and until, a genuine struggle to check the birth-rate is made, all the efforts whether subsidies in agriculture, trade promotion, foreign aid or via adopting any other strategy, to combat the giant problems now and in store for them, would go in vain.
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