Geo-Intelligence for Ecosystem Services in Poverty Alleviation and Food Security

Abstract

According to the World Bank, 9.2% of the global population is poor and surviving on $1.90 or less a day, a metric obtained based on a person’s income and ability to meet basic needs. However, considering other dimensions like health, education, and standards of living provide a robust estimate namely the Multidimensional Poverty Index. The Sustainable Development Goal Number 1 is on ending poverty in all its forms everywhere. On the other hand, achieving food security, improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture is captured in goal number 2. Although reports indicate significant progress in mitigating hunger, extreme hunger and malnutrition remain an impediment to development in many countries. Indeed, in 2017 an estimated 821 million people was found to be severely undernourished. The dimensions of food security are namely availability, access, utilization, and stability. Poverty and food insecurity are interrelated, for instance, economically challenged people tend to be more vulnerable to food prices shocks and access. Human beings rely on terrestrial ecosystem for survival from where it is estimated that over 90% of food comes from. It is also viewed as a source of economic activities by providing energy, water, and materials for construction, among many others. Consequently a sustainable approach in dealing with poverty and food insecurity cannot ignore ecosystem services. Ecosystem services in poverty reduction and food security is complex in nature due to the multi-dimensional data needs. This therefore necessitates a paradigm shift from the traditional geospatial data handling to the Geo-intelligence approach. This book chapter focuses on a framework of Geo-intelligence of ecosystem services in poverty reduction and food security with five sections: An Introduction; A review on poverty reduction and food security; Ecosystem Services in poverty reduction and food security; Geo-intelligence for Ecosystem Services in Poverty Alleviation and Food Security; and a Summary.