Rural Poverty and Environment - Essay Example

RURAL POVERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT The article Environment and Development (p487) s that, "environmental destruction and high fertility go hand in hand, they are both direct outgrowths of absolute poverty." Accordingly, the issues of "landlessness, poverty and lack of access to institutional resources" must first be addressed. The government must institute policies that would answer these issues. Policy options must be economical, practical, and possible of immediate enforcement.POLICY OPTIONSPolicy options in developing countries to answer the issues of landlessness, poverty and lack of access to institutional resources are already in progress one way or the other.

Andrew Steer in his article "Ten Principles of the New Environmentalism" agrees that "about one hundred countries have now prepared national environmental strategies, and tangible changes in addressing environmental issues are apparent in about half this number."(p.230)Guided by the Article on Policy Options in Developing Countries (p512) an examination of its implementation to the context of a third world country, the Philippines, for better understanding and evaluation is hereby presented: 1) Proper resource pricing is instituting programs that are truly for the poor.

The determination of whether the programs are really pro poor is the primary function of the local government unit. It is this arm of government at the local level that is able to determine the needs of its constituents and how these needs may be met. The autonomy granted to the local government by the 1986 constitution empowers them to tap resources of the government like the Department of Social Welfare and Development to help them monitor that such programs really benefit the needy.2) Community involvement ensures that the programs to improve environmental conditions are implemented successfully.

The common interest of protecting the forest from further destruction binding the forest rangers, the people of the town and the government officials makes them alert to watch, arrest and bring under the law poachers, loggers, and "kaingin" farmers. "Kaingin" farmers are landless farmers who burn forests down to use the land for planting crops in. 3) Clearer property rights and resource ownership for the landless farmers were resolved with the legalization of tenure brought about by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Landless farmers were allocated land to which transfer of ownership is made upon completion of payment by the farmer in installments of the value of the property. In the meantime he has possession and use of the same under the auspices of the farmer cooperative and the government. The cooperative works with the government to provide training, loans (for seeds, fertilizers, pesticides), and other assistance to farmers. This includes training and support for other livelihood programs for the other members of the family.4) Improving economic alternatives to the poor in the form of livelihood programs, and other sustainable farming techniques are being made available to the farmer through the local government, the cooperatives and the Department of Agrarian Reform. 5) Raising the economic status of women through education and livelihood programs provides women with an increasing range of economic alternatives.

They are also given the choice to pursue the same and have control over their choices. Covering even birth control which is available at all rural and urban health centers. The possible effect of this on the decrease or increase in population cannot as yet be determined. At the present time, studies are not absolute since the Catholic religion to which the majority of the population belongs does not approve of the use of contraceptives. 6) Policies to abate industrial emissions have been put in place with the enactment of the Clean Air Act.

By the power of taxation by the state, it is able to control the number of industries that release toxic emissions by enforcing higher taxes. Control over these industries are further imposed by the need to obtain the necessary environmental compliance certificate yearly which allows the government to inspect and conduct emission test.7) And finally, taking a proactive stance toward adapting to climate change and environmental degradation is a commitment that must be embraced by the people and passed onto their children.

The necessary laws have been enacted by the Congress. It has also created the proper government agency to address environmental concerns, the Philippine Environmental Management Bureau. What is needed is to ensure its implementation. The people must be vigilant to inform the government if there are lapses in its implementation. Hence further implementation and monitoring is necessary to ensure the success of these policies.1) Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of the Philippines. Retrieved from http://www.dar.gov.

ph/ Law that sets the rules on giving landless farmers land and organizing a cooperative to help them pay for the land. The cooperative mediates between the Government and the farmers. The cooperative gathers its members to attend livelihood programs sponsored by the government and non-government organizations2) Reyes Reyes, C. (2009, August 8). Arroyo signs law extending CARP. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view/20090808-219288/Arroyo-signs-law-extending-CARPArticle that provides extent of CARP Law and the necessity of even extending the same for several years to come.3) Department of Agrarian Reform of the Philippines.

Retrieved from http://www.dar.gov.ph/Government Agency that also provides farmers with better technology in farming. 4) Villafania, A. (2007, October 4). TESDA tries online registration of tech-voc schools. Inquirer.net. Retrieved from http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20070410-59443/TESDA_tries_online_registration_of_tech-voc_schoolsThe Technical Education and Skill Development Authority (TESDA) is a government organization that deals with providing vocational and livelihood programs open to all.

They provide not only the "know-how" but also contacts for supplies and marketing of end products.5) (2007, December 21). The Dahon Program: Helping turn a new leaf. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/super/view/20071221-108247/The_Dahon_Program%3A_Helping_turn_a_new_leafNon-government Organization providing farmers with the "know-how" for farming technology and livelihood programs6) Kaingin Destroying Negros Forests. The Inquirer. Retrieved fromhttp://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/visayas/view/20070511-65390/Kaingin_destroying_NegOr_forestsKaingin or "slash and burn" farming wherein forest land is burned down unlawfully to be used for cultivation by landless farmers