Environmental Entitlements and the Rural Poor in South Africa

Abstract

While high expectations regarding the alleviation of poverty accompanied the advent of the new political dispensation in South Africa in 1994, little progress has been made. This article details the dynamics of what is commonly termed the “poverty-environment relationship” in South Africa and focuses the reader’s attention on the continued existence and effects of this phenomenon. The analysis points the way to various new approaches to fighting poverty which still occurs disproportionately among the black population of South Africa, and especially black women, while giving necessary consideration to the environment. The article focuses on factors that structure poor people’s access to environmental resources and their ability to make effective use of them.