Understanding Poverty and the Environment

Does poverty lead to environmental degradation? Do degraded environments and natural resources lead to poverty? Or are there other forces at play? Is the relationship between poverty and the environment really as straightforward as the vicious circle portrayal of ‘poverty leading to environmental destruction leading to more poverty’ would suggest? Does it matter if the relationship is portrayed in this way? Recommended further reading draws on published material from the last thirty years as well as key contemporary publications, steering readers towards essential key texts and authors for each topic. Themes examined include power, access, institutions and scale.