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Towards Integrated Strategies for Alleviating Rural Poverty in Nepal
Abstract:
Poverty in Nepal is widespread, deep-rooted and endemic. Nepal's per capita GDP of US$ 160 places her among the poorest countries in the world, which is further perpetuated by accelerated population growth. Other social indicators like life expectancy at birth, child mortality, and literacy rate all confirm Nepal's degree of extreme poverty and deprivation. Over 42 per cent of the population are estimated to be absolutely poor, i.e., unable to meet even the minimum basic needs. Continued inability to attain sustained economic growth in excess of that of population has resulted in stagnation in per capita income. This situation has persisted despite several decades of development efforts which are also constrained by the permanent disadvantage of meager resource endowment, rugged terrain and land locked location. The problem is further worsened by weak institutions, poor and unstable development strategies and inability to implement development programmes properly. #ILO
Publisher: ARTEP, ILO Type / Script:
Publication  in  English
Keywords:
 POVERTY, RURAL POVERTY, EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLYOMENT, UNDEREMPLOYMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, WOMEN PARTICIPATION, CREDIT POLICY, LAND POLICY, LABOUR, FOCRED LABOUR
Thematic Group:
ILO, (1991)
Thesaurus:
14.05.03 - Social Development
PDF | File Size: 887 KB   Download
Feeder: DINA JANGAM, Editor: PRATIVASHRESTHA, Auditor:
...
Towards Integrated Strategies for Alleviating Rural Poverty in Nepal
Abstract:
Poverty in Nepal is widespread, deep-rooted and endemic. Nepal's per capita GDP of US$ 160 places her among the poorest countries in the world, which is further perpetuated by accelerated population growth. Other social indicators like life expectancy at birth, child mortality, and literacy rate all confirm Nepal's degree of extreme poverty and deprivation. Over 42 per cent of the population are estimated to be absolutely poor, i.e., unable to meet even the minimum basic needs. Continued inability to attain sustained economic growth in excess of that of population has resulted in stagnation in per capita income. This situation has persisted despite several decades of development efforts which are also constrained by the permanent disadvantage of meagre resource endowment, rugged terrain and land locked location. The problem is further worsened by weak institutions, poor and unstable development strategies and inability to implement development programmes properly. The problem is more pronounced in the rurai areas where more than 93 per cent of the population live. The poverty level is so widespread in rural Nepal that many people find it hard to make both ends meet. On the basis of National Planning Commission (NPC) survey data of 1976-77, Islam (1984) observed, the bottom two-thirds of rural households in Nepal would appear to have been suffering from a deficiency in calories. In fact, the bottom quarter of the households had an income which is less than half the minimum required. The gravity of the problem of poverty implied by these figures is underlined by the fact that even if we were to assume that the entire income was used for food consumption, many households would still not meet their food requirements" (p. 169). It may thus be inferred that the majority of the population are in acute poverty and suffer large shortfalls from basic needs satisfaction. Indeed evidence on the more direct manifestations of acute poverty-malnutrition, morbidity and mortality tends to support such an inference (Islam et al., 1982:28). This depressing situation is more curtly stated by Blaikie et al., Nepal is now in a state of crisis, fundamentally rooted in the failure of productive organisation associated with its economic and political underdevelopment. Already there are frequent famines, and the processes of erosion and ecological decline, coupled with continuing population growth, will contribute to an increase in apparently% natural'disasters in the future" (Blaikie et al., 1980:5). Two important factors may be responsible for this situation: (a) most of the programmes launched for alleviating poverty do not seem to have been executed properly, and benefits from those executed have not reached the target group; and (b) the fast rate of population growth has neutralised most of the benefits from such efforts.
Publisher: ARTEP, ILO Type / Script:
Publication  in  English
Keywords:
 POVERTY, RURAL POVERTY, EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLYOMENT, UNDEREMPLOYMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, WOMEN PARTICIPATION, CREDIT POLICY, LAND POLICY, LABOUR, FOCRED LABOUR
Thematic Group:
ILO, (1991)
Thesaurus:
14.05.03 - Social Development
PDF | File Size: 887 KB   Download
Feeder: DINA JANGAM, Editor: ANG1EE12, Auditor:
...
Towards Integrated Strategies for Alleviating Rural Poverty in Nepal
Abstract:
Poverty in Nepal is widespread, deep-rooted and endemic. Nepal's per capita GDP of US$ 160 places her among the poorest countries in the world, which is further perpetuated by accelerated population growth. Other social indicators like life expectancy at birth, child mortality, and literacy rate all confirm Nepal's degree of extreme poverty and deprivation. Over 42 per cent of the population are estimated to be absolutely poor, i.e., unable to meet even the minimum basic needs. Continued inability to attain sustained economic growth in excess of that of population has resulted in stagnation in per capita income. This situation has persisted despite several decades of development efforts which are also constrained by the permanent disadvantage of meagre resource endowment, rugged terrain and land locked location. The problem is further worsened by weak institutions, poor and unstable development strategies and inability to implement development programmes properly. The problem is more pronounced in the rurai areas where more than 93 per cent of the population live. The poverty level is so widespread in rural Nepal that many people find it hard to make both ends meet. On the basis of National Planning Commission (NPC) survey data of 1976-77, Islam (1984) observed, the bottom two-thirds of rural households in Nepal would appear to have been suffering from a deficiency in calories. In fact, the bottom quarter of the households had an income which is less than half the minimum required. The gravity of the problem of poverty implied by these figures is underlined by the fact that even if we were to assume that the entire income was used for food consumption, many households would still not meet their food requirements" (p. 169). It may thus be inferred that the majority of the population are in acute poverty and suffer large shortfalls from basic needs satisfaction. Indeed evidence on the more direct manifestations of acute poverty-malnutrition, morbidity and mortality tends to support such an inference (Islam et al., 1982:28). This depressing situation is more curtly stated by Blaikie et al., Nepal is now in a state of crisis, fundamentally rooted in the failure of productive organisation associated with its economic and political underdevelopment. Already there are frequent famines, and the processes of erosion and ecological decline, coupled with continuing population growth, will contribute to an increase in apparently% natural'disasters in the future" (Blaikie et al., 1980:5). Two important factors may be responsible for this situation: (a) most of the programmes launched for alleviating poverty do not seem to have been executed properly, and benefits from those executed have not reached the target group; and (b) the fast rate of population growth has neutralised most of the benefits from such efforts.
Publisher: ARTEP, ILO Type / Script:
Publication  in  English
Keywords:
 POVERTY, RURAL POVERTY, EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLYOMENT, UNDEREMPLOYMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, WOMEN PARTICIPATION, CREDIT POLICY, LAND POLICY, LABOUR, FOCRED LABOUR
Thematic Group:
ILO, (1991)
Thesaurus:
14.05.03 - Social Development
PDF | File Size: 887 KB   Download
Feeder: DINA JANGAM, Editor: ANG1EE12, Auditor:
...
Towards Integrated Strategies for Alleviating Rural Poverty in Nepal
Abstract:
Poverty in Nepal is widespread, deep rooted and endemic. Nepal's per capita GDP of US$160 places her among the poorest countries in the world,which is further perpetuated by accelerated population growth. Other social indicators like life expectancy at birth,child mortality,and literacy rate all confirm Nepal's degree of extreme poverty and deprivation. Over 42 percent of the population are estimated to be absolutely poor,i.e.unable to meet even the minimum basic needs. Continued inability to attain sustained economic growth in excess of that of population has resulted in stagnation in per capita income. This situation has persisted despite several decades of development efforts which are also constrained by the permanent disadvantage of meagre resource endowment,rugged terrain and land locked location.The problem is further worsened by weak institutions,poor and unstable development strategies and inability to implement development programmes properly.
Publisher: ARTEP, ILO Type / Script:
Publication  in  English
Keywords:
 RURAL POVERTY, EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLYOMENT, UNDEREMPLOYMENT, ECONOMIC GROWTH, WOMEN PARTICIPATION, CREDIT POLICY, LAND POLICY, TECHNOLOGY POLICY, METHODOLOGY
Thematic Group:
ILO, (1991)
Thesaurus:
14.05.03 - Social Development
PDF | File Size: 887 KB   Download
Feeder: DINA JANGAM, Editor: , Auditor:
...