how geg reform could reduce poverty and support development six problems and six options steve bass,...
TRANSCRIPT
How GEG reform could reduce poverty and
support developmentSix problems and six options
Steve Bass, IIED – [email protected]
16.10.2007
6 poverty problems call for GEG reform1. Poor people face disproportionate environmental deprivations
and hazards, constraining their development env assets = 2/3 rural poor income; loss to hazards LDCs 5x OECD
2. Yet environment is not integral to current development policy MDG7 an add-on; ‘env-blind’ poverty alleviation raids nature
3. And development is not integral to GEG policy ‘sus use’ OK; but dominant env culture neglects local rights/needs
4. Consequently, GEG regimes tend either to exert little real force GEG totally marginalised by mainstream governance in LDCs…
5. Or local implementation of GEG entrenches local dev problems ‘poverty-blind’ protected areas displace poor people
6. Poverty reduction & environmental initiatives are too separate this raises costs & denies synergy; yet <1 billion in 25 BD hotspots
6 GEG options to tackle poverty1. Knowledge-based policy – routine Mill Eco Asst national/global
use in wealth accounts, poverty/household monitoring, aid reviews
2. Highlight and improve aid effectiveness – alongside GEG env in PRS/governance work; engage DAC/PEP; track GEG/aid $$
3. Get a ‘development’ theme going across GEG/SBSTAs catalog rates of return to env investment; identify dev implications
of tipping points; work with UN P/E Initiative in 25 countries; PCLG
4. Construct GEG from bottom-up: a ‘pyramid of participation’ local ground-truthing/innovation; integrated country report (OECS)
5. Greatly scale up direct payments to poor people for GPGs C/BD schemes/standards recognise their rights, capacities, needs
6. Generate systemic GEG vision informed by dev links humanitarian charter, clear ecol principles, SD ‘global civil code’