Chapter 16
Population, Poverty, and Environmental Degradation in the Developing World
Chapter Summary
This chapter dealt with the economic struggles and the serious environmental degradation that are
afflicting four-fifths of the world’s population. What is clearly evident for most of these countries,
especially the bottom quarter (the very poor) is the unsustainability of the business-as-usual
practices of economic development. Sustainability in this context suggests that poverty, population
and environmental linkages cannot be decoupled without a comprehensive and fresh look at the
social and political dynamics of these countries. This is demonstrated by examining the causes for
the failures of past policy measures to reduce poverty and environmental degradation and
soundness of the fresh proposals being offered to amend past mistakes. The primary aim of the new
development agenda is to focus on investments that are pro-poor. As discussed in this chapter in
some detail, this approach entails radical changes in resource allocations and distributions from the
conventional economic development regime. Finally, it is important to point out that to show the
seemingly intractable problem of population growth the developing nations are facing, the chapter
starts with a comprehensive analysis of global demographic trends.
Review and Discussion Questions
1. In 1950, the share of the world population between the developing and the develop nations was
67 and 33 percent, respectively. In other words, one-third of the world population lived in the
so-called developed countries. In 2005, the share of the world population living in the
developing countries was 81.3 percent implying that only 18.7 percent of the world population is
living in the developed nation. By 2050, it is projected that 17 out of every 20 people in the
world will live in the poorer nations. Based on this trend, the following observations have been
made:



The world population problem is predominantly a concern for developing nations.
The fact that the wealthy nations have done better in controlling their population
growth than the poor ones may suggest that poverty is a factor to be considered in
finding a long-term resolution to the population problem of the developing nations.
While it may not be the sole factor, rapid population growth is considered to be an
important element contributing to environmental degradation in the developing
countries.
Taken together, what do the above three observations convey to you about the relationships
between population, poverty and environmental degradation in the developing countries? Be
specific.
2. In Section 16.3 (p. 368–70), it is argued that to understand the impact that poverty has on the
environment in the developing countries it is essential to underscore the following two points:
© 2014 Ahmed Hussen


It matters if poverty is defined in terms of ‘asset’ instead of ‘income’.
It will be helpful to distinguish between the rural and urban poor while
understanding the interdependency between these two groups.
Do you agree with the above arguments? Explain.
3. In Section 16.4 (p. 370), the need for sustained economic development in the developing nations
is argued on the basis of what is known as the ‘vicious cycle of poverty and environmental
degradation’. Describe the sequences in which this ‘vicious’ cycle occurs, noting the connection
between income, consumption, saving, productivity, poverty, population and environmental
degradation.
4. In Section 16.4 (pp. 370–76) it was argued that programs to promote economic growth in the
developing nations during 1960–1980, the first era of the UN initiated ‘development push’, as
well intentioned as it might have been, ended in failure for the following three reasons:
 Capital formation, a key element for promoting growth, was conceived of in terms of
large-scale capital-intensive projects, and these projects were implemented without
adequate assessment of their impacts on the natural environment.
 Free trade, although promoted as a vehicle for accelerating economic growth in the
developing nations, has not been consistent with ‘environmentally sustainable’ trade.
 In the absence of good governance structure, ambitious programs of economic
development often meant economic growth at the expense of the environment and
sometimes the poor. In other words, economic growth was pursued without much
consideration of the institutional factors relevant to the promotion and enforcement of
social equity and the sustainable use of the natural environment.
Assuming the critics are right, what do you think were the causes for oversights of this
proportion? Could the lesson to be learned from mistakes of the above nature be that
economic growth cannot be considered a solution of underdevelopment and environmental
degradation by itself, and that the way in which development takes place matters a great
deal? What do you think? Comment.
Could it be that well-intentioned people were simply misguided by an element of linear
thinking—the belief that what works for the rich countries should equally be applicable for
the poor nations? Comment.
5. Section 16.5 (pp. 377–85) reviews the second wave of development initiatives that have been
orchestrated primarily by the United Nations to deal with the challenges associated with extreme
poverty and environmental degradation in many part of the developing countries. This new
development agenda (that may trace its origin with the publication of a book entitled Our
Common Future (1987), popularly known as the Brundtland Report) bases its plan for actions on
the following four principles:
 Empowering women: No meaningful policies on population, poverty and the
environment can be formulated without any explicit account of the important roles
women play in these areas of human endeavor.
© 2014 Ahmed Hussen



Empowering the poor: Development projects have a better chance of succeeding
when the poor are recognized as equal partners in the decision-making process that
involves their economic fate.
Good governance practices: While it remains an area in which a great deal of
improvement is needed, the issue of governance remains critical in any serious
effort intended to alleviate poverty or prevent the degradation of natural resources
that are vital to the livelihood and self-esteem of the poor.
Asset reforms (redistributions): This is based on the recognition that in many
developing countries the highly unequal distribution of income or assets often has
the tendency to suppress rates of economic growth. Under this circumstance,
reforming the distribution of assets can be justified on both equity and efficiency
grounds.
Based on your reading of Section 6.5, would it be too idealistic to consider the above four
principles feasible and as such consequential? In other words, are the practical (primarily
political) considerations of setting these principles in motion too overwhelming to make
them not sufficiently effective? Provide carefully thought out comments.
© 2014 Ahmed Hussen