Measures of Poverty Alleviation Submitted to Associate Prof. Dr. Gyaneshwor Parajuli Nepal Law Campus Presented By: Krishna Prasad Marasini LLM 4th Semester Roll No: 18/Day Shift Introduction Poverty is defined as a state in which an individual or household lacks the financial resources to meet the bare necessities of life. Economists and policymakers define “absolute” poverty as the difference between consumption expenditure and a line called the “poverty line.” The official poverty line is the amount of money spent to obtain the items in a “poverty line basket” (PLB). Poverty can be quantified by the number of people living below the poverty line (with the incidence of poverty expressed as the head count ratio). The “depth” of poverty indicates how far below the poverty line the poor are. Poverty is a chronic affliction of human society and a common challenge faced by the whole world. Poverty and its associated problems, including hunger, diseases, and social conflicts, are serious impediments to people's pursuit of a better life, so the eradication of poverty has always been a wish to be fulfilled. The history of humankind is the history of relentless struggle against poverty. The higher growth rates have helped significantly in the reduction of poverty. Therefore, it is becoming clear that there is a strong link between economic growth and poverty reduction. Economic growth widens opportunities and provides the resources needed to invest in human development. Poverty is highly correlated with many negative measurable aspects of living standards, and thus reducing poverty can have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Poverty is highly correlated with many negative measurable aspects of living standards, and thus reducing poverty can have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Poverty Alleviation Measures Control of population- to remove poverty controlling of population is important. It increases per capita income. India started family planning in 1951, however it must be made more aware to the people. Increase in employment opportunities- employment opportunities must be made for people in rural areas. Employment in small scale and cottage industries must be encouraged. Reduce economic inequality- in this way more job and education opportunities will be provided to the poor and this would help to remove poverty. Land reforms- as many land reforms policy are introduced by the government they must be implemented properly as they will help the small farmers to get employment and thereby remove poverty. Social security measures- like provident fund, pension, free medical and health services, affordable housing etc should be provided to the rural and urban poor. This will improve the living conditions of people. Balanced regional development- government must allocate more funds to the backward and rural regions. What Causes Poverty Poverty is a difficult cycle to break and often passes from one generation to the next. It is often determined by socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender, and geography. Many people are born into poverty and have little hope of overcoming it. Others may fall into poverty because of negative economic conditions, natural disasters, or surging living costs, as well as drug addiction, depression, and mental health issues. Access to good schools, healthcare, electricity, clean drinking water, and other critical services remains elusive for many and is often determined by socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity, and geography. Other root causes of poverty include: Limited to no job growth Poor infrastructure Conflict and war High cost of living Social barriers Lack of government support How to Reduce Poverty The United Nations and the World Bank are major advocates of reducing world poverty. The World Bank has an ambitious target of reducing poverty to less than 3% of the global population by 2030. Some of the actionable plans to eliminate poverty include the following: Installing wells that provide access to clean drinking water Educating farmers on how to produce more food Constructing shelter for those in need Building schools to educate disadvantaged communities Providing enhanced access to better healthcare services by building medical clinics and hospitals For poverty to be eradicated as the World Bank sets out to do, communities, governments, and corporations need to collaborate to implement strategies that improve living conditions for the world’s poor. Among these strategies may include boosting socioeconomic conditions, fighting and eliminating systemic racism, establishing minimum wages that align with the cost of living, providing paid leave, and promoting pay equity among other things. Effective Ways to Reduce Global Poverty Develop and implement policies and programmes for rapid and sustained economic growth in areas such as health, education, nutrition, and sanitation, allowing the poor to participate in and contribute to growth. According to studies, a 10% increase in a country’s average income reduces poverty by 20-30%. Improve water and other natural resource management. The majority of the rural poor rely on agriculture or other natural resources for a living. As a result, they require more equitable access to those resources in order to better manage their resources. Invest in and put in place agricultural programmes. The Agricultural Bank of China will lend more than $400 billion to help develop rural areas, fund education, infrastructure, and crop production as part of its strategy to eradicate poverty by 2020. Trade is essential for economic growth and prosperity. Indonesia, Botswana, and Brazil, among the world’s poorest countries, have traded their way out of poverty. Create and expand access to jobs and income, as well as nurture entrepreneurial talent. Providing equal access to basic social services such as education, health care, adequate food, sanitation, shelter, and clean water to all people. Progressively expanding social protection systems to assist those who are unable to support themselves. Empower poor people by involving them in the development and implementation of poverty-reduction and-eradication plans and programmes. Their participation ensures that programmes reflect what is important to them. Remove any impediments to equal access to resources and services. Access to technology and innovation, such as internet access and affordable energy, should be made available. Only 40% of the rural poor in Bangladesh have access to grid electricity. Those who do have access are subjected to frequent power outages. The Second Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Development Project aims to increase rural access to electricity through renewable energy sources Conclusion Poverty is highly correlated with many negative measurable aspects of living standards, and thus reducing poverty can have a positive impact on the lives of millions of people worldwide. Poverty alleviation is one of the world’s most pressing issues, and it is proposed that the private sector can play an important role in generating the economic growth, employment, and purchasing options required for significant poverty alleviation. Few ways to reduce poverty are, to develop and implement policies and programmes for rapid and sustained economic growth in areas such as health, education, nutrition, and sanitation, allowing the poor to participate in and contribute to growth. Empower poor people by involving them in the development and implementation of poverty-reduction and-eradication plans and programmes.
