Home to more than 1 billion people, India has recently been one of the big players on the global stage, both economically and diplomatically. Sustainable development lowers poverty in India and has shown how this practice can help lower poverty on a global scale.
India’s rapid sustainable development has turned many heads over the last few years. Environmentally sound, sustainable infrastructure development projects can help spur the economy and lower poverty in many ways, and India has exemplified several of these.
1. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Claimed to be the “most significant cleanliness campaign by the Government of India, the Clean India Act, known more commonly as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, is committed to reducing urban, suburban and rural waste to improve sanitation and overall cleanliness in the country.
Led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the campaign has made significant strides against poverty. Since its establishment in 2014, India has reduced sanitation-based flaws. Open defecation, which led to disease, has been replaced by plentiful access to toilets. The country’s 603,175 villages have been fully open defecation–free since 2019.
India has significantly reduced waste as well. In just 10 days, the Clean India Drive managed to collect more than 3 million kilograms of waste. Clearing waste significantly improves sanitation and creates cleaner environments where businesses can attract more customers.
2. Solar Power
Solar power can create employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers in India, and efforts in the nation have expanded the scope to a more global stage.
Started in Gurugram, India, the International Solar Alliance is a global organization dedicated to deploying solar power throughout the globe. Running programs from agricultural solar applications to solar parks, the ISA has created improved energy access like never before.
Not only does solar power create job opportunities and improve energy access for the poor, but it also reduces overall costs for energy use. This reduces the strain on households and businesses, allowing them to use funds for other needs.
3. Water Conservation
Water conservation measures, such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), which encouraged citizens to “catch the rain,” have been essential players in the battle against poverty. The JSA has completed more than 500,000 works in water conservation and rainwater harvesting and has renovated more than 89,000 traditional water bodies.
What such initiatives achieve is not limited to the environmental issues they immediately solve. The JSA and other such organizations have improved livelihoods by enhancing water management practices. By promoting asset creation and awareness in the most stressed districts of the country, the JSA’s efforts to improve irrigation have meant enhanced agricultural productivity for farmers.
However, the JSA has a long way to go to fully solve the issue of water conservation. One major criticism of the campaign is that such short-term efforts fail to address the root cause of India’s water problem: groundwater depletion. More than 80% of groundwater in India is over-exploited, and the JSA has made no focused effort to solve this long-term issue, which would help farmers efficiently irrigate crops, considerably benefiting the economy and alleviating the nation’s poverty.
India’s efforts to develop sustainability have not only helped India’s poor, but it has also set an example for other countries in the world to follow. India has a lot of work to do in regard to poverty, and other means of development besides those in this article, such as reforestation efforts, may help create even more job opportunities for the nation’s massive population. India’s strong efforts to lower poverty are, therefore, a good start to fighting poverty on the world stage.
– Advait K. Mishra
Photo: Flickr
Everything to Know About Dengue Fever in Jamaica
Like many tropical island nations, Jamaica is susceptible to frequent outbreaks of dengue and other mosquito-transmitted diseases. However, a long history of viral epidemics has provided Jamaica with a plethora of guidance and information on how to minimize an outbreak of dengue fever in Jamaica effectively.
Life in Jamaica
Jamaica is the third largest island located in the Caribbean Sea, after Cuba and Hispaniola – the land mass containing Haiti and the Dominican Republic. With a history of both Spanish and British colonialism, Jamaica once possessed the highest wealth disparity in the world. To this day it is one of the poorest countries in North America despite receiving the label of upper-middle-income country. In recent decades, however, the country has been taking successful steps towards strengthening the economy and increasing GDP. This resulted in a recorded GDP increase of 4.4% between 2021 and 2022, and a consequent decline in the poverty rate by 10% since 2020.
Despite having an approximate population of only 2.8 million on an island that is 10,990 square kilometers in size, residents often live in densely populated areas with nearly a third of the whole population residing in the country’s capital – Kingston. Often, these closely confined living conditions become the epicenters of outbreaks and exacerbate the rate at which the disease spreads.
Historic Dengue Outbreaks in Jamaica
Over the past 30 years, Jamaica has had seven previous dengue outbreaks, with the first case in 1995. Dengue fever is a virus spread to humans through the bite of an Aedes aegypti mosquito and common presentations of the disease include muscle and joint pain as well as a headache and other fever-related symptoms. In 2019, dengue received the classification as one of 10 global health threats following an outbreak across the American continent.
By the end of the outbreak, dengue in Jamaica was responsible for 86 deaths and 10,411 cases. By comparison to the previous outbreaks of 2007 and 2012 in which there were reports of 5,462 and 5,903 cases, respectively, the 2019 outbreak was much more severe. In addition, in the 2019 outbreak, 0.83% of afflicted individuals required medical intervention, almost double that of the two previous outbreaks. Experts thought the severity of this outbreak was a consequence of the 2014 Chikungunya and 2016/2017 Zika outbreaks depriving the countries of resources for disease control.
Recent Outbreaks
As of Sept 23, 2023, dengue in Jamaica has reached a prevalence in which the country confirmed an outbreak. This declaration is on the back of the Jamaican Ministry for Health and Wellness announcing earlier in the month that the number of reported Dengue cases in July and August has surpassed the threshold for an epidemic. Furthermore, predictions determined that a similar number of cases would occur in September.
As it stands there are 565 cases of dengue in Jamaica, however, only 78 have been confirmed with the majority of those being in just four parishes – Kingston, St Catherine, St Andrew and St Thomas. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed deaths, but six previous deaths are undergoing investigation. Although the current statistics do not suggest that this outbreak will be as devastating as those previously, there are concerns surrounding the potentially detrimental impact this epidemic will have on the tourism industry which the Jamaican economy is so reliant upon.
Despite this, Jamaica has implemented several measures to help curb the impact of this outbreak. These include deploying an additional 500 workers to high-risk areas, extending the opening hours of health care facilities as well as establishing national centers in all 14 parishes to help monitor localized outbreak sources. In addition, since the previous 2019 outbreak of Dengue in Jamaica, the government has invested $300 million JMD ($1.9 million) in a disease control program to better prepare the country against future outbreaks.
Despite the recent declaration of a dengue fever outbreak in Jamaica, the current statistics do not suggest that this outbreak will be as severe as previous outbreaks. Furthermore, the country appears to be in a position to overcome the epidemic without causing economic instability or a great loss of life.
– Holly Coop
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Food Insecurity in Armenia Amid a Humanitarian Crisis
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnically charged territorial dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Nagorno-Karabakh is a contested region by both countries with an ongoing conflict that has lasted for over three decades, with two wars in the early 1990s and 2020. Ethnic Armenians predominantly populated this region until 2023. As of 2023, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has resulted in the displacement of 100,000 individuals who have sought refuge in Armenia. This exacerbates the strain on an already insecure economic situation. Furthermore, this influx of displaced persons has created food insecurity in Armenia, adding significant pressure to the country’s fragile economy.
The Current State of Poverty in Armenia
According to UNICEF, one out of every three children in Armenia resides in impoverished conditions. Additionally, “recent data from 2017 (34.2% child poverty rate, with 2% extreme child poverty rate) is showing that there was no reduction compared to the lowest level of poverty in 2008.”
The World Food Programme’s (WFP) fifth Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment (December 2022 to January 2023) unveiled concerning statistics regarding Armenia’s food security situation. It revealed that 30% of households in the country were grappling with food insecurity. An additional 44% of the surveyed households fell into the category of marginal food secure. This implies that more than half of the population remains susceptible to food insecurity. Only one in every five households in Armenia, or 20%, fell into the category of food secure.
These findings underscore the nature of the food security challenge in Armenia, requiring targeted interventions and policies to address the specific needs of vulnerable groups and regions.
Action Against Hunger
There has been an increase in organizations providing assistance to Armenia in light of its present circumstances. The mission of Action Against Hunger revolves around safeguarding families affected by conflict. The organization has aided Armenian citizens in need since 2018. In collaboration with local organizations, Action Against Hunger extends protective services to more than 3,000 children and their caregivers in Armenia. It goes beyond these measures by empowering people with entrepreneurship and vocational skills, facilitating connections with potential employers and alleviating food insecurity in Armenia. Furthermore, the organization offers critical support to those uprooted by conflict, delivering essential services such as health care, access to clean water and affordable housing options.
The Armenian Food Bank
The Armenian Food Bank, a humanitarian organization with a clear mission to aid Armenian refugees, has stepped forward to provide crucial assistance. Established in 2020 by Michael Avetikyan, the Armenian Food Bank Charitable Foundation has actively delivered vital humanitarian support to underprivileged families with children and veterans. In 2020 alone, this organization rendered assistance to more than 200,000 Armenian and Artsakh citizens. Furthermore, it facilitated the collection and transportation of 12 tons of humanitarian aid to Artsakh.
The World Food Programme (WFP)
In an effort to support displaced individuals in meeting their nutritional and essential requirements, the World Food Programme (WFP), with backing from the European Union, United States, France and the Belgian region of Flanders, extended cash assistance to more than 13,000 individuals in June 2021. These beneficiaries are registered on the government assistance platform and presently reside within Armenia’s borders. WFP had the opportunity to meet with several families who received cash assistance from both Armenia’s government and WFP. This assistance plays a pivotal role in making sure each individual has fulfilled their daily needs. The organization ensures that Armenians have food on their tables so that they can address other immediate needs.
Food for the Future
Organizations are redirecting their resources and focusing their endeavors on alleviating food insecurity in Armenia during the ongoing humanitarian crisis. This situation demands immediate attention to address the pressing needs of the affected population. These organizations are mobilizing their expertise, manpower and resources to provide vital assistance, including food, shelter and health care, to those grappling with the devastating consequences of the crisis. Collaborative efforts among international and local organizations, governments and communities are not only alleviating the current crisis in Artsakh but also helping Armenia build a more stable and secure future for its people.
– Susanna Andryan
Photo: Flickr
How Sustainable Development Lowers Poverty in India
Home to more than 1 billion people, India has recently been one of the big players on the global stage, both economically and diplomatically. Sustainable development lowers poverty in India and has shown how this practice can help lower poverty on a global scale.
India’s rapid sustainable development has turned many heads over the last few years. Environmentally sound, sustainable infrastructure development projects can help spur the economy and lower poverty in many ways, and India has exemplified several of these.
1. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Claimed to be the “most significant cleanliness campaign by the Government of India, the Clean India Act, known more commonly as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, is committed to reducing urban, suburban and rural waste to improve sanitation and overall cleanliness in the country.
Led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the campaign has made significant strides against poverty. Since its establishment in 2014, India has reduced sanitation-based flaws. Open defecation, which led to disease, has been replaced by plentiful access to toilets. The country’s 603,175 villages have been fully open defecation–free since 2019.
India has significantly reduced waste as well. In just 10 days, the Clean India Drive managed to collect more than 3 million kilograms of waste. Clearing waste significantly improves sanitation and creates cleaner environments where businesses can attract more customers.
2. Solar Power
Solar power can create employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers in India, and efforts in the nation have expanded the scope to a more global stage.
Started in Gurugram, India, the International Solar Alliance is a global organization dedicated to deploying solar power throughout the globe. Running programs from agricultural solar applications to solar parks, the ISA has created improved energy access like never before.
Not only does solar power create job opportunities and improve energy access for the poor, but it also reduces overall costs for energy use. This reduces the strain on households and businesses, allowing them to use funds for other needs.
3. Water Conservation
Water conservation measures, such as the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), which encouraged citizens to “catch the rain,” have been essential players in the battle against poverty. The JSA has completed more than 500,000 works in water conservation and rainwater harvesting and has renovated more than 89,000 traditional water bodies.
What such initiatives achieve is not limited to the environmental issues they immediately solve. The JSA and other such organizations have improved livelihoods by enhancing water management practices. By promoting asset creation and awareness in the most stressed districts of the country, the JSA’s efforts to improve irrigation have meant enhanced agricultural productivity for farmers.
However, the JSA has a long way to go to fully solve the issue of water conservation. One major criticism of the campaign is that such short-term efforts fail to address the root cause of India’s water problem: groundwater depletion. More than 80% of groundwater in India is over-exploited, and the JSA has made no focused effort to solve this long-term issue, which would help farmers efficiently irrigate crops, considerably benefiting the economy and alleviating the nation’s poverty.
India’s efforts to develop sustainability have not only helped India’s poor, but it has also set an example for other countries in the world to follow. India has a lot of work to do in regard to poverty, and other means of development besides those in this article, such as reforestation efforts, may help create even more job opportunities for the nation’s massive population. India’s strong efforts to lower poverty are, therefore, a good start to fighting poverty on the world stage.
– Advait K. Mishra
Photo: Flickr
Greece’s Nigerian Aid Program
August 31 marked a watershed event in Greek diplomacy as Ioannis Plotas, the Greek Ambassador to Nigeria, declared that Greece would actively work to uplift Nigeria’s populace out of poverty. Plotas explained that “in order to alleviate poverty and to provide whatever we can in the domain of humanitarian efforts, our government is ready to contribute either financially or in kind with certain materials.”
About Poverty and the Economy in Nigeria
Nigeria ranks amongst the five most poverty-stricken nations according to the World Bank, with around 30% of the population earning less than the extreme poverty threshold in 2019. Nigeria’s poverty has persisted since this point with UNICEF reporting in January that around 25 million Nigerians may have had inadequate food consumption from June to August. What led Nigeria to the brink of starvation with a crippling economy?
According to UNICEF, there is an array of causes of Nigeria’s mass famine and poverty, including economic shocks and a lack of human capital. The World Bank’s 2022 report on the nation’s poverty cited a lack of educational infrastructure, sanitation and electricity as leading contributors to a near 40% of the nation lying below the national poverty line. Despite this crisis persisting for years, government aid to those in need is scarce. The government has scaled back on spending on education and food production, which hinders the long-term growth of human capital.
Although Nigeria may be scaling back in certain infrastructure, the World Bank affirms that the government is implementing policies that enrich the long-term future of the nation, such as investing in agricultural efficiency and sanitation. These investments in infrastructure have the potential to be the catalyst for a prosperous Nigerian economy, including a plethora of job opportunities and reliable social services.
Greece’s Nigerian Aid Program
Greece’s intervention in Nigerian affairs is a departure from its conventional passive foreign policy. The nation famously restricted Syrian refugees from entering the nation in 2015 as they fled the bloody Syrian Civil War. Greece then stood firm on its refusal to send funds to aid those the Turkey-Syria Earthquake affected, which took the lives of more than 50,000. This explicit lack of involvement in foreign affairs made Greece’s aid to Nigeria more puzzling yet profound.
Plotas’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s economic transformation through the Nigerian aid program is the second part of Greece’s involvement in rebuilding the nation. In May, Plotas held the second Nollywood Travel Film Festival in Athens to promote the Nigerian movie industry. By exposing the Greek people to Nigerian film and culture, Plotas hoped to cultivate a “cultural tie between the two countries.”
Building upon this, Plotas has pledged that the Greek government will provide financial aid to the Nigerian government to help fund the aforementioned projects to build infrastructure. Partnering with the Greek Red Cross Society, Plotas claims that Greece’s Nigerian aid program will assist the nation “financially or in kind with certain materials.” Plotas has affirmed that Greek aid will be sustained and steady as “we are targeting as many people as possible to lift them out of poverty.”
Looking Ahead
There are several other organizations supporting Nigeria such as the United Nations, Save the Children and Action Against Hunger. They are all raising funds to provide financial assistance to impoverished families and address malnutrition in the nation. Through these foundations and foreign involvement, Nigeria’s economic crisis may be quelled, marking a new age of prosperity in the nation.
– Dimitri Lykidis
Photo: Flickr
How renewable energy in Syria is helping with the electricity crisis
Bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, solar radiation in the Syrian Arab Republic is abundant. The number of hours of sun a year varies from 2,820 to 3,270. In comparison, sunlight on overcast days varies between 38 and 45 per year. This makes the region well-suited for solar energy harnessing. Starting in 2021, regions under government control have been addressing a significant power shortage due to a scarcity of fuel and a sharp increase in diesel prices. As a result, the government has resorted to solar panels to ease the emergency, as renewable energy in Syria is “the magic solution” to the crisis.
The Syrian Conflict (2011-2021)
The conflict in Syria has been ongoing for a decade, involving President Bashar al-Assad, as well as both domestic and foreign forces. The UN estimates that more than 306,000 civilians lost their lives during this 10-year period from 2011 to 2021. In 2008, the country produced 406,000 barrels of oil per day, generating $3.2 billion in oil sales in 2010. However, with the uprising and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) seizing the oil infrastructure, production collapsed to only 24,000 barrels daily. Furthermore, following the onset of the conflict, the country’s power generation capacity has decreased by roughly 75%.
The ceasefire has not improved living conditions for Syrians, as they are still dealing with runaway inflation. In fact, about 90% of the population lives below the poverty line. Many people have to push their cars on foot because they can’t afford fuel. Those who can afford it often spend hours waiting in long queues at the petrol station.
From Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy
The Syrian Ministry of Electricity raised electricity prices significantly (100% to 800%) in November 2021 due to high production and support expenses. As a result, some regions in the country experienced frequent power cuts. In light of this, Bashar al-Assad amended Law No. 32 of 2010 on the Syrian electric sector, allowing the government to buy electricity from renewable energy schemes in the private sector. As companies generating electricity from solar energy have excess electric production, instead of storing the surplus in batteries – which is expensive for them – it is optimal for them to distribute the excess through the government’s electricity network.
The Introduction of Solar Panels
Committed to transforming the electricity landscape and increasing the adoption of renewable energy in Syria, the government is aiming to have 10% of electricity generated from solar power by 2030.
The Syrian Ministry of Electricity is currently managing the construction of a 100kW solar power plant in the town of Sargaya, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023. The project is estimated to cost more than SYP 81 billion (equivalent to around GBP 125 billion) and to have an annual production of 150,000 panels. It aims to generate enough electricity to power approximately 100 houses – bringing reliable energy to the local residents.
International Intervention
On September 2, 2013, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates – along with the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces (SOC) – signed The Syria Recovery Trust Fund (SRTF). Over the following months, multiple European countries joined the SRTF which aims to finance projects in sectors such as health, water, electricity and food security, to name a few.
With an increased demand for health care services, there’s an urgent need for reliable access to electricity and clean water. Responding to this demand, the fund approved a new project in February 2023, titled “Provision of Solar Power and Clean Water to Healthcare Facilities in Ar-Raqqa and Deir-ez-Zor.” This initiative aims to provide a stable and eco-friendly source of solar energy to 14 health care facilities through the installation of solar panels on their premises. The total budget for this project is approximately SYP 242 million, which is roughly equivalent to GBP 372 million. The project is expected to benefit more than 58,000 residents living in the vicinity of these health care facilities for a duration of 12 months.
Looking Ahead
The recent installation of solar panels is bringing about positive changes in the Syrian Arab Republic. The use of renewable energy sources, such as solar power, is improving access to clean water and health care services for the residents. Additionally, it’s creating new employment opportunities and decreasing the country’s reliance on imported resources. These advantages spell hope for greater achievements with renewable energy in Syria.
– Abigail Roch
Photo: Pixabay
Update on SDG 14: Life Below India’s Waters
All member states of the United Nations (UN) adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 to ensure a collective global effort toward meeting urgent environmental, social and economic needs. The UN adopted 17 such goals, ranging from no poverty and zero hunger to clean energy and decent work, in pursuit of developing every country together in a holistic way. One of these goals is SDG 14: Life below water, broadly focusing on the conservation and sustainable usage of oceans, seas and marine resources. It includes the sustainable management and conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems, reduction of marine pollution, minimization of the effect of ocean acidification, prohibition and limitation of certain forms of fisheries and increase in the economic benefits to Small Island Developing States (SIDS), among many other concerns.
India and Its Need for SDG 14
In a country as populous as India, water is an in-demand resource. With approximately 18% of the world’s population residing in India, the country faces challenges in ensuring its citizens have access to safe and clean drinking water. According to the Composite Water Management Index that the Indian government published in 2018, India is undergoing the worst water crisis in its history, with more than 600 million people already facing acute water shortages. India has a coastline that spans more than 7,500 kilometers. Although this position allows it to utilize oceanic resources, it also leaves the country susceptible to overexploiting the same resources and contributing to marine pollution.
A study in Science Journal reports that India ranks 12th, amongst 192 countries, for disbursing the maximum amount of plastic waste into the high seas from their coastline. According to UNEP, 60 major Indian cities generate 15,000 MT of waste per day which ends up in the South Asian seas. In light of this, the need to address and make progress on SDG 14 becomes even more pressing for India.
The Intersection of Water and Poverty in India
The unavailability of water has become one of the most important issues affecting India’s poor. Out of India’s population, 6% of the people lack safe water access and more than 50% lack access to safely managed household sanitation facilities. This makes the Indian population, particularly the poor, more vulnerable to numerous waterborne diseases such as cholera, acute diarrhoeal diseases, typhoid and viral hepatitis (which have caused 10,738 deaths in the period between 2017 to 2022). Toxic waste in water bodies, such as pesticides and fly ash among others, affects the ecology and the marine population and poses a challenge to fishermen and other communities, resulting in a loss of livelihood.
Furthermore, rapid industrialization and pollution of groundwater have also become a looming crisis for the country and its people.
Efforts for Betterment
The Indian government has consistently been making efforts to address the issues of sanitation, water pollution and water availability. The country has come up with a State SDG Index, modeled after the international SDG Index, which allows for a decentralized and area-specific plan to emerge to achieve SDG targets within the country. India has also come up with a Marine Protected Area (MPA) network which is used to manage and conserve marine biodiversity. In 2021, the Indian government notified Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, banning the use of single-use plastics in the country, in an effort to reduce the plastic waste generated.
Furthermore, India has initiated various projects to enhance water quality and safety, notably through initiatives like the National Mission for Clean Ganga. This program concentrates on activities such as wastewater and effluent treatment, the management of solid waste and the development of riverfront areas. Another such project was a 75-day-long coastal clean-up drive called “Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar” which aimed at reducing 1,500 tonnes of garbage from the coast. The Indian government has partnered with the World Bank on various initiatives, including the Atul Bhujal Yojana, to enhance groundwater management and provide clean drinking water to rural Indian communities.
The Indian government has also been working to reduce open defecation in the country through the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Campaign), through which the number of people defecting in the open has been significantly reduced by an estimated 450 million.
Looking Ahead
India still has a long way to go to fully achieve the goals highlighted under SDG 14, but the country has made notable progress. The initiatives undertaken by the Indian government in this direction indicate hope that the country is on a path to sustainable development and that the SDG targets might see improvement, if not fulfillment, in the near future.
– Manasvi Kadian
Photo: Flickr
5 Sanitation Projects in Myanmar
Background
In the last decade, water sanitation in Myanmar has improved significantly; around 82% of households have access to essential drinking water. Despite promising numbers, up to 9 million people, of whom 3 million are children, have no access to potable water sources. With some of the world’s most isolated populations, external aid has provided sustainable water solutions in Myanmar. The military coup of February 2021 has posed significant challenges to existing humanitarian corridors. Topographical vulnerabilities in Myanmar also result in swathes of land particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, including rain-induced landslides and cyclones.
With over 100,000 internally displaced civilians in the wake of resurgent political violence, international aid groups are fighting to provide solutions for water sanitation in Myanmar. Here are five organizations leading sanitation projects in Myanmar.
5 Sanitation Projects in Myanmar
In conclusion, sanitation projects in Myanmar are crucial for improving public health, reducing the spread of diseases, and ensuring access to safe and clean water and sanitation facilities for all. These initiatives play a vital role in addressing the country’s sanitation challenges, particularly in underserved areas.
– Cara Jenkins
Photo: Flickr
Enhancing Food Security in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, approximately 40 million people face the harsh reality of food insecurity, including 11 million individuals dealing with acute hunger. Natural disasters have increased food insecurity, leading to a reduction in essential crop yields as follows: rice by 17% and wheat by a substantial 61%. The enhancement of rural agriculture initiatives offers practical solutions. These solutions are effectively improving food security in Bangladesh, while also having significant positive impacts on the entire nation.
Enhancing Agriculture for Food Security
From 2019, crucial programs sought to improve food security in Bangladesh, addressing the pressing issue of food poverty in the region. More than 225,000 farmers received support to adopt modern agronomic practices, focusing on irrigation, livestock management and pest and disease control. The leveraging of $2.2 million to enhance the business performance of high-value crop producers, thereby significantly increasing agricultural productivity and improving livelihoods in rural areas and further contributing to the alleviation of food poverty, complemented this effort. Additionally, these programs empowered 75,000 women, enabling them to apply improved management practices and technologies, both on and away from the farm, which played a vital role in the fight against food poverty.
Weather-Resilient Agriculture for Increased Food Security
In a recent collaboration between the government of Bangladesh and the World Bank, a $120 million financing agreement was signed to advance food security through the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project. This project modernizes flood management, drainage and irrigation infrastructures to enhance climate resilience in agriculture. It reduces crop damage from floods by 60% across 120,000 hectares of land.
Empowering 100,000 farmers with knowledge and skills related to climate-smart agricultural technologies, crop diversification and post-harvest management was also another goal of the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Water Management Project, aiming to fortify their resilience against weather challenges and ultimately mitigate the cycle of food poverty in the region. It also supports rice and fish/shrimp farming through the establishment of cold storage facilities and local market improvements, with expected outcomes including increased fisheries productivity by almost 37%, a 10% rise in vegetable production and a 7.5% boost in rice production, all contributing to food security.
Agriculture as a Key Driver of Poverty Reduction
Agriculture plays a crucial role in reducing poverty in Bangladesh. From 2000 to 2010, the poverty rate dropped from 48.9% to 31.5%, with more than 87% of rural people earning some income through farming. This progress resulted from investments in irrigation, high-yield crops, efficient markets and mechanization.
To continue reducing food insecurity and poverty, Bangladesh needs to focus on high-value agriculture, like horticulture, livestock, poultry and fisheries. This diversification is essential for future growth, particularly because two-thirds of rural households depend on both farming and other income sources. This pro-poor agricultural growth also boosts the non-farm economy, ultimately improving food security.
A Multifaceted Approach to Food Security
Food security in Bangladesh is a multifaceted challenge. Nonetheless, the collaborative efforts by USAID, the World Bank and the government of Bangladesh contribute to food security improvement. By improving agriculture and promoting climate-resilient practices, these initiatives alleviate food insecurity and poverty. Continued investment and development in these programs provide optimism for a brighter and more secure future for the people of Bangladesh.
Through initiatives like climate-resilient agriculture and agricultural diversification, Bangladesh is making significant strides in its battle against food insecurity. Continued investment from the government and international organizations holds the promise of a future where food security is a reality for all.
– Marnie Woodford-Venables
Photo: Flickr
The Fight Against Poverty in Bhutan
According to World Bank data, the Kingdom of Bhutan finally eliminated extreme poverty in 2022. This data means that 100% of Bhutanese live with more than $2.15/a day. Furthermore, the share of the population living under the upper-middle income countries’ poverty line of 6.85 has shrunk from 39.5% in 2017 to 8.5% in 2022. However, despite these reductions, the Bhutanese people still face many challenges.
Bhutan is a country in the Himalayas mountain range with an area of 38.394 sq km. This size makes it a fairly small nation in one of the most remote locations in the world, creating challenges for development and poverty reduction. Former prime minister Jigme Thinley said, “There are too many Bhutanese for whom a walk or a drive to the nearest basic health unit is at least one hour away.” Therefore, while its journey provides insights for development, the country still has much to improve, including living conditions and the eradication of poverty.
Eliminating Poverty in Bhutan
The main driver of Bhutanese economic growth in the past decades has been exporting excess hydroelectric power to India. From 1990 to 2022, this export has been the main source of income and reduction of poverty in Bhutan. With this income, the Bhutanese government has reinvested in developing infrastructure throughout the country. With this, Bhutanese farmers have commercialized their products beyond their local communities, boosting trade and increasing their income.
Priorities for Bhutan remain tied to boosting infrastructure to make it attractive for business and improving its Gross Happiness Index score, a development measurement tool designed in Bhutan to address the main complaints of its inhabitants and guide policy to improve the mental well-being of its population. This index has also experienced improvement but on a more reduced scale when compared to overall poverty reduction. On a scale of 0 to one, the country scored 0.743 in 2010, improving to 0.781 in 2022. This growth might be slower than poverty reduction or GDP, but it is steady and allows the Bhutanese government to take a more holistic approach to improving living conditions.
Challenges
Despite the successes in poverty reduction, as the former prime minister Jigme Thinley expressed, there are still many challenges to overcome. Youth unemployment rose from 9.6% in 2021 to 18.6% in 2022, and debt to GDP stood at 129.1%. This trend has led the government to a tight situation where its youth is jobless and cannot afford to increase its investments to counterbalance it.
Furthermore, despite its progress in this area, remote mountainous areas still have long commutes before arriving at health facilities, causing disparities between urban and rural areas, especially in the country’s eastern regions.
Finally, Bhutan’s location poses one last challenge to development: natural disasters. Earthquakes, floods and landslides are common in the area and can cause significant damage to the local population. Thus, in 2019, the government of Bhutan, in collaboration with the UN, developed a roadmap for disaster risk management. The current guidelines focus on awareness, preparedness and coordinated efficiency to maximize the impact of aid from NGOs and UN organizations.
Looking Forward
Bhutan has made significant progress in improving living conditions, and its policies center around the population’s most urgent needs thanks to the use of the Gross Happiness Index. Thus, even if the government has little maneuverability due to high debt ratios, it has tackled the issue of development in remote terrain relatively effectively through extensive investments in infrastructure. It may be too soon to declare the end of all poverty in Bhutan, but the country has come a long way to achieve 0% of its population living under $2.15/a day.
– Daniel Pereda
Photo: Flickr
How Tourism is Alleviating Vietnam’s Poverty
Vietnam is famously known for its rich heritage, history and beauty. With a coastline of 3,260 kilometers, the country is home to many beautiful beaches, bays and islands. These features make Vietnam an emerging hotspot for tourists, with the country already having welcomed more than 5.5 million foreign tourists from January 2023 to June of the same year.
Barring the COVID-19 period, when countries had closed their borders, tourism has consistently and increasingly contributed to the GDP growth of Vietnam, with its share of GDP reaching up to 9.2% in 2019 with 18 million visitors. In 2023, the tourism sector is on a steady path to returning to similar contribution levels to Vietnam’s economy.
Tourism is a “smokeless industry” that helps provide jobs and livelihood to a vast part of the population. Apart from the main cities of Vietnam, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh, many smaller and more remote areas have emerged as tourist destinations due to the authentic experiences they provide and their connection to “real” Vietnam. Here is how tourism is alleviating Vietnam’s poverty.
The Correlation Between Tourism and Poverty Reduction
According to a paper titled “Impact of Tourism on Poverty Reduction: Evidence from an Emerging Tourism Market,” published in the Montenegrin Journal of Economics in 2020, poverty and tourism have a negative correlation. Not just in Vietnam but globally, tourism has been seen to largely positively impact poverty alleviation efforts. Tourism does not just help bolster a country’s hospitality sector (hotels, restaurants, etc.). Still, it also provides an avenue for growth for multiple other industries that complement tourism and tourist presence.
This presence includes the transportation sector, manufacturing industries, agricultural sector, village industries, etc. It also provides a job and livelihood to people as tour guides and cab drivers, among others. Additionally, tourism allows the country’s products to be opened up to a new consumer market, foreign tourists. Thus, the tourist economy impacts many underlying factors that contribute to poverty and allows for poverty reduction in the real sense, not just superficially.
The ILO Project and Toolkit
With this idea and under this pursuit, the International Labour Organization (ILO) developed a project and toolkit to use tourism to reduce poverty in countries. Many countries took up and implemented this concept, which the ILO popularized, including Vietnam in 2012. As per an ILO report, the idea behind this project was “to connect poor and isolated communities” with the tourism industry and to offer the village people “opportunities to sell their handicrafts.” According to the then-ILO Vietnam Director, Gyorgy Sziraczki, “The tourism value chain and its significant connection to other sectors, such as agriculture, construction, utilities and transport, as shown internationally, can contribute to poverty reduction and economic development in Viet Nam.” He believed that “one job in the core tourism industry indirectly generates 1.5 additional jobs in the related economy.”
This project has shown how tourism is alleviating Vietnam’s poverty. Upon the beginning of this project in the country, three tourism villages were opened up to tourists. Within three years, about 200 village households were already making a profit of $5,100 per month by providing tourism services. Selling traditional and authentic handicrafts is a testimony to tourism’s impact on people and their livelihood and quality of life.
Future Prospects in Alleviating Vietnam’s Poverty
After vigorous tourism development in Vietnam, the tourism industry has become the leading or pillar industry of most provinces and cities in the country’s Southwest region. With its new Visa policies, rapidly expanding market and focus on the development of tourist hotspots and the hospitality sector, Vietnam is on the road to becoming a popular and greatly visited tourist destination in Asia, with its tourism revenue expected to be around $27.5 million by the end of this year.
– Manasvi Kadian
Photo: Flickr