Team Members: Bishwojit Das Bijoy, Sintheya Aktary Sinthe
ABSTRACT
Poverty is one of the biggest global problems. The effects of poverty more or less can be seen in almost all countries of the world. Poverty increases due to population growth, natural disasters, social inequality, corruption, lack of employment, illiteracy, etc. Poverty has led to a hunger crisis in almost every country in the world, the health system has collapsed, and crime has increased, including in society. Thousands of people die every year in the world due to poverty.
Keywords: Poverty, Population, Country, World Bank
WORLDWIDE POVERTY
Introduction:
Poverty
Poverty is a cursed chapter of human life.
Poverty is an economic condition when a person is unable to afford the basic
necessities of life and to buy the necessities of life due to low income. The
burning of poverty disrupts the normal life of the people and destroys the
dreams and hopes of the people in the race of poverty. Poverty makes people
frustrated. Just as poverty is an extreme obstacle to the development of life,
so it is an extreme obstacle to national prosperity. People often face death
due to poverty. Poverty serves as the ultimate curse behind upsetting and ruining
a nation. This dark shadow of poverty is more or less all over the world. As of
2020, about 700 million people in the world live below the poverty line (হতদরিদ্র মানুষের
সংখ্যায় বিশ্বে বাংলাদেশ ষষ্ঠ, ভারত প্রথম, 2020).
Causes of Poverty
The effects of poverty can be seen in most
countries of the world. However, in most of the countries of Asia and Africa,
poverty seems to be a terrible curse. There are several reasons behind this.
One of the main reasons for the increase in poverty is population growth.
Population growth plays an important role in increasing poverty due to the food
crisis, the inadequacy of clean water and nutritious food, lack of education,
the inadequacy of jobs, conflict, inequality, climate change, natural
disasters, lack of infrastructure, limited government capacity, lack of
reserves, etc. In the midst of this, millions of people are falling into
poverty every year due to climate change and natural disasters. The World Bank
estimates that over the next ten years, more than 100 billion people worldwide
will fall into poverty simply because of climate change (Myers, 2018). Poverty
is a cycle. Poor people cannot meet the elements of their basic needs, which
continue from one generation to the next due to poverty (Peer, 2020). As a
result, they cannot get out of the terrible clutches of poverty. In many
countries or regions, poor people are discriminated against by the upper
classes of society. They are neglected in the job sectors, education
opportunities are less, and their opinions are not given importance. As a
result, the poor become poorer. Conflict also destroys the infrastructural
condition of a country or region and disrupts the livelihood of the people of
that region (Myers, 2018). Their income stopped. As a result, they are forced
to accept poverty.
Thomas Malthus
Population Theory
According to Malthus,
population growth will always exceed the food supply, leaving a large portion
of the population hungry and poor. His calculations said that the population grows
at an indicative rate while the food supply increases at a linear rate.
According to Malthus, the population grows much faster than subsistence.
Because the power that the population has to reproduce itself is many times
greater than the power of the earth. The increase in population can be
controlled in two ways. One is the preventive check. This means that we have to
prevent population growth. The points that he mentioned in the Prevention Check
are Control of Birth Rate, Moral Restraint, and Delayed Marriage, etc. Another
of these two ways is a positive check. The points mentioned in the positive
check are War, diseases, drought, famine, food, etc. Malthus talks about these
two concepts in his theory. If the population is not controlled through these
two checks, then the population that has grown will increase rapidly. He said
through his calculations that if not controlled, the population would double in
25 years. As a result, the demand for food will increase many times. Less food,
less subsistence and if the population continues to grow, then the poverty rate
on earth will continue to increase day by day. He further said that if people
today do not control population growth through preventive checks, then positive
checks in the future will automatically control population growth which is not
at all convenient for the earth's people. This will increase the demand for
food, increase the number of wars, diseases, which will lead to poverty,
depression, and disease in mankind (Singh, 2015).
Impacts of Poverty
in Worldwide
Poverty spreads worldwide and affects
about half of the world's population. According to World Bank standards, a
person with a daily income of fewer than 1.9 dollars will be considered
extremely poor (Peer, 2020). As such, more than 689 million people around the
world are extremely poor (Peer, 2020). The World Bank fears that the number of
the worlds poorest could increase by about 150 million by 2021 (Peer, 2020).
Poverty is one of the biggest challenges for the least developed and developing
countries. Poverty rates are much higher in South Asian and African countries.
In some parts of these countries, even the basic human rights of people are not
being met properly. Lack of food, lack of housing, lack of education, lack of
clean water, and sewerage system are the daily companions there (Kellogg,
2018). Crimes such as child labor and child marriage are on the rise in these
areas due to poverty. Women are leaning towards sex work. Poverty-stricken
people are becoming addicted to drugs somewhere. Poverty has led to rising
global unemployment. Countless people are committing suicide in the world every
year due to unemployment. Millions of people worldwide suffer from poor health
conditions. Infectious diseases kill about 14 million people every year
(Kellogg, 2018). These diseases are transmitted through contaminated water,
lack of adequate sanitation, and lack of proper health care (Kellogg, 2018).
Countless people from all over the world, including India, Bangladesh,
Afghanistan, Nepal, Syria, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Gambia, Burundi, Congo, South
Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Moldova, Belarus, Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria are
constantly struggling with poverty.
Poverty in Asian
Countries
The problem of poverty
is very evident in Asia. The main cause of poverty in Asia is the huge
population. More than 60 percent of the world's population lives in Asia. Huge
population growth compared to resource scarcity is one of the reasons for the
increase in poverty in Asia. 80-90 percent of the people here live in villages.
Most people are involved in farming and other household chores. Agriculture is
being hampered by climate change (Felcon, 2014). They also suffer from a lack
of education, the inadequacy of jobs, lack of clean water and sewerage facilities.
Every year, they face severe damage due to severe natural calamities like
storms, river erosion, floods, and droughts. Many lost their homes and became
destitute. Due to poverty, there is no food security for the people here, they
suffer from malnutrition, a lack of health protection (Mitra, 2018). In
addition, poor people are subjected to various forms of social discrimination.
As a result, they are deprived of their civil rights. Children living in extreme
poverty in Asia, especially girls, are at high risk for sexual abuse and
exploitation. Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Myanmar, North Korea,
Syria, India, Taiwan, Pakistan, Cambodia, etc. are among the countries in Asia
which have the highest poverty rate (Poorest Asian Countries 2021).
Poverty in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the
most densely populated countries in the world. Poverty is the daily companion
of most of the people here. According to the World Population Review,
Bangladesh's poverty rate in 2021 is about 24.3 percent (Poverty Rate by
Country 2021). The main cause of poverty in Bangladesh is massive population
growth. In addition, lack of employment, lack of education and apathy,
corruption, ill-health and fragile health system, sewerage problems,
environmental degradation, per capita income, fragmented living, natural
disasters, etc. are the reasons for increasing poverty in the country. Every
year, cyclones, tidal surges, river erosion, and floods cause severe damage to
crops and livelihoods in Bangladesh. As a result, most of the affected people
lost everything and became destitute. As a result of widespread poverty, a
large section of the population is unable to meet basic needs such as food,
clothing, shelter, education, and medical care. Due to the impact of poverty, health
problems and malnutrition are increasing in the country. The unemployment rate
in the country is increasing day by day due to a lack of adequate employment
due to poverty. Many young people are choosing the path of suicide with the
burden of unemployment on their heads. Due to the impact of poverty, crimes
like child labor, child marriage, drug addiction, and prostitution are
increasing in the country. Many meritorious students are failing prematurely
due to poverty, joining the work for financial help to the family. Violence
against women and many social crimes like the dowry system is increasing in the
country.
Poverty in India
India is one of the fastest economic growing countries in the world. But poverty in India is still a huge challenge. Currently, about 21.90 percent of India's population lives in poverty (Poverty Rate by Country 2021). The main reason for the increase in poverty in India is population growth. India's population grows by 2.2% every year (Poverty, 2020). As a result of population growth, the amount of unemployment in the country increases. Climate change is another reason for the increase in poverty in India. Frequent natural disasters wreak havoc on agriculture and trade, increasing poverty (Poverty, 2020). As a result of rising commodity prices, low-income people cannot meet even their basic needs. Corruption is the biggest obstacle to reducing poverty in India. Corruption has created a cycle of poverty in India. In other words, poor people have been living in poverty for generations. Poverty-stricken people in India are not able to meet their basic needs properly. Here is lacking in food, clothing, shelter, education, clean water, sanitation, and health care (Kaur, 2019). People are constantly dying due to various diseases including Malaria, Dengue, Typhoid, and Pneumonia, etc. due to lack of clean water and health care. In some areas, hunger problems have become apparent. According to the Global Hunger Index 2020, India ranks 94th out of 107 countries (2020 Global Hunger Index by Severity). 14% of the total population of India is suffering from malnutrition, most of whom are living in poverty (India Ranks 94 among 107 countries in Global Hunger Index 2020). Due to poverty, people are being discriminated against in society. Children are missing out on education, girls are victims of child marriage and sexual abuse (Poverty in India: Facts and Figures on the Daily Struggle for Survival). The effects of drug addiction are widespread among a large number of the poor in India.
Poverty in African
Countries
The highest poverty
rates in the world are in African countries. Poverty rates are rising rapidly
across Africa as a result of population growth. Rapid population growth has
become one of the main reasons for resisting poverty alleviation efforts in
Africa. By 2021, about 490 million people in Africa, or 36 percent of the total
population, are living in extreme poverty (Human, 2021). The economic situation
on the African continent has been deteriorating as a result of climate change
in recent decades. Catastrophic floods and severe droughts are causing
extensive damage to crops. This has led to regular hunger and famine in African
countries (Poverty in Africa- The Indicators). Poverty is also on the rise as a
result of the war between the African continents (Poverty in Africa- The
Indicators). Lack of adequate education and medical care in the country has led
to an increase in the spread of diseases such as malaria and the Ebola virus,
which is causing economic hardship (Poverty in Africa- The Indicators).
One-fifth of Africa's population suffers from malnutrition. Children are forced
to engage in child labor to support their families instead of going to school
(Poverty in Africa- The Indicators). Numerous little girls are victims of child
marriage and sexual abuse. Sub-Saharan Africa has a higher poverty rate than
North Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is considered to be the most corrupt place in
the world (Brennan, 2018). Due to corruption and a weak government system, it
is not possible to meet the basic needs of the people like healthcare, food,
education, and shelter. As a result, the poverty rate in African countries is
getting worse day by day. According to 2021 statistics, about 46 percent of the
people in Nigeria, 82 percent in South Sudan, 80 percent in Burundi, 75 percent
in Congo, 78 percent in Madagascar, 73 percent in Somalia, and 26 percent
people in South Africa are affected by poverty (Human, 2021). This grim picture
of poverty can be seen in almost all countries except a few countries on the
African continent.
Poverty in Europe
There are many developed
countries in Europe, but there is still a shadow of poverty in these developed
countries. The extreme effects of poverty can also be seen in many
underdeveloped countries (Florez, 2018). Europe's economy suffered greatly as a
result of two successive world wars. Some countries have not yet been able to
recover from that loss (Poorest Countries in Europe 2021). The effects of
poverty are mainly due to low incomes, severe material deprivation, and social
inequality in European countries. Due to social inequality such as poverty,
being part of a minority group, and caste and gender inequality, many people
are not able to enjoy their civic benefits properly. They can’t finance them
properly (Florez, 2018). As a result, they fall into poverty. In the 27
countries of the European Union, 92.4 million people live below the poverty
line. About 21.1 percent of the EU's population lives in poverty (Schutter, 2021).
Moldova, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus,
Montenegro, and Bulgaria are among the poorest countries in Europe (Poorest
Countries in Europe 2021).
Ways to Eradicate
Poverty
A terrible Social
disease called poverty is disrupting the normal life of the people. To get rid
of this problem, the government of each country must take effective steps.
Various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) need to come forward also to
tackle the problem of poverty. Poverty alleviation must first stop the global
population growth. Because the main cause of poverty is the massive increase in
the world's population. Initiatives need to be taken to reduce various social
inequalities. Need to create employment to reduce the problem of unemployment.
Need to create self-employment. Corruption must be reduced in every sector of
the country. Government must take action to control the rise in commodity
prices. Effective steps must be taken to deal with natural disasters. Relief
assistance should be provided to the poor. Various effective measures need to
be taken to alleviate poverty, including increasing the rate of education among
the poor.
Conclusion
Poverty is one of the toughest global problems. Population control and eradication of illiteracy and increasing the level of production in agriculture and industry can have a significant impact on poverty alleviation as a result of increasing the quality of life of the people. People around the world need to be empathetic towards each other in order to alleviate poverty.
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