Abstract

Poverty and local environmental degradation are closely correlated. Poverty creates environmental degradation and vice versa. A degraded environment greatly affects the poor. The poor tend to become poorer as the environmental conditions degrade. Owing to migration and scarcity of job, hardcore poor live in unhygienic vulnerable places where inadequate services are visible. They suffer from natural disasters such as flood, which expose them to health hazards that reduce their savings and productivity. Conversely because of insufficient services they pollute the local environment by illegal dumping of wastes and discharging of wastewater. The principal objective of this study is to know the relationship between poverty and local environmental degradation. The study was undertaken by acquiring primary data from the field survey by employing a structure questionnaire and gathered information on poverty and local environment (P-E) nexus. Head of poor household (HH), on behalf of HH, a reliable member was used as respondents. Rajshahi City of Bangladesh is selected as the study area. Two scenarios in the nexus have been found from theoretical viewpoint as well as hypothetical scrutiny. One of them is environmental Scenario. A Lot of local environmental problems such as improper solid waste management, drainage congestion, vulnerable housing and lack of land title were found there. It is possible to solve each of these problems by stimulating poor people by providing environmentally linked jobs where the problems persist. This involvement will produce income generation. Simultaneously, their environmental conditions will be better. Like solid waste management it is possible to involve the poor in the promotion of waste collection and separation at source. These will produce income generation to reduce poverty in addition to improving their local environment. Second is the Poverty Scenario. Poverty itself is a serious problem that is clearly visible, but it is possible to reduce poverty through creating earning opportunities. For instances, home-based work, labor- intensive industries or soft loan for business could make income generation. All of these activities do not require huge funds. Finally, the study has recommended a set of policies in support of reducing poverty and improving their local environmental degradation.