The strong linkage between environment degradation, poverty and economic
development is now an established fact. It has been more or less accepted now that it is not always the poor who are the greatest polluters responsible for a degraded
environment. Urbanization and industrialization and unsustainable use of natural
resources have all contributed to serious environmental problems (See Box: The Small Industries Pollution Problem).
Conventional thinking on environment blamed the poor for overexploitation of natural resources, as poverty and environment were considered linked in a ‘downward spiral,’ in which poor people, forced to overuse the environmental resources for their daily survival, are further impoverished by the degradation of these resources. Population growth and economic change (which often bypasses the poor, or reduces their access to natural resources) were also seen to contribute to this process. It was therefore believed that poverty needs to be eradicated in developing countries before they can turn their attention to environmental protection.
The perception of the ‘vicious circle’ as characterizing the environmental degradation and poverty in countries is vulnerable to criticism on several counts. It is a simplistic,
exaggerated and misleading thesis. In the past, when poverty levels were much higher in developing countries, there was not much environmental degradation. Now that poverty levels are declining significantly, it does not seem plausible to attribute environmental degradation to poverty. Evidently other factors play a more important role. The poor should be viewed as the victims rather than the perpetrators of environment damage. As they are dependent on nature for livelihood, they are very vulnerable to natural calamities, environmental degradation and ecological disasters, which are often human made, such as Bhopal Gas Tragedy, and pollution caused in the river Yamuna by industries and upstream rich farmers. Thus the belief that all economic development alleviates poverty is not entirely true. There are cases of destructive development which aggravate poverty and contribute to environmental degradation at the same time.
Probably the first victim of any environmental degradation are the women among the
poor. A fuel wood crisis as a result of deforestation, for example, forces village women to travel for miles in search of wood. This involves waste of energy and time which women could have devoted to more remunerative work. They have to bring water for cooking and washing from great distances. Fodder scarcity also affects women first: the care of livestock is their responsibility. This burden on women in turn has an impact on girl children. When the mothers’ time is spent on fetching fuel food and drinking water, girl children are kept at home and discouraged from attending school. They have to look after younger children, sweep the house and do the household chores.
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There is enough empirical evidence to establish that environmental conservation must go hand in hand with economic development because any econo mic development which destroys the environment will create more poverty, unemployment and diseases and thus cannot be called even economic development. It may just be transfer of resources from the poor to the rich. Environmentally destructive economic development will impoverish the poor even further and destroy their livelihood resource base. Therefore the environmental concern in the developing world must go ‘beyond pretty trees and tigers’ and must link it with peoples’ lives and well being.
National river conservation directorate (NRCD)
DONOR PRIORITIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB)

The International Human Development Programme (IHDP)

Winrock International India

NGO'S PRIORITIES IN THE ENVIRONMENT SECTOR

Development Alternatives (DA)

The Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR)

Foundation for the Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions

Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI), New Delhi

The Small Industries Pollution Problem

Environment Protection, Energy Conservation & Audit Services [Page-21]