Abstract

While the proportion and numbers of Pakistanis below the poverty line have declined over time, the record on human resource development is still poor, primarily due to the low level of public expenditure on education and health.  Given that poverty and environmental degradation are mutually reinforcing problems, the paper traces three links in their complex relationship: the greater likelihood that the poor will be victims of environmental degradation; the adverse effect of the poor on their environment; and the lack of institutions to protect the rights of the poor.  In order to break this vicious circle, the paper calls for investment in human development, and especially in education and health for the majority.  This can be done at the local level through appropriate infrastructure investment, building upon the success of participatory and community based programmes, and at the national level through legal and administrative reform.

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