Evaluating poverty-environment dynamics

This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material. Developing indicators to more effectively evaluate poverty–environment dynamics and inform policy is an urgent research priority. It is critical that these indicators are used in ways that accurately represent the relationship they are meant to inform. This article evaluates the theory and use of poverty–environment indicators, a relatively new tool developed to aid in the design and evaluation of poverty reduction strategies in the context of environmental change. We argue that while they have great potential, in their current form and use, poverty–environment indicators may contribute to critical misunderstandings of processes on the ground. These issues stem from a problematic and largely unacknowledged process of simplifying particular poverty–environment relationships. This article lays out the problematic character of this simplification process, and suggests how we might address these problems to create more useful understandings of poverty–environment dynamics to inform policy. Introduction Poverty reduction, in the context of environmental sustainability, is one of the most important global humanitarian challenges of the twenty-first century (World Bank 2005). While development efforts over the past several decades have produced gains in many measures of human well-being, these gains have come at the cost of significant and often accelerated changes in ecosystem services (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005; United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 2008). As more development projects to alleviate poverty are initiated, and as consumption rises with affluence in many parts of the world, this trend toward ecosystem change will continue. It is therefore critical that we understand and monitor the connection between poverty reduction and environmental change to ensure a sustainable future. Indicators are frequently used in resource assessments to highlight priority issues and guide policy formation because they provide a cost effective means of rapidly assessing various human and …