A summary of World Resources 2005: The Wealth of the Poor has just been released in french. The publication is a collaboration between WRI, the United Nations, and the World Bank.
For many of the 1.1 billion people living in severe poverty, nature is a daily lifeline. This is especially true for the rural poor, who comprise three-quarters of all poor households worldwide. Harvests from forests, fisheries, and farm fields are a primary source of rural income, and a fall-back when other sources of employment falter.
But programs to reduce poverty often fail to account for the important link between environment and the livelihoods of the rural poor. As a consequence, the full potential of ecosystems as a wealth-creating asset for the poor – not just a survival mechanism – has yet to be effectively tapped.
