New report links Environmental degradation to Rural poverty
EDINBURGH (SCOTLAND) / BRUSSELS (BELGIUM), July 6, 2005 — A new report released today at the G8 summit in Scotland documents the direct links between economic globalization, environmental degradation and rural poverty through 26 stories from across the globe.
Media Advisory
Friends of the Earth International
The full report is online in English at /www.foei.org/publications/pdfs/poverty.pdf
The causes of rural poverty and the significance of natural resources in sustaining people’s livelihoods are at the core of the report ‘Nature: Poor People’s Wealth’ published by Friends of the Earth International.
“Poverty is the greatest shame and scandal of our era. As we kick off the 21st century, more than one billion people around the world live in extreme poverty. Some 70 percent of the world’s poor live in rural areas and depend upon their local environments for their daily survival,” said Friends of the Earth International Chair Meena Raman from Malaysia.
“We are calling for international financial institutions, trade bodies, corporations and governments to axe their socially and environmentally destructive policies that destroy natural wealth and create human poverty. We believe that the eradication of poverty is the most important challenge facing humankind today.”
The report shows many examples of how communities around the world are able to lead rich and fulfilling lives when they are in charge of their natural resources. Rural people, especially women and indigenous peoples, often have long-standing symbiotic relationships with their local environment that must be acknowledged and supported.
For more information contact:
Friends of the Earth International
Meena Raman, Chair, Friends of the Earth International: + 60-12430004 (Malaysian mobile number) or email
Simone Lovera of Friends of the Earth International +31-6-10897827 (Dutch mobile number) or email
