Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 21 (6): 870-874, 2014 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2014 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2014.21.06.83234

Review: Poverty Influence on Environment 1

Muhammad Usman Ghani, 1Muhammad Qasim, 2Aroj Bashir, 1Malik Muhammad Anees, 1 Ahtasham Raza, 1Moeen Khalid, 1Jahanzaib Malik and 3Zain Abbas

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Pakistan Department of Geo Sciences and Geography, University of Gujrat, Pakistan 3 Institute of Environmental Sciences Engineering (IESS), School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE), NUST, H-12, Islamabad, Pakistan 1

2

Abstract: Poverty has worst situation in rural areas of Pakistan. There is a link between poverty and agriculture growths. We increase the agricultural growth by providing the facilities to the rural poor. There is a need to control the poverty in rural areas of Pakistan. In educational sectors there is debate on the poverty, population growth and environment. The study shows that they are interlinked with each other and the poverty is the cause of environmental degradation such as deforestation, air pollution, noise pollution, water-logging and due to these factors average temperature rise in the form of global warming. When we talk about the link between the poverty and environment then we take three factors such as livelihood, health and vulnerability. Poverty is also the cause of urbanization because most of the people are moving from the rural areas to urban areas and as a result resources are depleted rapidly. The study focuses that how we use the different approaches to reduce the poverty. The study also shows, due to the anthropogenic activities, our climate is changing rapidly. Due to which there is change in the seasonal precipitation and as results, different crops not grows properly and it cause the poverty. There is need to use the resources in sustainable way. We also try our best to examine the socioeconomic aspects of poverty. Key word: Poverty

Environment

INTRODUCTION

areas. According to the latest estimates, poverty head count ratio was 29.2 percent in 2004-05 which increased to 33.8 percent in 2007-08 and 36.1 percent in 2008-09. We faced the environmental issues due to imbalanced social and economic development. This further challenge is the shifting of rural population to urban areas. It is the major cause of pollution in urban areas. Air pollution is the major issue in urban areas and lead and carbon emissions are common. Environmental degradation links with poverty in Pakistan. Environment performs the function of sink and absorbs the different pollutant which is released into atmosphere. People do not used these resources but used with a change in knowledge and technology [1]. Pakistan is sixth popular country in world. Pakistan will become fourth nation in terms of population till 2050. It is estimated that 104 million

Rate of poverty is increasing in the rural areas of Pakistan. It is 38.65% during 2002-03. In rural areas people faced the different problem regarding the poverty. With the passage of time, agriculture land is decreasing in Pakistan. Due to which, water and food resources are depleted and urbanization is also increasing. Pakistan requires the food production for larger population from less land. The challenge is that how we get maximum output from shrinking agriculture land and availability of natural resources. “There is link between poverty, pollution and population. This relationship shows that if one variable increase then other is also increase. All these variables increase worldwide. Poverty in Pakistan observed in rural

Corresponding Author: Muhammad Qasim, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Gujrat, Pakistan. Tel: +923338485847.

870

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 21 (6): 870-874, 2014

Impact of Degradation on the Poverty: Poor have generally access to such areas where there is high risk for health, income and generation [8]. Environmental degradation therefore affects the health and nutrition status of poor. Different factors such as lower yield per unit of labor or land and reduced soil quality is the cause of malnutrition and poor health [9]. Poor Used the biomass fuel either using animal dung, fodder and crop residues for fuel. The quantities of these materials that are returned to the soil are thus reduced and its fertility declines [10]. Economic welfare is considered as strong indicators of country welfare and it is measured in term of GDP (gross domestic product) per capita. Wealth of a country is neither measured through domestic resource consumption nor negative externalities associated with it. Wealth per capita is declined in north and south. The most important and immediate consequence of environmental degradation in the developing world takes the form of damage to human health. In the poorest countries, where people use resources in unsustainable way, which is the cause of environmental damage associated with poor health and morbidity [11]. In developing countries, rural population depends upon natural resources. Due to intensive agriculture has wide spread soil erosion, chemical pollution, poor water quality and quantity and it reduces human welfare and resulting in morbidity [12]. The scope of this paper is, therefore, to study child mortality and fertility using a multivariate cross-country approach. We test the hypothesis that, in the CARS (Central African Republics), specifically relates to environmental degradation, linked to industrialized agricultural activities and explain rate of child and infant mortality. Indicators link with environmental pollution and degradation. Environmental damage creates the problem for modern world and there are several discussions to solve these problems. Such discussions are important in last year’s when the climate change is taken as serious issue. In short, every person is part of global responsibility taking [13]. Jacobsen and Dulsrud criticize this idea of a ‘‘generic active consumer’’ and claim that this is far from a universal entity [14]. They argue that people are influenced socially and culturally, through different believes and attitudes. This study tells about first individual responsibility to contribute the environmental problems. Second responsibility is to criticize the environmental problems. Third one is individual responsibility in terms of sense. Fourth responsibility is the institutional agents.

Pakistanis are below the age of thirty years. Total working age population is 121.01 million, with the size of the employed labor force estimated at 52.71 million in 2008-2009 [2]. There is a high fertility rate than mortality one. From 1950 till about 40 years, there are 6 births per women. Pakistan’s population of 41 million in 1950 doubled to around 82 million by 1980 and had doubled again to around 160 million by 2005 [3] There is strong relationship between poverty, population and pollution in Pakistan. To find statistical relationship between these variables, we used the secondary data from 1975-2009. We will discuss one by one. Poverty: There are two types of poverty [4] one is indigenous poverty which is caused by environmental degradation and the other one is exogenous poverty which is caused by factors other than environmental degradation. In this study, both types of poverty were taken into account which is represented by HCR (Head Count Ratio). Pollution: According to the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction [5] environmental degradation is defined as, the reduction of the capacity of the environment to meet social and ecological objectives and needs. Potential effects increased the intensity of natural hazard.

Link Between Poverty-pollution-population [6] States that people do not use the resources in sustainable way. He lists four such pressures generally discussed in the literature These include Poverty creates the greater effects on the large population. Impact of population growth on natural resources is termed in terms of carrying capacity. Increasing population use the resources in much quantity and it creates problems in human life. Social and economic factors such as technology and trade alter the carrying capacity [7]. 871

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 21 (6): 870-874, 2014

While world population is increasing each year, the land for production of food is continuously decreasing. There is less land in Asia, North Africa and Central America, while in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America, physical and technological constraints are likely to restrain large-scale conversion of potentially cultivable land [15]. Food production is increased by agriculture. Intensive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation technology, in combination with higher-yielding crop varieties, has led to enough food being produced in the world such that if it were evenly distributed, no one would go hungry. Global food production per capita increased from about 260 kilograms (kgs) in 1950 to about 350 kgs in the early 1990s [16].

away from activities that promote macroeconomic stability or growth. On the contrary, growth is fundamental to reduce poverty. Objectives: To determine the linkage between the poverty and environment. To focus on how poverty cause environmental degradation. To focus on the use of resources in sustainable way. To focus on the factors from which reduced the poverty. Literature Review: By the lack of exact evidence and interaction of two processes, a recent study [15] revealed the strong perception that poverty is the consequence and cause of resource degradation. This perception is strongly clear in the writings of the many development agencies such as the FAO [17], in spite of wide reviews show that long and short-term implications of land degradation are not clear [18]. To understand the interaction between poverty and land degradation is not clear and limited. This paper reviews the existing knowledge about the relationship between poverty and land degradation and draws implications for research. Human health is mostly affected by environmental degradation [19]. There are water diseases among young people which are consider burden on society because they are contribute in economic activities but due to water-borne disease they can’t work as much [20]. According to the environment, we use the following concepts. The term ‘environment’ may be rarely concerned with green issues which relates to the nature such as pollution control, biodiversity and climate change; or more broadly, including issues such as drinking water and sanitation provision. Neefjes uses the term in a broad sense. When we refer to the environment “it is a vehicle of analyzing and describing association between people and surrounding in present and future. [21] Three factors of common philosophy are discussed:

Statement of Problem: Poverty leads to the environmental degradation and it is responsible for deforestation, over grazing fragile rangelands, flooding and loss vegetation covers. Such degradation will not be prevented by reducing intensification but rather by a strategy hinged on alleviation of poverty, a strategy that in turn is likely to require accelerated intensification. It creates the difficulty for poor rural to gain access for technology and it creates negative impacts rather than positive impacts. Agriculture activities affect the environment. Poverty and environmental degradation accelerates to each other. Policy makers kept in mind the linkage between environment, poverty and agricultural activities and must understood this. Increase the production and use of the food in sustainable way. It is necessary to develop agriculture welfare and the survival of species for the future. Significant of Study: This study presents the relationship between poverty, agricultural intensification and environmental degradation. The section focus on how poor degrade the resources. The three major components of intensification irrigation, fertilizers and pesticides are discussed in the section of agricultural intensification and environmental degradation. We facilitate the sustainable agriculture development by conserving the natural resources and eradicate the poverty. The study addressed the above relationship on global basis which is drawn from empirical evidence with the reference to the particular issues related to the Pakistan. In this study, we examine how environmental activities can contribute to poverty reduction. We also observe that environment sector and poverty have close link and how they affect each other. It is important to note that a focus on poverty does not imply moving

Livelihoods: The poor depends upon the natural resources for their livelihood. They are dramatically affected when the environment degraded and they have no access to the natural resources. Health: The poor suffers due to the drinking of unclean water, indoor air pollution and exposures to the toxic chemicals. In developing countries, different environmental factors are the cause of health problem. 872

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 21 (6): 870-874, 2014

Vulnerability: The poor are vulnerable to the certain environmental hazard such flood, drought, crop pests, which are the results of rapid change in the climate. When these hazards occur, they have not coped with this. CONCLUSION The study shows that there is relation between the poverty, population growth and agriculture growth. Human activities caused the degradation of environment and as a result poverty is increased. There is a need to use the approaches from which we protect our environment and use the resources in such a way that there is the minimum damage to the environment. We also used the resources in sustainable way. The study shows that there is a balance between the fertility and mortality rate. Population of Pakistan is increasing and resources are depleted. The study shows the impact of climate change on Pakistan’s rural communities. It is studied at different level. Due to anthropogenic activities, there is the emission of greenhouse gases which are the cause of climate change and global warming. Climate change affects the livelihood and impacts on poor rural life, due to natural disasters. Rural poor more vulnerable to climate change, because disasters links with climate change. Increased population used the resources in greater quantity and most of the people per capita income is very less. In Pakistan most of the people are reliable on agriculture and in rural areas poverty is greater because people have less access to the resources. We use the technologies from which we increase our per capita income and beside these technologies have less impact on the environmental. It must be environmental friendly. There is also strong relationship between poverty, population and pollution. They are interlinked with each other. REFERENCES 1.

2.

Leach, M. and R. Mearns, 1991. Poverty and environment in developing countries: An overview study. Institute of development studies at the University of Sussex Government of Pakistan. Finance 2010. Economic Survey 2009-2010, EconomicAdvisor's Wing, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad Government of Pakistan, Finance 2010. Economic Survey 2009-2010, EconomicAdvisor's Wing, Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

873

United Nations, 2009. World Population Prospects: The 2008 Online Revision, Department for Economic and Social Affairs, New York: Population Division. Duraiappah, A.K., 1996. Poverty and environmental degradation: a literature reviewand analysis (No. 8). Iied. UN/ISDR (United Nations/International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction) (2009)UNISDR terminology on disaster risk reduction 2009.http:// www.unisdr.org/eng/library/lib-terminology-eng2004.htm Lipton, M., 1997. "Exogenous" interest rates, technology and farm prices versus"endogenous" conservation incentives and policies. In Vosti and Reardon, eds.Sustainability, Growth and Poverty Alleviation: A Policy and Agroecological Perspective. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp: 146-153. Blaikie, Y., P.M.,Jackson, C. Palmer and R. Jones, 1995. Rethinking Research on LandDgradation in Developing Countries. World Bank Discussion No. 289, World Bank, Washington, D.C. Higgins, G.M., A.H. Kassam, L. Naiken, G. Fischer and M.M. Shah, 1982. PotentialPopulation Supporting Capacities of Lands in the Developing World. Rome,Italy: Technical Report of Project INT/75/P13 Land Resources for Populations oftheFuture,' Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), pp: 139. Mink, S.D. and B. Mundial, 1993. Poverty, population and the environment (Vol.189). Washington, DC: World Bank. Kumar, S.K. and D. Hotchkiss, 1988. Consequences of deforestation for women'stime allocation, agricultural production and nutrition in hill areas of Nepal (Vol. 69). Intl. Food Policy Res. Inst. Pearce, D.W. and J.J. Warford, 1993. World Without End. Economics, Environment,and Sustainable Development (Oxford University Press, New York). Reddy, V.R. and B. Behera, 2006. Impact of water pollution on rural communities:An economic analysis. Ecological economics, 58(3): 520-537. Micheletti, M., 2010. Political Virtue and Shopping: Individuals, Consumerism and Collective Action. 2nd ed. NY: Palgrave. Jacobsen, E. and A. Dulsrud, 2007. Will consumers save the world? The framing ofpolitical consumerism. Journal of Agricultural and EnvironmentalEthics, 20(5): 469482.

Middle-East J. Sci. Res., 21 (6): 870-874, 2014

15. Oram, Peter A. and Behjat Hojjati, 1994. The Growth Potential of Existing Agricultural Technology. Paper presented at the roundtable meeting on Population and Food inthe Early 21st Century: Meeting Future Food Needs of an IncreasingWorld Population. Washington, D. C, 14-16 February. 16. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), 1993. ProductionYearbook 1992. Rome: FAO. 17. Nelson, M., R. Dudal, H. Gregersen, N. Jodha, D. Nyamai, J.P. Groenewold, F. Torres and A. Kassam, 1997. Report of the study on CGIAR research priorities formarginal lands. TAC Working Document. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, Technical Advisory Committee, Rome.

874

18. Scherr, S.J. and S. Yadav, 1996. Land degradation in the developing world:Implications for food, agriculture and the environment to 2020. Lancet, 355(9204): 627-628. 19. Qasim, M., M.M. Anees, M.U. Ghani, J. Malik, M. Khalid and A. Bashir, 2014. Environment Degradation Cause By Urbanization in Pakistan (A review Paper). Bulletin of Energy Economics, 2(3): 62-71. 20. Qasim, M., M.M. Anees and A. Bashir, 2014. Unhygienic Water Is the Cause ofWater Borne Disease Among Villagers: A Case of Gujrat-Pakistan. World AppliedSciences Journal, 29(12): 1484-1491. 21. Neefjes, K., 2000. Environments and livelihoods: Strategies for sustainability. Oxfam.