The Environment‐poverty Nexus in Evaluation: Implications for the Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of evaluation in the context of sustainable development. It focuses on the so called environment-poverty nexus where issues of environmental conservation and management meet the social and economic development needs. Given the threats to the global environment and the forces of economic development that work against it, it is crucial that environmental policies, strategies, programmes and projects are designed and implemented in an effective manner producing lasting impacts. Evaluation is a central tool for analysing what works, why and under what circumstances to inform policy making and programme design. Environmental evaluation faces specific challenges due to the complex nature of the environment-poverty nexus. Based on a review of evaluation literature and practical experiences with evaluations conducted on the nexus in the international development arena, the article draws lessons for evaluating sustainable development. It concludes by suggesting that strong evaluation be built into the new Sustainable Development Goals.This article focuses on approaches to evaluate the nexus between environment and poverty in international development. The first section briefly reviews where the international community stands now that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been approved by member states. The next section highlights challenges that are posing strains on the global environment and sustainability of human societies. The article then moves on to evaluation, drawing lessons from evaluation studies that have been conducted in the context of international cooperation. The following section considers the implications for evaluation approaches. The article concludes by suggesting implications for evaluating the SDGs and pulling together some lessons for the evaluation of the environment-poverty nexus and sustainable development.

An empirical study on correlation among poverty, inclusive finance, and CO2 emissions in China

“…From the overall level, poverty exerts a significantly negative effect on carbon emissions in China. The finding is consistent with the report from Uitto (2016). In this sense, it is noteworthy that poverty alleviation in China may lead to environmental degradation.…”

Financial crises and the attainment of the SDGs: an adjusted multidimensional poverty approach

“…Of course, both the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (M.E.A 2005) and now the SDGs encourage such an integrated approach to poverty alleviation, wellbeing and sustainable environmental management. Existing literature points to trade-offs between poverty and the environment and the need for decisions in alleviating poverty to be taken with explicit consideration for environmental and ecological trade-offs (Uitto 2016;Schreckenberg et al 2018). For instance, intensification of agriculture or timber production may help lifting groups out of poverty, but will likely have adverse, unsustainable effects on natural habitats and biodiversity.…”

Unlocking the Delimma of Environmental Sustainability and Poverty in Nigeria: A Case Study of Bayelsa State

“…Poor people are paradoxically affected most by an increasingly deteriorating environment (Uitto, 2016), making it very difficult for them to come out of the poverty circle. The poverty and environment relationship have taken a multi-dimensional perspective due to the complexity of inter-connectivity discovered in the two factors such that a sustainable environment is a prerequisite for poverty eradication and verse-versa.…”

“…The poverty and environment relationship have taken a multi-dimensional perspective due to the complexity of inter-connectivity discovered in the two factors such that a sustainable environment is a prerequisite for poverty eradication and verse-versa. The world today is facing very difficult challenges bordering on the eradication of poverty and closing the widening gap of inequality between and within countries, as environmental degradation and climate change are contending issues threatening the sustainability of the environment that human beings depend on to meet their livelihoods (Uitto, 2016). Michael & Louis, 2017).…”