environmental issues_ global and local_ bhaskar vira

8/14/2019 Environmental Issues_ Global and Local_ Bhaskar Vira

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UNDP Human Development CourseUNDP Human Development Course

Environment, Poverty and HumanEnvironment, Poverty and HumanDevelopment: Exploring the LinkagesDevelopment: Exploring the Linkages

Bhaskar Vira, Department of Geography, University of Cambridge


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A Vicious Circle?A Vicious Circle?

POVERTY ENVIRONMENTALDEGRADATION

Brundtland Report 1990 -poverty as a majorcauseand

effectof global environmental problems


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Responding to environmental threatsResponding to environmental threats

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

basic survival to concern themselves withbasic survival to concern themselves with

environmental issuesenvironmental issues

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

prosperity and technological sophistication allowprosperity 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


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Are theseconcernsexclusively found in

richnations?

Understanding responsesUnderstanding responses

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

and economic value ...and economic value ...

To mitigate anthropogenic influencesTo mitigate anthropogenic influences

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

of species ...of species ...

To reduce the impacts of environmentalTo reduce the impacts of environmental

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

being ...being ...


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Views on poverty-environment linkagesViews on poverty-environment linkages

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

environmentenvironment

Poverty is negatively related to sustainable development - shortPoverty is negatively related to sustainable development - shorttime horizons of the poortime horizons of the poor

Policy: need for economic growth to break the downwardPolicy: need for economic growth to break the downward

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

Environmentaldegradation

Poverty


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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 ecologicalThe poor as environmental activists: new social and ecological

movements; grassroots political actionmovements; grassroots political action

Policy - remove inequalitiesPolicy - remove inequalities

Environmental

degradation

Inequality

(power, wealth)


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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


Policyimperfections


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

livelihoods: CPR studieslivelihoods: CPR studies

Impact of internal and external pressures is to undermine theImpact 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 aPolicy - improved environmental sustainability as a

poverty alleviation strategypoverty alleviation strategy


Poverty


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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)


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VulnerabilityContext

Shocks

Trends

Seasons

LivelihoodCapital Assets

Human

Social

Physical Financial

Natural

Livelihood

Strategies

Policies &Institutions

(TransformingStructures &Processes)

Structures

-Government

- PrivateSector

Processes

-Laws

- Policies

- Culture

- Institutions

The SL

Framework LivelihoodOutcomes

+ Sustainable useof NR base+ Income

+ Well-beingReduced

vulnerability+ Food security


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Its all about pushing out the area of theseIts all about pushing out the area of these

assetsassets

Are theseassets

fungible?

Human

Capital

Natural

Capital

Physical

Capital

Social

Capital

Financial

Capital


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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

External

factors


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Ecosystem servicesEcosystem services

DefinitionDefinition Ecosystem services are the conditions andEcosystem services are the conditions and

processes through which natural ecosystems, andprocesses through which natural ecosystems, and

the species that make them up, sustain and fulfilthe species that make them up, sustain and fulfilhuman life.human life.

Daily et al 1997Daily et al 1997

* Provisioning functionsProvisioning functions

* Regulating functionsRegulating functions

* Enriching/cultural functionsEnriching/cultural functions


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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


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Ecosystem services: regulatingEcosystem services: regulating

Life support functions, determined by stockLife support functions, determined by stockof 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


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Ecosystem services: enriching/culturalEcosystem services: enriching/cultural

Beliefs and values surrounding natural forces,Beliefs and values surrounding natural forces,

providing spiritual/religious/cultural supportproviding 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


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Ecosystem services: well-being issuesEcosystem services: well-being issues

Provisioning:Provisioning: access of the poor for basicaccess of the poor for basicneeds; distributional issuesneeds; distributional issues

Regulating:Regulating: equitable sharing of benefits andequitable sharing of benefits and

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

paradigms and value/moral systemsparadigms and value/moral systems

Potential conflict between these services, butPotential conflict between these services, butalso scope for synergy/win-win scenariosalso scope for synergy/win-win scenarios

environmental issues_ global and local_ bhaskar vira

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