Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Poverty Rate in Cambodia Declining Despite Corruption

Poverty Rate Of CambodiaCambodia is a country in Southeast Asia with a population of just over 15 million people. The country has numerous ethnicities including people from Vietnam, China and over 30 hill tribes. Although the economy in Cambodia has been improving ever since the dawn of the 21st century, the poverty rate in Cambodia is still relatively high.

The poverty line in Cambodia is defined as living while only using $0.93 or less each day. As indicated by a study done by the Ministry of Planning in 2009, about 22.9 percent of the Cambodian population currently lives under the poverty line. This percentage means that these people do not have enough resources to meet their daily needs.

This poverty rate has only been exacerbated by the history of conflict in the region. The start of this economic crisis lasted from 1980 to 1989 and was spurred by the reign of the communist regime, Khmer Rouge. Socialist policies, the suppression of the Cambodian population and government corruption under this regime continued to stunt the growth of the Cambodian economy. It was only in 1989 when the Cambodian people gained independence from Khmer Rouge that its economy began to grow again.

Freedom from Khmer Rouge brought the free market to the region. Some key factors that allowed the Cambodian government to grow so quickly include expansion of construction, tourism, and the growth of the agricultural sector.

The population of Cambodians still living in the countryside still struggle with poverty. The Asian Development Bank conducted a study in 2012, attempting to determine the poverty rate in this region. They found that 18.9 percent of the Cambodian population lived in poverty and many of them living in rural areas.

The reason for the higher rate in the rural regions of Cambodia stems from their lack of access to the skills and tools needed to escape poverty. Rural citizens have little access to primary education, health care and public services due to the lack of government support. This lack of infrastructure all stems from the country’s newfound freedom from Khmer Rouge.

Even though Cambodia has recently gained freedom from Khmer Rouge, corruption in the government continues to hold back progress in the region. An indication of this was that, in 2010, Cambodia ranked 154th out of 178 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, making it one of the most corrupt countries in the world. This amount of corruption acts as a deterrent for foreign investors, further contributing to its high poverty rate.

However, there is hope for reducing the poverty rate in Cambodia. As the GDP increases in the country, foreign investors will continue to consider Cambodia as a place to invest. On top of this, the United Nations tasked Cambodia to meet the Millennium Development targets by 2015.

These goals included reducing corruption in the government, increasing the GDP, and improving infrastructure within the country. Cambodia managed to reach these goals, and the U.N. stated that the country was “an early achiever” and it praised the country for the work it had been doing to alleviate poverty.

The future of Cambodia is still uncertain, but if the nation continues to work alongside the U.N. and continues to meet the goals created by the Millennium Development program, the poverty rate in Cambodia can only go down, and the quality of life in the nation can only go up.

– Nicholas Beauchamp

Photo: Flickr

How Climate Change in Thailand Is Impacting Development

Climate Change in ThailandIn December 2016, Thailand received another wave of extreme weather that once again reminded citizens about the challenges of climate change. The Asian Development Bank reports that this issue is to be one of the most significant obstacles to development in Southeast Asia for the 21st century. Climate change in Thailand has caused challenges that impede the country’s development in the agricultural and health sectors.

Agricultural Development
Thailand is the world’s largest rice exporter, making agricultural output ten percent of the country’s GDP. Before the heavy rainfalls in December 2016, Thailand experienced four years of droughts which significantly affected the country’s agricultural industry.

The consecutive warm, dry years created a drought, leaving the water reservoirs and irrigation systems dry in the country. The Prime Minister mandated that farmers should cultivate less rice to reduce the intensity of the water crisis.

As 31.84 percent of the workforce in Thailand are employed in the agricultural sector, the fall in output of rice production and other crops significantly impacted the livelihoods of citizens. The droughts, therefore, cut incomes and led many farmers to fall into debt.

While the heavy rainfalls of December 2016 ended the droughts affecting the country’s agriculture industry, the extreme weather created detrimental flooding that damaged over 590,000 acres of farmland. With much of the economy relying on agriculture and natural resources for income, climate change in Thailand has critically affected the productivity and development of the nation.

Health
In 2002, Thailand established universal health coverage, and, by 2013, the nation was spending 4.6 percent of its GDP on health services. However, a statement by the World Health Organization says investment in the population’s health is likely to be threatened by climate change.

With increasing temperatures in Thailand, the sea levels have risen between 12 and 22 centimeters over the last century. With rising water levels, the country is expected to continue to experience extreme flooding as was seen in 2011 and late 2016.

The WHO estimates that, if the current emissions standards remain, over 2.4 million citizens in Thailand will be affected by flooding from the sea. Therefore, climate change in Thailand is expected to increase the chance of water-borne diseases as well as insect-borne crises such as dengue fever and malaria. By 2070 the WHO predicts that 71 million people in Thailand will be at risk for malaria if current climate changes persist.

Along with greater risks of flooding, higher temperatures may also increase malnutrition in the nation. Higher temperatures are creating land and water scarcity as well as the displacement of the population of Thailand. These events have impacted the agricultural production and have caused a breakdown in the food systems of the country. The WHO believes that this is one of the many issues created by climate change, with food insecurity affecting the vulnerable the most.

These are two areas of Thailand’s economy that are being significantly impacted by climate change. While the challenges are acknowledged by the nation, solutions are being debated frequently. The government of Thailand is attempting to introduce flood protection walls however many individuals believe that climate monitoring systems should be the center of a long run solution. With over 80 percent of all natural disasters today being a result of climate change, the question should not be how to avoid the impact of the events but rather how to eliminate them.

– Tess Hinteregger

Photo: Flickr

Why is Albania Poor?

Poverty in AlbaniaAlbania, located on the Mediterranean Sea across from southern Italy, is one of the poorest countries in Europe. Why is Albania poor, though? It is important to discuss not only the causes of poverty in Albania, but also the standards for poverty in Albania.

After World War II, Albania became a communist state under Stalin’s regime, but was not part of the Soviet Union. In 1989, communist rule in Europe collapsed and in 1990, independent political parties in Albania formed. By 1992, the Democratic Party won elections, officially ending communist rule in Albania after 47 years.

Why is Albania poor? The country’s transition from a communist regime to a free market in a democratic republic has disrupted economic growth and has caused high levels of poverty. Most of the poverty in Albania is considered deep, whereby incomes are below minimally acceptable standards, people struggle to meet basic needs such as food, clothing and heating. Albanians face poor public services and inaccessible social services. Many citizens who do not face poverty in terms of income still are threatened by it.

The standards for poverty in rural and urban areas, however, are different based on circumstances. According to estimates from the World Bank as of 2013, 25-30 percent of Albanians in rural areas live in poverty, while about 15 percent of Albanians living in urban areas live in poverty. These statistics are relative to the conditions of the rest of Albania’s rural and urban populations.

The majority of rural families live in the mountains and the uplands. The main determinants of rural poverty are farm size, livestock holding and off-farm income. About 25 percent of the rural population lives on a farm that is too small to provide a sufficient level of subsistence.

Urban poverty has different characteristics than rural poverty. Urban poverty in Albania is concerned with the education level and the employment status of the head of the household, the number of children in a household and the number of dependent generations in a household (if there are grandparents or grandchildren). As more Albanians migrate out of rural areas into urban areas, poverty starts to become concentrated in more rural, mountainous areas.

Albania has made recent strides in poverty reduction. The country’s main production resources — agriculture and construction — have been privatized. The reduction of state involvement is especially important in agriculture, which is now mostly privately owned. Additionally, the liberalization of prices, trade and foreign exchange has helped the economy grow. The World Bank classified Albania as an upper middle-income country as of 2010. The percent of Albanians below the poverty line has decreased dramatically, from 25.4 percent of citizens in 2002 to 14.3 percent in 2012.

In 2009, Albania applied to join the European Union and was confirmed as a candidate in 2014. Albania is not expected to join the EU until 2020, however, as the EU has urged Albania to tackle corruption and organized crime, especially relating to trafficking of humans and drugs.

Though Albania has historically ranked as the poorest country in Europe, poverty in Albania is slowly starting to decrease. Albania’s transition from a post-Cold War economy into a viable EU candidate proves that this country has the potential to transition out of extreme poverty, and may no longer need to provide an answer to the question, “Why is Albania poor?”

– Christiana Lano

Photo: Flickr

Water Quality in Slovakia: A Hot and Cold Issue

Water Quality in SlovakiaWhen discussing water quality in Slovakia, it seems to be a hot and cold issue — while some bodies of water seem to be in good condition, others are struggling to meet governmental standards. Water quality in Slovakia in the Danube River and groundwater aquifers are on the rise, while the Small Danube and Nitra are in bad condition, according to a report by the Water Research Institute (WRI).

In order to understand water quality in Slovakia more in depth, it is necessary to first look at the main sources of fresh water in the country:

The country’s reservoirs include Orva (the largest lake in Slovakia), Domasa (located along the Orva River), Zemplínska Šírava, Liptovská Mara and Sĺňava. Notable lakes include the Sunny Lakes (25 kilometers from Bratislava), Golden Sands and Duchonka. The Danube is the most famous of the rivers and runs through southern Slovakia, emptying into the Black Sea in Romania.

Groundwater is the source most readily used for drinking water, accounting for 82 percent of the drinking water in Slovakia. Out of the groundwater sources in Slovakia, Žitný Ostrov is the largest. The water in Slovakia is allocated by the government, making it public. Public systems account for how 86 percent of the population receives water.

The water quality in Slovakia is checked by the government in accordance with 82 specific parameters and it was found that the water quality in Slovakia is overall average, meaning that there are no considerable pollutants affecting the health of consumers.

Furthermore, the Danube River, which has seen an increase in pollution in recent years, is surprisingly clean as it runs through Slovakia. The WRI credits this with an exceptionally good condition, along with its natural purification abilities. Regardless, there is still room for improvement in the Danube, with the potential to build water treatment plants and remove barriers that disrupt the flow of the Danube. By improving the quality of water surrounding its tributaries as well, water quality could, in turn, improve.

In the future, it will be important to monitor agriculture as a major potential source of pollution in the Danube River, along with surrounding smaller rivers. This is because farm land takes up the majority of the banks of the Danube, therefore making it easier for chemicals to get into the surface water. It will be critical to watch these areas deemed “possibly at risk” so that they avoid being seen as “at risk” by the Slovakian government.

– Sydney Roeder

Photo: Pixabay

Taking a Look at the High Cost of Living in Greece

Cost of Living in GreeceAlmost ten years after the global financial crisis, the cost of living in Greece has continued to climb, while wages and available jobs have dropped considerably.  This unceasing contraction of the Greek economy has led to a sharp increase in the percentage of the population living in poverty to 23.2 percent in 2015.

The Greek recession, now on track to become a Greek depression, has devastated personal incomes. A Greek person living in 2014 had the same amount of disposable income that they did in 2003. Due to lost incomes and cut pensions, Greece is, by some estimates, 40 percent poorer than it was before the crisis.

However, it is not just wealth that has suffered. Nearly one million Greeks are unable to afford to pay for healthcare, and many smaller local clinics have closed down. As a result, wait times at larger facilities have increased. Furthermore, scores of workers have been discouraged from entering the workforce. Long-term unemployment has skyrocketed to 20 percent. That number is even higher among young Greeks.

Many families in Greece now rely on the pensions of one or two family members to live and eat. Pensions have been, and are scheduled to be cut due to new austerity measures introduced through the E.U. and International Monetary Fund’s bailouts. There is little money left after these families pay rent for anything else. More than 40 percent of Greeks have fallen behind on utility payments. This rate is the highest in all of Europe.

For many, the cost of living in Greece has become too high. Currently, more than half a million young and educated Greeks have left the country in search of better opportunities elsewhere.  However, there may be hope for those dismayed by the oppressing cost of living in Greece. On July 24, for the first time in three years, Athens has collected on new debt through bond sales.

Athens hopes that the 3 billion euro bond will lead to more investor confidence in the Greek economy. As confidence and credit returns, many are hopeful that people can go back to work and the country can pull itself out of this depression.

– Thomas James Anania

Photo: Flickr

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On the Main Causes of Poverty in North Korea

Causes of Poverty in North KoreaNorth Korea, the only country in the world which still adopts Stalinist principles, has long been one of the most impoverished countries in the world. Recently, it scored 28.6 in the 2016 Global Hunger Index, a level which the International Food Policy Research Institute classified as “serious.” A report published by the Korea Institute for National Unification (KINU) in 2013 estimated that about half of North Korea’s 24 million lives in “extreme poverty,” who are “severely restricted in access to fuel for cooking and heating.”

The two primary causes of poverty in North Korea are as follows:

Climate and geography
North Korea’s climate is less suitable for agricultural production than that of South Korea. Northern and northwestern winds that blow from Siberia cause the winters in North Korea to be bitterly cold, often involving heavy snow storms. This type of weather is particularly harsh in the mountainous regions in the north, contributing to the relative lack of arable land in North Korea. Due to the cold temperatures, single cropping is usually practiced in the north, while double cropping is possible in the south where winters are less severe.

Because of the country’s mountainous terrain, the regime has sought to increase agricultural production mainly through double cropping, rather than through expanding the cultivable area. However, due to factors such as short cropping season, prolonged and harsh winter, and uncertainty of the spring weather, the results have often been disappointing.

Despotic regime
Another one of the causes of poverty in North Korea is the despotic regime succeeded by the Kim family. During the 1980s, the North Korean regime embarked on a radical economic policy of self-sufficiency known as “juche.” This policy wreaked havoc on the country’s economy, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, after which the country could not import cheap fuel, its industrial base was fractured and its production of fertilizer decreased.

North Korea’s provocations on the international stage, such as the shelling of the South Korean island in 2010 and repeated nuclear tests, also resulted in numerous sanctions by the U.N., which restricted the amount of humanitarian aid going into North Korea.

These are the main causes of poverty in North Korea. Whether North Korea will be able to escape from poverty will heavily depend on the international community’s efforts, as well as the regime’s willingness to adopt open-market reforms, just as China did in the late 1970s.

– Minh Joo Yi

Photo: Flickr

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Developing Countries Are Changing Education

Changing EducationThere are many organizations and companies that are investing in developing countries to better the lives of people that live in them and to also decrease the global rates of poverty and hunger. With all of the focus on helping developing countries, new advancements in these nations often slip under the radar.

One such achievement is the way developing countries are changing education. Experts are now looking at developing countries’ new initiatives and technology and investigating how these advancements can be applied to schools in developed countries.

There are several ways schools in developing countries are changing education. One way is the use of technology in classrooms. With tech companies such as Dell, which has recently created the initiative Youth Learning that gives students access to laptops for their studies, students in developing countries are learning and using more technology.

William Altman, who is a tech industry analyst at CB insights, says that schools in developing countries are more likely to use online tools in order to stay up to date. Schools in developed countries tend to continue to use traditional techniques because they have enough funding to do so.

For students in developing countries, technology is creating new ways to learn while also providing more opportunities. Jamil Salmi, an education economist and coordinator of higher education professionals at World Bank, discusses the importance of technology for developing countries in an interview for Voices.

He says, “Today, technological innovations are revolutionizing again the capacity to store, transmit, access and use information.” Salmi goes on to say that low cost for technology access is another reason why using technology is beneficial for students.

Another difference in schools from developing countries compared to those in developed countries is the teaching techniques themselves. Since there are such large student populations, some schools in developing countries had to develop ways to teach larger class sizes.

In 2015, the United Nations’ World Population Prospects reported that African countries such as Niger, Uganda and Chad account for all top 10 positions in world’s youngest populations. The result of a large number of students is to find solutions by trying new things and thus finding new ways to teach students.

Educators are now looking at how developing countries are changing education to see what is next for schools. Schools in developed countries are seeing what ways technology can be used in schools and what techniques work to teach the most students. It seems that the more new techniques that schools in developing countries try, the more advanced school systems get.

– Deanna Wetmore

Photo: Flickr

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The Top Diseases In Liechtenstein

The Top Diseases In LiechtensteinUntil the end of World War 1, Liechtenstein was under control of the Austrian Empire and then later was controlled by Austria-Hungary. The princes in the country maintained control until the end of the war, in which economic devastation caused the country to create a monetary union with Switzerland. The country has since regained total independence and has struggled to grow its economy since. The top diseases in Liechtenstein are mostly preventable with proper healthcare.

The poor state of health care in Liechtenstein has led to there being little access to health care for many citizens. This article hopes to highlight the top diseases in the nation.

Hepatitis B
One of the top diseases in Liechtenstein is hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver that is primarily spread through bodily fluids. The citizens of this country often contract this disease unknowingly through sexual contact or medical treatment. Although medical care is a necessity in the country when a citizen is going through a medical concern, many avoid going to the hospital to avoid getting sicker by contracting this disease.

Influenza
Although influenza may seem like a disease that is not dangerous to many in the developed world, influenza is one of the top diseases in Liechtenstein. The flu season usually runs from November to April and is caused by a virus spread from person to person.

The poor economic state of the country coupled with the poor infrastructure in the region has created the perfect conditions for influenza to be a major killer in Liechtenstein. The winters of the country are frigid due to its location and this combined with a lack of access to heated environments allows the flu to spread quickly in the nation.

Furthermore, many citizens avoid going to the hospital because of inadequate medical standards in the country. The prevalence of influenza on top of many people not treating it properly have continued to allow this easily treatable disease to be a major killer in the country.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis
Tick-borne encephalitis is a disease present in some areas of Liechtenstein and has become one of the country’s most dangerous diseases. The disease is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system which soon leads to death once a person contracts the illness. The condition usually gets caught when a person consumes unpasteurized milk products.

Due to the lack of food regulations in the country, tick-borne encephalitis has become rampant in regions of Liechtenstein that rely heavily on dairy products. Although vaccinations are available for citizens in Liechtenstein, they are too expensive for many people causing them to catch the illness.

The top diseases in Liechtenstein are issues that people in developed nations do not struggle to avoid. Proper health care, alongside food and sanitation standards, would allow the country to avoid having its citizens catch these illnesses

Supporting organizations such as the Red Cross and other nongovernmental organizations will allow the vaccines needed for the people of Liechtenstein to avoid catching these diseases. Support could take the form of a donation or even volunteering one’s time. The best part is the top diseases in Liechtenstein are easily preventable. All it takes is a little effort from groups of people who care to make a change.

– Nick Beauchamp
Photo: Flickr

Water Quality in Mauritius

Water Quality in Mauritius tap waterThe Republic of Mauritius is an Indian Ocean archipelago nation just off the southeastern coast of Africa. The country is home to many ethnic groups, races, languages, religions and cultures. With such diversity, the country is perceived as a melting pot. The water quality in Mauritius is mostly safe, but it is not always up to international standards.

More than half of the water supply in the country is sourced from groundwater, and the rest is derived from reservoirs and lakes. Freshwater emanates from the country’s 92 rivers, 13 natural and man-made lakes and groundwater sources.

Surface water courses through water basins, while five main aquifers provide water for both domestic and irrigation use. About 99.4 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water, with per capita consumption reaching up to 190 liters of water per day.

Because tap water quality in Mauritius is reportedly dependent on the village locale, tourists are advised to avoid tap water altogether in favor of bottled water. However, a closer look at the country’s commitment to water security and safety shows that many steps have been taken and many are underway.

 

Improving Tap Water Quality in Mauritius

 

The Central Water Authority (CWA) of Mauritius is tasked with providing safe drinking water – or potable water – to all Mauritians. Water for irrigation purposes is regulated by the Irrigation Authority, while the Waste Management Authority (WMA) is responsible for managing wastewater.

In order to meet the nation’s water needs for all sectors up to the year 2040, the nation’s Water Resources Unit has worked out a plan to harness additional water resources. Construction of storage dams, diverted run-off from river streams and the development of ground water sources have all been explored in the plan.

Water resources are constantly monitored to check for the presence of contamination. Two laboratories in the country monitor the quality of the treated water supply to ensure compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for potable water, as well as the quality of raw water resources. This has included testing of the physical, chemical and microbiological perimeters of the potable water. In this way, good water quality in Mauritius is ensured.

In an effort to promote more sustainable use of water, water resource infrastructure is being improved. This has included an analysis of canals, storage dams and dikes to minimize water losses and identify any necessary rehabilitations to the existing infrastructure.

Additionally, monitoring is conducted in the coastal zones due to the nation’s reliance on subsistence fisheries. Ground and lagoon water is checked for contamination and standards have been established for wastewater management.

As a melting pot, Mauritius brings many people together. This spirit is reflected in the archipelago nation’s existing legal and institutional framework in maintaining water security and cleanliness for all Mauritians.

High management of water quality in Mauritius ensures that proper water sanitation is maintained. With the implementation of future projects, Mauritius aims to accept present challenges, overcome constraints and supply water for all.

– Mohammed Khalid

Photo: Pixabay

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Five Most Common Diseases in Burkina Faso

Common Diseases in Burkina FasoThe small landlocked nation of Burkina Faso, in West Africa, is one of the poorest nations in both the continent and the globe. The United Nations consistently names it the third poorest country in the world. Burkina Faso has few natural resources, and thus relies primarily on the export of its two cash crops: cotton and gold. The nation’s industrial base is very weak, and almost 90 percent of the population works in subsistence farming.The weakness of the economy translates to a feeble

The weakness of the economy translates to a feeble healthcare system. There are an estimated 0.05 physicians per 1,000 people, along with high poverty rates and malnutrition: one in four children under five is underweight. This combination of factors leaves the nation’s population extremely vulnerable and at a very high risk of contracting and spreading infectious diseases. This is especially evidenced by the life expectancy in the nation — 59 years— which is 12 years below the world average of 71. Following is a list of five of the most common diseases in Burkina Faso:

  1. Lower Respiratory Diseases
    Lower Respiratory Diseases, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, are the group of most common diseases in Burkina Faso. They are by far the leading cause of death in the country, accounting for 14 percent of all deaths. Pulmonary Tuberculosis, although receding throughout recent years, is also a common respiratory infection in the nation, which is especially lethal to HIV-positive patients.
  2. Malaria
    Malaria is an extremely infectious disease transmitted from person to person by female mosquitoes. It is a chronic issue in sub-Saharan Africa; 90 percent of all malaria-related deaths occur in children of the region. In Burkina Faso it is one of the top causes of death, accounting for 10 percent of all fatalities.
  3. Diarrheal Disease
    Due to a lack of proper infrastructure and a high prevalence of hunger and malnutrition, Burkina Faso’s population is especially prone to food and waterborne diseases. Consequently, bacterial and protozoal diarrhea is a major concern and causes up to 6 percent of all deaths in the nation.
  4. Meningitis
    Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord and the brain. It is typically caused by viral infections and some of its forms can be prevented by vaccination. Although the disease still accounts for 4 percent of all deaths, a vaccination drive aided by international organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has vaccinated close to 12 million people against meningitis in the country.
  5. HIV/AIDS
    Like most of sub-Saharan Africa, one of the most common diseases in Burkina Faso is HIV/AIDS. Although the rate of infection and fatality has been decreasing steadily since 2000, the immunodeficiency virus infection, and AIDS which develops from it, still accounts for 3 percent of deaths in Burkina Faso.

Sub-Saharan Africa is already a region of the world especially prone to high poverty, hunger, and disease. Burkina Faso, amongst nations of the area, is one of the worst affected: it has an especially weak economy and a lack of natural resources. If there is a country that evinces the need for aid and help from the international community, Burkina Faso is it.

– Alan Garcia-Ramos

Photo: Flickr