Poverty Reduction Research Articles

Achieving sustainable development in ECOWAS countries: the impact of trade openness, poverty and human capital

This study investigates the relationship among trade openness, poverty, and human capital development in the pursuit of sustainable development across a panel of ten ECOWAS economies over a 34-year period (1987–2020). Specifically, it examines the roles of trade openness, poverty, and human capital development in sustainable development, while also exploring the moderating role of trade openness on the poverty-sustainable development relationship within the ECOWAS region. To conduct this analysis, the study employs panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) using both the Pool Mean Group (PMG) estimator and Cross-Sectional Autoregressive Distributed Lag (CS-ARDL) techniques, taking into account cross-sectional dependence, cointegration, and other relevant diagnostic tests. The findings indicate that poverty has a consistent negative long-run impact on sustainable development, while human capital is positively associated with sustainability over the long term. Trade openness lacks a significant relationship with sustainability in both the short and long run. Inflation is insignificantly related to sustainability. Exchange rates demonstrate mixed effects. In terms of moderation, trade openness positively and significantly moderates the poverty-sustainability relationship in the long run but not the short run. Robustness testing using the AMG and P-OLS models further validates the significant positive impact of human capital and the insignificant effect of trade openness on sustainable development. Given poverty’s significant negative association and human capital’s positive link with sustainable development, the findings suggest the need for integrated policy mixes prioritizing multidimensional poverty reduction and human capability enhancement to promote sustainability objectives across both short- and long-term horizons in ECOWAS countries. Furthermore, prudent management of exchange rates and well-designed trade policies should complement these efforts to mitigate potential risks and harness any benefits for sustainability.

Unpacking rural-urban clientelist networks

ABSTRACT Despite the importance of public goods provisioning for poverty reduction, empirical evidence shows gross under-provision of state resources in developing countries. This results in the establishment of clientelist networks between people of unequal social status. However, clientelism is not homogenous. It varies based on the environment in which it is cultivated. Using household-level data from villages and urban slums in Pakistan, we provide a rare direct comparison of rural and urban clientelism. We find that the clientelist exchange bundle varies depending on geography and settlement structure (landholding patterns in villages and legal status in slums). While rural brokers include public goods provisioning in their exchange bundle, urban brokers have to rely on more personal services to maintain their network. Our main finding then is that rural clientelist networks are more pervasive, vary in nature, and perform more functions than their urban counterparts.

On the Nexus between Climate Change, Poverty and Failure of Justice

Abstract Effective delivery of justice – especially in developing countries – is being severely compromised by several factors, one of which is climate change. The article discusses the narrow but important nexus between climate change, poverty and effective justice delivery, with particular reference to the poor and the vulnerable in Nigeria. The article considers the impact of climate change on access to justice from two angles. The first factor is that people cannot access the courts physically due to climate change-induced events such as flooding. The second is that the courts, and the judges themselves, are impeded physically in the functioning and delivering of justice due to climate change-induced events. The article calls on the government to strengthen its laws and harmonise its policies on climate change and poverty eradication for more effective long-term adaptation especially as it relates to poor and vulnerable people.

Building responsible and sustainable supply chain frameworks: limits of international investment law and the CSR initiatives taken by the EU and China

ABSTRACT Supply chains play a pivotal role in global economic relations, fostering growth, employment, and poverty alleviation. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are central actors in these chains, bearing responsibilities towards workers and the environment. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards guide MNEs in assessing the societal and environmental impacts of their activities, though these standards remain largely voluntary. Recent investment treaty practice shows a trend to incorporate CSR provisions in international investment agreements (IIAs), but such clauses fail to impose direct human rights, labour and environmental obligations on investors. Amidst this landscape, the EU and China, major players in global trade and investment, have established diverging legal and policy frameworks to build responsible and sustainable supply chains. Considering these developments, the objectives of this article are twofold. First, the article explores the integration of CSR in international investment law. Second, it evaluates the different CSR initiatives taken by the EU and China that frame their foreign direct investments. Focusing on EU–China FDI relations, the article delineates implications for global supply chain governance offering insights into the evolving landscape of CSR frameworks, and the plagued path in adopting mandatory corporate responsibility standards.

Research on the Assessment Method of College Students' Financial Difficulty Index in the Context of Big Data Based on AHP Algorithm

The emergence of big data has allowed researchers to study people's financial struggles in greater detail. Among various kinds of difficulties, the financial barriers preventing low-income children from enrolling in higher education have received significant attention. Therefore, this paper uses the AHP algorithm and proposes a college student poverty index assessment method, aiming to provide a reference basis for the normal enrollment of children from low-income families by comprehensively analyzing various factors. This paper first constructs a hierarchical model to decompose the college student poverty problem into multiple influencing factors. Then, the AHP algorithm was utilized to calculate each factor's weights and consistency test, and each factor's relative importance was derived. As a result, each college student's poverty index was calculated using the comprehensive score method. The results show that the assessment method can reflect the degree of economic and social difficulties of college students from low-income families with better accuracy, providing a reliable reference value for promoting them in regular college enrollment. At the same time, the method can also be used in the government's formulation of poverty alleviation policies and the school's educational assistance work.

Impact of photovoltaic power generation on poverty alleviation in Jiangsu, China

The photovoltaic poverty alleviation project, part of the “Ten Major Precise Poverty Alleviation Projects” implemented by the Poverty Alleviation Office of the State Council, significantly contributes to eradicating poverty and rural revitalization. A difference-in-differences model was utilized in this study to assess this project's impact on rural households. This analysis used tracking data from households both with photovoltaic equipment installed and without in “S Town,” Jiangsu Province, from 2017 to 2021. The results indicate that photovoltaic installations lead to an increase in per capita disposable income, hence reducing poverty. However, further analysis suggests that better health and work capacity in disadvantaged households correlate with lesser benefits from the photovoltaic project in terms of income. The policy implications of these findings include a necessity for developing innovative models in the photovoltaic sector to enhance conditions for farmers, reducing their dependence on government subsidies.

Tourism's contribution to human development and the reduction of poverty and inequality: Empirical evidence at a regional level in Spain

AbstractScientific literature has begun to analyze the capacity of tourism as a development instrument, although until now, it has relied on a country level focus. This innovative work analyzes the relationship between tourism and development at a regional level, establishing the hypothesis that tourism affects different dimensions of development (human development, poverty, and income inequality) and, furthermore, that differences exist at a regional level within the same country. Regional data from Spain are used for the 2004–2021 period, applying the Dumitrescu and Hurlin causality test to analyze the relationships between these variables in global terms while also disaggregating between touristic and non‐touristic regions. The results only verify that tourism has a positive effect on improving human development in regions of high tourism intensity. These results suggest the need for tourism policies that are linked to the regional administrative level.

Savings behavior among low-income individuals in Nigeria: a behavioral economics perspective

Low-income individual's savings behavior is of essence in economics and development studies, more so in developing countries like Nigeria. This study considers low-income earners in Nigeria, looking at their savings behavior from the perspective of behavioral economics, with regard to economic incentives, psychological factors, and socio-cultural influences. In this qualitative study, data were collected through in-depth interviews among low-income earners in Nigeria. The data analysis was done using methods to identify major factors that affect savings behavior. The present study finds that low-income people in Nigeria display saving behavior for a variety of factors. It is driven by economic incentives, including access to formal financial services and competitive interest rates. Subject to several psychological factors, such as loss aversion and present bias. Socio-cultural norms influence individual savings efforts through traditional savings practices and community obligations. Moreover, low financial literacy and, accordingly, limited accessibility of financial education are major barriers to effectively saving among this category of people. The findings add to the literature available on household finance and poverty alleviation in Nigeria and other developing countries. It provides valuable insights for policymakers, financial institutions, and development practitioners in creating tailored interventions and financial products that would meet specific needs among low-income earners. The findings of this study unveil the potential of savings to absorb economic shocks, finance productive assets, and increase the level of financial inclusion amongst poor communities meaning that adopting integrated measures—economic, psychological, and socio-cultural—enhances the weak saving habits of low-income earners in Nigeria.

Transforming lives: The impact of integrated rural development program (IRDP) on poverty alleviation in Himachal Pradesh

Transforming lives: The impact of integrated rural development program (IRDP) on poverty alleviation in Himachal Pradesh

Role of MGNREGA in poverty alleviation in Himachal Pradesh: A comprehensive analysis

Role of MGNREGA in poverty alleviation in Himachal Pradesh: A comprehensive analysis

Alleviating poverty for common prosperity: The role of Fupinguan in an E-tailing supply chain

To alleviate poverty, e-tailers in China have established special web portals or channels, known as Fupinguans (FPGs), to sell products from poor suppliers in rural areas. This paper investigates the underlying mechanism of FPGs in poverty alleviation (PA) and explores their implications for the common prosperity of stakeholders. We consider an e-tailing supply chain where an e-tailer sells substitutes from a poor supplier (characterized by production inefficiency and capital shortage) and a normal supplier to PA-conscious consumers. The benchmark analyses show that the poor supplier faces hurdles in participating due to cost disadvantages in competition. The traditional PA strategy of loan interest subsidies, employed by the e-tailer, can involve the poor supplier in the supply chain by reducing its costs. However, this strategy can mitigate (not eliminate) the poor supplier's cost disadvantage while hurting the normal supplier. Instead, the FPG strategy will provide the poor supplier with a market advantage while indirectly triggering a spillover effect on the normal supplier's product. In this light, the FPG strategy can eliminate or even reverse the poor supplier's competitive disadvantage while benefiting the normal supplier and all stakeholders. Consequently, it can dominate the traditional strategy when the e-tailer has an insufficient financing capability or efficient FPG investment. The e-tailer's FPG investment incentive decreases with the cost disadvantage, whereas competition can strengthen this incentive when the cost disadvantage or competition intensity is sufficiently low. These findings position FPGs as novel business opportunities that align with the ethos of doing well by doing good.

POVERTY ERADICATION OF SHIFTING CULTIVATORS THROUGH BAMBOO CULTIVATION: A CASE STUDY OF NORTH DISTRICT OF TRIPURA, INDIA

The study makes an attempt to assess the poverty eradication of Jhumias through the bamboo cultivation in North Tripura district of Tripura. The present study is an empirical study based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data was collected with the help of a well-structured questionnaire from 120 bamboo cultivator households randomly (who previously involved in shifting cultivation) selected from the three subdivisions of the North Tripura district. The result indicates that poverty among the shifting cultivators are reduced after rehabilitation through the bamboo cultivation. The headcount index, poverty gap index, human poverty index and multidimensional poverty index showed that during shifting cultivation respectively 100 per cent, 87 per cent, 88.2 per cent and 90 per cent jhumias were fallen under the poverty line in North Tripura district. It means intensity of poverty were very high during the shifting cultivation period. Headcount index, poverty gap index, human poverty index and multidimensional poverty index showed that after rehabilitation of jhumias through the bamboo cultivation respectively zero per cent, zero per cent, 3.29 per cent and 0.3 per cent are under the poverty line. It means poverty among the jhumias are effectively reduced after bamboo cultivation. Thus the paper suggests that bamboo cultivation will be a useful strategy for rehabilitation of jhumias and poverty eradication.

A Study on Corporate Social Responsibility of Selected Public and Private Sector Banks in India

In the present times Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays a major role in banking and other sectors in achieving their objectives. In India the companies are adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices at a very fast rate due to their ethical standards as well as due to the requirements of the law. The companies are aware about their critical role in the society. The banking sector is no exception in this context. They are also adopting Corporate Social Responsibility practices. The public as well as private sector banks have already initiated many social and economic welfare programs which includes community welfare, education, environment protection, poverty eradication, health and medical care, rural area development etc. In the present study the Corporate Social Responsibility practices of banks has been studied. For this purpose, one bank from public and one from private sector has been selected. The public sector bank chosen for the study is State Bank of India and HDFC Bank has been selected from the private sector banks. The study analyzed and compared the total expenditure incurred by the banks on various Corporate Social Responsibility activities. The study found that both the banks have increased their spending on corporate social responsibility activities.

FinTech and sustainable development: A systematic thematic analysis using human- and machine-generated processing

We conducted a systematic literature review by integrating FinTech with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By focusing on three dimensions (inclusive finance, economy, and environment), we identify how FinTech may influence sustainable development. We innovate using human- and machine-generated processing to develop themes, making systematic literature reviews more objective and advancing replicability and reproducibility. This study demonstrates the contribution of FinTech in expanding the investment opportunity set by including environmental projects and increasing the diversity and participation rates of savers and lenders. Through this process, FinTech increases its market completeness. Accordingly, FinTech can increase economic growth by achieving higher productivity and sustainable growth through diversification, technological upgrades, entrepreneurship, creativity, and innovation. Additionally, FinTech can accelerate investments in poverty eradication and reduce income inequality. These contributions are aligned with specific SDGs and show that FinTech is an appropriate new technology for financial services.

Poverty measurements in the small-scale fishery of Liberia: A step towards poverty eradication

Poverty measurements in the small-scale fishery of Liberia: A step towards poverty eradication

A Study on Corporate Social Responsibility of Selected Public and Private Sector Banks in India

In the present times Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plays a major role in banking and other sectors in achieving their objectives. In India the companies are adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices at a very fast rate due to their ethical standards as well as due to the requirements of the law. The companies are aware about their critical role in the society. The banking sector is no exception in this context. They are also adopting Corporate Social Responsibility practices. The public as well as private sector banks have already initiated many social and economic welfare programs which includes community welfare, education, environment protection, poverty eradication, health and medical care, rural area development etc. In the present study the Corporate Social Responsibility practices of banks has been studied. For this purpose, one bank from public and one from private sector has been selected. The public sector bank chosen for the study is State Bank of India and HDFC Bank has been selected from the private sector banks. The study analyzed and compared the total expenditure incurred by the banks on various Corporate Social Responsibility activities. The study found that both the banks have increased their spending on corporate social responsibility activities.

Tác động tài chính toàn diện kỹ thuật số đến xoá đói giảm nghèo tại Việt Nam

The study investigates the role of digital inclusive finance in poverty reduction in Vietnam on the basis of panel data from 63 provinces in the period 2018-2022 using the GLS model. It was presented that increasing digital inclusive finance in recent years has helped many regions and provinces significantly reduce poverty rates. This result is also influenced by factors such as regional GDP, Gini coefficient, and level of urbanization. The study contributes a scientific and empirical evidences so that policymakers propose a number of recommendations to enhance the role of digital inclusive finance, thereby supporting Vietnam's sustainable development goals in the near future.

The political economy of mini-grid electricity development and innovation in Kenya

Accessible and affordable energy services are a prerequisite for socioeconomic growth and poverty reduction. Yet it is estimated that 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa will not have access to electricity in 2030. Recent research suggests that universal access to electricity will be achieved through a mix of centralized and decentralized systems and that the diffusion of these technologies is a socio-technical process involving multiple actors. These actors include firms, networks, energy users, and government agencies that interact within a political landscape to deliver innovation within energy service systems. Thus, factors related to the political economy can impact the process of innovation and warrant analysis. This study aims to provide an analysis of the political economy factors that can influence the emergence of mini grid electricity development in the African context exemplified in Kenya as a case study. The study uses the Technology Innovation Systems (TIS) lens as an analytical framework to provide a critical analysis of how political economy factors have influenced the development of mini grid electricity in Kenya. The result shows that despite the presence of some favorable conditions for innovation, political economy factors significantly impede the deployment of mini grids in Kenya. Power and vested interests have created negative competition between public and private developers, limiting knowledge and information diffusion between actors and stalling mini grid developments where they are most needed.

Conditional Monetary Transfers in Commune 1 of Medellín and the Perception of its Inhabitants about Poverty Reduction

Conditional Monetary Transfers in Commune 1 of Medellín and the Perception of its Inhabitants about Poverty Reduction

From manure to megawatts: Navigating the sustainable innovation solution through biogas production from livestock waste for harnessing green energy for green economy

This article aims to provide a systematic review of the literature on animal biomass and biogas plants through an analysis of externalities and benefits in economic, social, and environmental terms. In recent years, the spread of biogas plants has played an important role, especially in rural areas, generating benefits not only for the individual farm but for entire communities, contributing to the reduction of energy poverty and, at the same time, promoting the production of energy and organic manure. In light of the findings, the study argues that: (a) more public subsidies are needed; (b) the deployment of an appropriate policy mix would encourage the spread of small and medium-sized plants, with a reduction in road transport; and (c) targeted and diversified investments are needed on a geographic-by-geographic basis.