The Effect of Rural Poverty on Environmental Degradation
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The general objective of this study is to examine the effects of poverty on environmental degradation in Apa local government area of
Benue State. The specific objectives are to;
- Ascertain how poverty cause environmental degradation
- Find out the effects of poverty on environmental degradation in Apa local government
- Suggest measures that can be employed to ameliorate the problem of poverty on environmental degradation in Apa local government
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
This chapter aims at reviewing the main contributions made by researchers, scholars and authors on the concept of poverty and the environment as well as the main linkages between the two concepts. It unveils some of the global views that people have shared particularly on the concept of poverty and the ideas expressed on the issue of poverty and environmental sustainability. The chapter is categorised into seven main sections with the first four sections looking at the definitions and concepts of poverty, measurement of poverty, causes of poverty and poverty trends and situations in Ghana respectively. The fifth and sixth sections reviews relevant literature on the definitions of environmental sustainability and the nexus between poverty and environmental sustainability respectively. The final section of the chapter describes the theoretical foundation of the study.
Definitions and measurement of poverty
Concept of poverty
Poverty has a rich vocabulary, in all cultures and throughout history. The first poverty standard for individual families based on estimates of nutritional and other requirements was published by Rowntree‟s study in 1901. In the 1960s, the main focus was the level of income, reflected in macro-economic indicators like Gross National Product per head. In the 1970s, poverty became prominent, notably as a result of MacNamara‟s celebrated speech to the World Bank Board of Governors in Nairobi in 1973. Other factors that played a big role include the emphasis on relative deprivation, inspired by works in the United Kingdom by Runciman and Townsend (Philip and Rayan, 2004). Townsend had the opinion that poverty was not just a failure to meet minimum nutrition or subsistence levels, but rather a failure to keep up with the standards prevalent in a given society. Thus, following International Labor Organization‟s (ILOs) pioneering work in the mid-1970s, poverty became to be defined not
just as a lack of income, but also as lack of access to health, education and other services (Philip and Rayan, 2004). However, while there is worldwide agreement on poverty reduction as an overriding goal, there is little agreement on the definition of poverty (Laderchi, R. C., Saith, R. and Stewart, F. (2003).
The definition of poverty assures a distinction between the traditional unidimensional approach and more recent multi-dimensional ones. Whereas the traditional approach refers only to one variable such as income or consumption, multi-dimensional ones, such as Sen‟s capability theory or studies derived from the concept of fuzzy sets extend the number of dimensions along which poverty is measured. The complex reality of poverty, however, makes it difficult to capture the nature of this phenomenon via a single uni- or multidimensional definition or measure (Fusco, 2003). The traditional approach to poverty is characterized by the fact that poor people are identified according to a shortfall in a monetary indicator. The theory implicitly underlying this assumption is the utilitarianism, theoretically based on the criteria of utility and practically on the use of income or expenditure as a proxy of well-being. From this time onwards, the criterion for defining poverty is based on income and thus poverty can be defined as a lack of economic welfare, i.e. income. In terms of this definition, absolute poverty refers to a lack of income in order to satisfy the essential requirements for physiological survival. Whilst relative poverty is a lack of income in order to reach the average standard of living in the society in which one lives (Fusco, 2003). In 2005, Fusco‟s view on the concept of poverty was being stressed on by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) indicated that; The standard of living, hence poverty, may be represented by a uni-dimensional indicator (e.g. income) or a multi-dimensional approach (e.g. income, health conditions, family status, etc.). In the first case, poverty is defined by income poverty and the standard of living is defined in the space of economic welfare, a narrower concept than well-being. In the second case, the concept of poverty is closer to well-being, where other welfare indicators support income in defining poverty (FAO of UN, 2005).
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
In this chapter, we would describe how the study was carried out.
Research design
Research design is a detailed outline of how an investigation took place. It entails how data is collected, the data collection tools used and the mode of analyzing data collected (Cooper & Schindler (2006). This study used a descriptive research design. Gill and Johnson (2002) state that a descriptive design looks at particular characteristics of a specific population of subjects, at a particular point in time or at different times for comparative purposes. The choice of a survey design for this study was deemed appropriate as Mugenda and Mugenda (2003) attest that it enables the researcher to determine the nature of prevailing conditions without manipulating the subjects.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of One hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which 100 were returned. The analysis of this study is based on the number returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
CONCLUSION
In this study, our focus was to carryout a critical analysis on the effect of rural poverty on environmental degradation. The study specifically was aimed at ascertaining if rural poverty affects environmental degradation. This study reviewed and anchored its framework on sustainable livelihoods framework.
The study adopted the survey research design and randomly enrolled participants in the study. A total of 120 responses from farmers were validated from the enrolled participants where all respondent are active farmers from Apa local government area of Benue State.
The findings revealed that improper human waste disposal leading to unhealthy living conditions (environmental degradation). The findings also revealed that more pressure on fragile land to meet their needs leads to environmental degradation. Also the study shows that deforestation and harmful environmental practices affects environmental degradation in Apa local government
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the responses obtained, the researcher proffers the following recommendations:
More rigorous efforts should be undertaken by the governments of all countries to eradicate poverty and in turn, to save deprived people from the dreadful implications of environmental damage. There should be more collaborative partnerships among all sections of the society so that even the people living in poverty are linked to the world through their participation in social, political, and economical spheres along with their active participation in environmental regeneration.
I strongly believe that there cannot be any environmental solution without alleviating poverty from the world
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