CAUSES OF PROVERTY Poverty has many causes, some of them very basic. Some experts suggest, for instance, that the world has too many people, too few jobs, and not enough food. But such basic causes are quite intractable and not easily eradicated. In most cases, the causes and effects of poverty interact, so that what makes people poor also creates conditions that keep them poor. Primary factors that may lead to poverty include overpopulation, the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy, inability to meet high standards of living and costs of living, inadequate education and employment opportunities, environmental degradation, certain economic and demographic trends, and welfare incentives.Some major causes of poverty are as follow:
"OVER POPULATION"
Overpopulation, the situation of having large numbers of people with too few resources and too little space, is closely associated with poverty. It can result from high population density (the ratio of people to land area, usually expressed as numbers of persons per square kilometer or square mile) or from low amounts of resources, or from both. Excessively high population densities put stress on available resources. Only a certain number of people can be supported on a given area of land, and that number depends on how much food and other resources the land can provide. In countries where people live primarily by means of simple farming, gardening, herding, hunting, and gathering, even large areas of land can support only small numbers of people because these labor-intensive subsistence activities produce only small amounts of food.
In developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and the countries of western Europe, overpopulation generally is not considered a major cause of poverty. These countries produce large quantities of food through mechanized farming, which depends on commercial fertilizers, large-scale irrigation, and agricultural machinery. This form of production provides enough food to support the high densities of people in metropolitan areas
"Global Distribution of Resources"
Many experts agree that the legacy of colonialism accounts for much of the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy. In many developing countries, the problems of poverty are massive and pervasive. In recent decades most of these countries have tried to develop their economies with industry and technology with varying levels of success. Some nations have become fairly wealthy, including the Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand. Many developing countries.
"Inadequate Education and Employment"
Illiteracy and lack of education are common in poor countries. Gove rnments of developing countries often cannot afford to provide for good public schools, especially in rural areas. Whereas virtually all children in industrialized countries have access to an education, only about 60 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa even attend elementary school. Without education, most people cannot find income-generating work. Poor people also often forego schooling in order to concentrate on making a minimal living. In addition, developing countries tend to have few employment opportunities, especially for women. As a result, people may see little reason to go to school.
Even in developed countries, unemployment rates may be high. When people do not have work, they do not make any money; thus, high unemployment leads to high levels of poverty. Availability of employment also tends to fluctuate, creating periods of high joblessness (see Business Cycle). Countries such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, and Luxembourg have managed at times to keep unemployment as low as 2 percent. Unemployment figures during the 1990s in the United States and most of Europe, on the other hand, ranged from about 5 percent to more than 20 percent. In countries with high populations, unemployment levels of only a few percentage points mean that millions of working-age people cannot find work and earn an adequate income. Because unemployment figures indicate only the number of people eligible to work who have no job but are seeking employment, such figures are not necessarily an accurate indicator of the number of people living in poverty. Other people may not be able to find enough work or may earn wages too low to support themselves.
"Environmental Degradation"
In many parts of the world, environmental degradation — the deterioration of the natural environment, including the atmosphere, bodies of water, soil, and forests — is an important cause of poverty. Environmental problems have led to shortages of food, clean water, materials for shelter, and other essential resources. As forests, land, air, and water are degraded, people who live directly off these natural resources suffer most from the effects. People in developed countries, on the other hand, have technologies and conveniences such as air and water filters, refined fuels, and industrially produced and stored foods to buffer themselves from the effects of environmental degradation
Interestingly enough, effects of poverty are also causes of poverty, and this leads to a cycle of poverty.
Effect #1 - Poor Health
It is true that around 18 million people a year or 50,000 people in a day will die due to poverty related causes. Most of these people are women and children. Those humans who suffer from poverty die from starvation and disease at a disproportionate number to others. People who live in poverty have a lower life expectancy. Hunger and malnutrition are the gravest threats to the public health in the world and malnutrition is the biggest contributor resulting in child mortality. There are almost eleven million children who die before becoming five who live in poverty. There is an estimated 1.02 billion people around the world who go to bed hungry at night. Poverty increases homelessness. There are more than 100 million children living in the streets around the world. Additionally, drug abuse is associated with poverty.
South Asia has the highest number of children suffering from malnutrition. Nearly one out of two children living in India are undernourished. In Sub-Saharan Africa, there are over half a million women who pass away in childbirth or pregnancy. Women who have their children in poverty will not be able to nourish them properly with prenatal care. They may also suffer from diseases that may be passed down to the child during the birth. Asthma is another health concern of children in poverty.
Effect #2 - Poor Education and Opportunities
Children from low income housing are at very high risk of educational underachievement. This is a process that usually begins immediately in elementary school. In the United States, these children are at higher risk for retention in their grade level, special placements while the school is in session, and not completing high school. For children of poverty, their rates of teenage pregnancy and juvenile delinquency are also higher, leading to many children not finishing school.
Children who live at or below the poverty level will have less success educationally than the children who live above the poverty line. Children of poverty often do not have health care and will be absent from school more often. They are also more likely to suffer from headaches, fatigue, hunger, ear infections, cold, and flu. These issues could keep a child from being able to achieve as much. Additionally, children of poverty often move around schools a lot, leading to gaps in their education and often attend schools that do not have adequate resources and have lost hope.
Effect #3 - Poor Housing Opportunities
Many children of poverty live in places without economic opportunities. They often live in slums, which are run down housing that do not have much security for those living there. They are usually located in the bad parts of the town and are cheaper to live in. Children living in poverty often live in overcrowded homes with lots of children and relatives living in close proximity. This makes it challenging for the children to have any peace and quiet, to study for school, or to get appropriate sleep.
Effect #4 - Violence
Human trafficking or prostitution is a related issue to poverty. This is just another form of modern slavery. Violence and poverty have gone hand in hand.
Effect #5 - Drug Abuse
Unemployment is a big factor in drug and alcohol abuse. Some results of drug abuse are theft, killing, stealing, assault, poor grades in school or work performance, poor conduct at work, and prison. Sometimes poverty is actually the effect of drug abuse, as people addicted to drugs may not be able to keep a job and may find other ways to support their addiction.
FACTS AND FIGURE
Almost half the world — over 3 billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day. The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the 41 Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (567 million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined. Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen. 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 children in the world). 640 million live without adequate shelter, 400 million have no access to safe water, 270 million have no access to health services. 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).
Number in poverty 1 billion (every second child)
Shelter, safe water and health For the 1.9 billion children from the developing world, there are:
640 million without adequate shelter (1 in 3)
400 million with no access to safe water (1 in 5)
270 million with no access to health services (1 in 7)
Children out of education worldwide 121 million
Survival for children Worldwide,
10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (same as children population in France, Germany, Greece and Italy)
1.4 million die each year from lack of access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation
Health of children Worldwide,
2.2 million children die each year because they are not immunized
15 million children orphaned due to HIV/AIDS (similar to the total children population in Germany or United Kingdom)
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