Ending Poverty

Before entering into a discussion about ending poverty, we should define what poverty threshold is. According to the World Bank, poverty line is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. In October 2015, the World Bank updated the international poverty line to US$1.90 per person per day from $1.25 a day. Poverty does not exist in developing countries only; it is a matter of proportion and severity. According to CIA World Factbook 2014, Chad, Haiti and Liberia have 80% of their population living below poverty line. At the bottom of the list, Taiwan has 1.5% of its population below previous poverty threshold of $1.25 USD per person per day.

Last week while researching the topic of "Ending Poverty", I came across some GDP and external debt figures from the World Bank. I have chosen 3 countries for comparison:

Rank  Country      Debt/GDP (USD)        Date     Population              Per Capita (USD)      %GDP
37    Qatar             137.0 Billion                2013 2.05 Mil                 41,988   Debt            55        
1      Qatar             166.9 Billion                2014                                    93,714   GDP

57    Philippines    58.5 Billion                  2016     96.71 Mil               636        Debt            32        
115  Philippines    291.97 Billion              2014                                    6,969     GDP

87   Tanzania        11.18 Billion                2012      47.78 Mil               183        Debt            33        
152  Tanzania        48.03 Billion                2014                                    2,538      GDP

From the above data table, I have the following observations:

1) The world economy is still very much "petroleum-driven". Qatar rises to the top country for GDP per capita because it is one of the highest exporters of liquid fossil fuels in the world.

2) The principles of leverage also apply to poor countries. I was a bit surprised to see that the external debts of Qatar is 55% of its GDP whereas external debts are approximately 1/3 of GDP in the poor countries. It takes money to make money.

John Pilger, an Australian journalist, suggests that international financial institutions should forgive the debts of poor countries. It follows the logic that if people of poor countries are not taxed as much to repay the national debts, people would have more disposable income to lead better lives. Undeniably forgiving debts is a charitable act; however, it is just a temporary solution. It is analogous to giving people fish and not teaching them how to fish.

According to a UN declaration that resulted from the World Summit on Social Development in Copenhagen in 1995, absolute poverty is "a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services."

David Gordon's paper, "Indicators of Poverty & Hunger", for the United Nations, defines absolute poverty as the absence of any two of the following eight basic needs:

• Food: Body Mass Index must be above 16.
• Safe drinking water: Water must not come solely from rivers and ponds, and must be available nearby (less than 15 minutes' walk each way).
• Sanitation facilities: Toilets or latrines must be accessible in or near the home.
• Health: Treatment must be received for serious illnesses and pregnancy.
• Shelter: Homes must have fewer than four people living in each room. Floors must not be made of dirt, mud, or clay.
• Education: Everyone must attend school or otherwise learn to read.
• Information: Everyone must have access to newspapers, radios, televisions, computers, or telephones at home.
• Access to services: This item is undefined by Gordon, but normally is used to indicate the complete panoply of education, health, legal, social, and financial (credit) services.

The Borgen Project provides a simple plan to end global poverty by:

1. Install a well
2. Teach Poor Farmers How to Grow More Food
3. Provide Shelter
4. Build Schools
5. Provide Vaccines Against Diseases
6. Build Small Medical Clinics

It would appear that most of the basic needs are being taken care of by the Borgen template. The information and accessibility needs could be met easily if there is power supply. Solar, wind or other forms of renewable energy supply and micro-financing can be established. If we build a small village of no more than 150 people each time, it will make monitoring more effective and trouble-shooting more manageable should a problem arise.

 

Certainly the template can be modified to accommodate other factors such as climate, diet, tradition and environment. Ending poverty is entirely possible if we put our hearts and minds to it. What are your opinions and/or suggestions?

Eco-Villages

In 1991, Robert Gilman set out a definition of an eco-village that was to become a standard. Gilman defined an eco-village as a human-scale full-featured settlement in which human activities are harmlessly integrated into the natural world in a way that is supportive of healthy human development, and can be successfully continued into the indefinite future.

What are the characteristics of a sustainable village?  According to O.U.R. Village, they are:

• Permaculture
• Sustainable Food Production
• Natural Building
• Education
• Community

An Italian town, Varese Ligure, is a community that was converted to an ecovillage by gradually incorporating sustainability components over a period of 20 years. As of to date, there is one such planned ecovillage inhabited by human beings. Sieben Linden ecovillage in Germany is inhabited by 145 people including 40 children. These places provide models for future ecovillages.

During my travels in developing countries, I often see rural communities thriving on ingenious adaptations from past generations. In the developed countries, more and more newly built buildings have sustainable features. People talk about off-grid living more than ever. However, renewable energy remains in a supplementary role in power supply in urban centres. Sustainability is still an expensive option that most people tend to avert from..

Bearing all these facts in mind, I perceive ample opportunities in developing ecovillages in rural areas of developing countries where community spirit is strong and the houses are built with local materials. More often than not permaculture and sustainable agriculture are already in practice. It is just a matter of formalizing and reinforcing the ecovillage principles. The biggest tasks at hand would be to introduce cost-effective, renewable energy, improve water supply,modify waste management system and implementing a knowledge base in existing villages.

The world might never be entirely ecologically friendly. Nevertheless, having a hybrid of ecovillages and resource depleting urban centres is definitely more appealing to me. In the process, the quality of life for people living in rural areas of developing countries could be elevated.