Environment, Poverty and Human Environment, Poverty and Human Development: Exploring the LinkagesDevelopment: Exploring the Linkages

Paolo Giuntarelli, Direttore Ente Regionale RomaNatura

A Vicious Circle?A Vicious Circle?

POVERTY ENVIRONMENTALDEGRADATION

Brundtland Report 1990 - poverty as a major cause and effect of global environmental problems

Responding to environmental threatsResponding to environmental threats

Demand for environmental quality ...Demand for environmental quality ... … … is a luxury - the poor are too busy thinking about is a luxury - the poor are too busy thinking about

basic survival to concern themselves with basic survival to concern themselves with environmental issues environmental issues

Ability to respond to such demands ...Ability to respond to such demands ... … … is dependent on aggregate wealth - economic is dependent on aggregate wealth - economic

prosperity and technological sophistication allow prosperity and technological sophistication allow nations to react to environmental challengesnations to react to environmental challenges

Ergo ...Ergo ... Environmentalism is the exclusive concern of the rich, Environmentalism is the exclusive concern of the rich,

in the advanced industrial nationsin the advanced industrial nations

Are these

concerns

exclusively

found in rich

nations?

Understanding responsesUnderstanding responses

Out of concern for natureOut of concern for nature … … as a source of cultural, spiritual, social as a source of cultural, spiritual, social

and economic value ...and economic value ... To mitigate anthropogenic influences To mitigate anthropogenic influences

on the natural environmenton the natural environment … … pollution, resource depletion, extinction pollution, resource depletion, extinction

of species ...of species ... To reduce the impacts of environmental To reduce the impacts of environmental

changes on human societychanges on human society … … health impacts, livelihoods, needs, well-health impacts, livelihoods, needs, well-

being ...being ...

Views on poverty-environment linkagesViews on poverty-environment linkages

Conventional wisdomConventional wisdom– Deterministic relationship: if one is poor, then one degrades the Deterministic relationship: if one is poor, then one degrades the

environmentenvironment– Poverty is negatively related to sustainable development - short Poverty is negatively related to sustainable development - short

time horizons of the poortime horizons of the poor– Policy: need for economic growth to break the downward Policy: need for economic growth to break the downward

spiral: World Bank WDR 1992spiral: World Bank WDR 1992

Environmental degradation

Poverty

Alternative perspectivesAlternative perspectives

Political economyPolitical economy– Why are people poor? Poor as proximate causes, but (global) Why are people poor? Poor as proximate causes, but (global)

inequalities as the ultimate causesinequalities as the ultimate causes– Evidence that the poor can and do care for the environment: Evidence that the poor can and do care for the environment:

effective environmental stewardshipeffective environmental stewardship– The poor as environmental activists: new social and The poor as environmental activists: new social and

ecological movements; grassroots political actionecological movements; grassroots political action– Policy - remove inequalitiesPolicy - remove inequalities

Environmental degradation

Inequality (power, wealth)

Alternative perspectivesAlternative perspectives

Market/institutional failureMarket/institutional failure– Price signals - perverse subsidies/taxesPrice signals - perverse subsidies/taxes– Tenure policies/property rightsTenure policies/property rights– Legal frameworkLegal framework– Implementation capacityImplementation capacity– Competing policy demandsCompeting policy demands– Policy – correct market/institutional failurePolicy – correct market/institutional failure

Environmental degradation

Policy imperfections

Alternative perspectivesAlternative perspectives

Reversing the causalityReversing the causality– Dependence of the poor on natural resources for their Dependence of the poor on natural resources for their

livelihoods: CPR studieslivelihoods: CPR studies– Impact of internal and external pressures is to undermine the Impact of internal and external pressures is to undermine the

sustainability of the local resource basesustainability of the local resource base– Policy - improved environmental sustainability as a Policy - improved environmental sustainability as a

poverty alleviation strategypoverty alleviation strategy

Environmental degradation

Poverty

Understanding human well-beingUnderstanding human well-being

Multiple dimensions of well-beingMultiple dimensions of well-being– Physical/financial resources - wealthPhysical/financial resources - wealth– Human resources - education, healthHuman resources - education, health– Natural resources - ecosystem servicesNatural resources - ecosystem services– Political resources - democracy, accountabilityPolitical resources - democracy, accountability– Social/cultural resources - networks, norms, relationshipsSocial/cultural resources - networks, norms, relationships

SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS (SL)SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS (SL)

Vulnerability Context

• Shocks• Trends• Seasons

Livelihood Capital Assets

Human

Social

Physical Financial

Natural

Livelihood Strategies

Policies & Institutions

(Transforming Structures & Processes)

• Structures- Government- Private Sector

• Processes- Laws- Policies- Culture- Institutions

The SL Framework Livelihood

Outcomes+ Sustainable use

of NR base + Income

+ Well-being Reduced

vulnerability + Food security

It’s all about pushing out the ‘area’ of these It’s all about pushing out the ‘area’ of these assetsassets

Are these assets

fungible?

Human Capital

Natural Capital

Physical Capital

Social Capital

Financial Capital

Rural poverty - environment linkagesRural poverty - environment linkages

Household objectives: food/livelihood security

Available household assets: on-and off-farm physical/financial capital; natural resources; human capital; social capital

Household income/investment activities

Environmental/economic/social consequences

New stock of household assets

Externalfactors

Ecosystem servicesEcosystem services

DefinitionDefinition– Ecosystem services are the conditions and Ecosystem services are the conditions and

processes through which natural ecosystems, and processes through which natural ecosystems, and the species that make them up, sustain and fulfil the species that make them up, sustain and fulfil human life.human life.

Daily et al 1997Daily et al 1997* Provisioning functionsProvisioning functions* Regulating functionsRegulating functions* Enriching/cultural functionsEnriching/cultural functions

Ecosystem services: provisioningEcosystem services: provisioning

Magnitude/rate of goods harvested (‘flows’), Magnitude/rate of goods harvested (‘flows’), e.g.:e.g.: FoodFood Micro-organisms, plant and animal productsMicro-organisms, plant and animal products Genetic material, biochemicals & pharmaceuticalsGenetic material, biochemicals & pharmaceuticals Fuels/energyFuels/energy FodderFodder FibreFibre Non-living materialNon-living material Fresh waterFresh water

Ecosystem services: regulatingEcosystem services: regulating Life support functions, determined by ‘stock’ Life support functions, determined by ‘stock’

of the ecosystem, e.g.:of the ecosystem, e.g.: Purification of air and waterPurification of air and water Mitigation of floods and droughtsMitigation of floods and droughts Detoxification and decomposition of wastesDetoxification and decomposition of wastes Preservation of soil and soil fertilityPreservation of soil and soil fertility Pollination of crops and vegetationPollination of crops and vegetation Control of pestsControl of pests Dispersal of seedsDispersal of seeds Maintenance of biodiversityMaintenance of biodiversity Stabilisation of climateStabilisation of climate

Ecosystem services: enriching/culturalEcosystem services: enriching/cultural

Beliefs and values surrounding natural forces, Beliefs and values surrounding natural forces, providing spiritual/religious/cultural support providing spiritual/religious/cultural support (determined by ‘stock’), e.g.:(determined by ‘stock’), e.g.: Spiritual componentsSpiritual components Aesthetic valuesAesthetic values Social relations and valuesSocial relations and values Educational/scientific valuesEducational/scientific values

Ecosystem services: well-being issuesEcosystem services: well-being issues Provisioning: Provisioning: access of the poor for basic access of the poor for basic

needs; distributional issuesneeds; distributional issues Regulating: Regulating: equitable sharing of benefits and equitable sharing of benefits and

costs associated with protectioncosts associated with protection Enriching/cultural: Enriching/cultural: conflicting cognitive conflicting cognitive

paradigms and value/moral systemsparadigms and value/moral systems

Potential conflict between these services, but Potential conflict between these services, but also scope for synergy/win-win scenariosalso scope for synergy/win-win scenarios

What is Human Development?What is Human Development?

The basic purpose of development is to The basic purpose of development is to enlarge people’s choices. In principle, enlarge people’s choices. In principle, these choices can be infinite and can these choices can be infinite and can change over time. The objective of change over time. The objective of development is to create an enabling development is to create an enabling environment for people to enjoy long, environment for people to enjoy long, healthy and creative lives.healthy and creative lives.

HD is not only the rise or fall of national HD is not only the rise or fall of national income;income;

It’s about creating an environment in which It’s about creating an environment in which people can develop their full potential and people can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives in accord lead productive, creative lives in accord with their needs and interests.with their needs and interests.

People are the real wealth of nationsPeople are the real wealth of nations Fundamental to enlarging the people’s Fundamental to enlarging the people’s

choices is building human capabilities – the choices is building human capabilities – the range of things that people can do or be in range of things that people can do or be in life.life.

Philosophers, economists and political Philosophers, economists and political leaders have long emphasized human leaders have long emphasized human wellbeing as the purpose, the end, of wellbeing as the purpose, the end, of development.development.

Aristotle said in ancient Greece, “wealth is Aristotle said in ancient Greece, “wealth is evidently not the good we are seeking, for it evidently not the good we are seeking, for it is merely useful for the sake of something is merely useful for the sake of something else”.else”.

The goal is human freedomThe goal is human freedom Human development and human rights are Human development and human rights are

mutually reinforcing, helping to secure the mutually reinforcing, helping to secure the well-being and dignity of all people, building well-being and dignity of all people, building self-respect and the respect of others.self-respect and the respect of others.

Human development reportHuman development report

HDR was first launched in 1990 with the single goal of HDR was first launched in 1990 with the single goal of putting people back at the center of the development putting people back at the center of the development process in terms of economic debate, policy and process in terms of economic debate, policy and advocacy;advocacy;

Since the first report, four new composite indices for HD Since the first report, four new composite indices for HD have been developed – the human development index, the have been developed – the human development index, the gender empowerment measure, and the human poverty gender empowerment measure, and the human poverty index.index.

The HD report is an indipendent report. It’s commissioned The HD report is an indipendent report. It’s commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme. The by the United Nations Development Programme. The report is translated into more a dozen language and report is translated into more a dozen language and launched in more than 100 countries annually.launched in more than 100 countries annually.

Human development indexHuman development index

The HDI is a summary measure of three The HDI is a summary measure of three dimensions of human development: leading a dimensions of human development: leading a long and healthy life, measured by life long and healthy life, measured by life expetancy at birth, being knowleadgeable, expetancy at birth, being knowleadgeable, measured by literacy and school enrolment; and measured by literacy and school enrolment; and having a decent standard of living, measured by having a decent standard of living, measured by GDP per capita GDP per capita (gross domestic product (gross domestic product

=consumption+investment+exports-imports)=consumption+investment+exports-imports). Before the . Before the HDI itself is calculated, an index need to be HDI itself is calculated, an index need to be created for each of these dimensionscreated for each of these dimensions