Poverty can harm the world, too
By LIDA GEH
THE UN Environment Programme (Unep) has launched a campaign highlighting the impact of poverty on the environment through its theme for this year’s World Environment Day, Poverty and the Environment: Breaking the Vicious Circle.
This universal theme highlights how, driven by poverty, poor people (numbering 1.1 billion worldwide) destroy their own means of sustenance.
"A part of being poor means destroying today what could have sustained you tomorrow," according to the Unep press release.
The best example of this is in destitute Somalia where starving farmers eat their seed grain meant for a future harvest. Over-grazing of already denuded land leads to soil erosion leaving no fertile soil for subsistence.
This obviously prevents any betterment of the situation —no action for the future can be taken when such immediate issues as hunger and starvation must be given priority. Development real or sustainable is impossible.
The world’s indigenous people who survive on a bio-mass economy (obtaining food and fuels from the immediate environment) are both in and out of this category.
They fall into this group when their lands are encroached upon by outside forces, developers and loggers or when they are forced to settle enclosed areas.
At a certain threshold of poverty to which the indigenous are already reduced, they become disproportionately destructive.
On the other hand, left undisturbed they are responsible custodians of their land.
According to Alan Durning, senior researcher at World-watch Institute, in a World-watch paper, "where there are still indigenous peoples, you’ll usually find healthy eco-systems" and vice versa.
The 200 to 600 million indigenous people on earth steward an area larger than all the national parks and nature reserves put together.
Such stewardship is embedded in tribal people’s cultures:
For example the tribal laws of Brazilian Tukano people forbid them to fish beyond a certain area of river, otherwise the ancestors of the fish will kill one Tukano child for each fish caught on this forbidden stretch.
Without doubt though it is the indigenous and poor who subsist at the fringe, whether of the forest or of poverty, who are most vulnerable. It is the distribution of resources at the heart of the issue.
The most developed nations in the United States and Europe together subsist on more than 20% of the world’s agricultural land — on top of their own.
Said Puan Norhayati Mustapha, Principal Assistant Director of Information and Education, in the Department of Environment:
"Poverty and the Environment: Breaking the Vicious Circle at first seemed inconsistent with The Star’s theme One With Nature.
"However, in fact, the traditional lifestyle of native people actually sustains environmental stability. So in fact the official WED theme and The Star’s are fairly consistent."
The Department of Environment will take part in The Star’s Green Celebration, One With Nature, to be held at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong on June 6.
Recycling scraps for charity
IF THERE is more than one way to skin a cat, the same is certainly true for recycling cloth scraps.
As an effort to commemorate Environment Day on June 6, inmates of old folk’s homes and children’s homes will be making items out of leftover cloth, for sale.
These items will include vanity cases, shopping bags, pouches, and hairbands. They will all be of natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, viscose, silk, and canvas donated by Mun Loong Bhd who will also be helping to retail the items.
Advertising and promotion executive Jason Wong said: "All proceeds will go back to the homes. We hope shoppers will come and give us their support.
"Here’s your chance to recycle and do something for the homes at the same time."
Apart from commemorating the occasion, it is also an opportunity for charity homes to raise funds.
Charity homes, voluntary organisations and individuals who are interested in participating or helping charity homes to raise funds can contact Star Marketing Services Dept at ~ 03-757-8811 (ext 187/329).
Source : Sunday Star May 16 1993
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