Consequences of Poverty

Social
- >850 million in poor countries cannot read or write
- nearly 1 billion don't have access to clean water
- 2.4 billion don't have basic sanitation
- 11 million children <5 die from preventable diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, each year
- low life expectancy
- only basic infrastructure, poor quality roads, small airports and limited port facilities adds to disconnection
- extreme plight of minority groups

Economic
- lack of foreign investment
- 1/5 of the population lives on < $1 a day
- almost 1/2 live on < $2 a day
- poor employment prospects - largely dependent on a few primary exports
- poor countries lack the ability to pay for food, agricultural innovation and investment in rural development
- largely isolated from connections and globalisation
- low personal incomes - mainly inhabitants living below the poverty line

Environmental
- increased vulnerability due to natural disasters
- poor farming practices lead to environmental degradation
- lack capacity to adapt to climate change - climate change induced droughts
- raw materials exploited with limited economic benefit to poor countries and little concern for the environment --> landscapes devastated due to mining, deforestation and oil pollution
- however, in general, environments are less exploited and pressured, and some are in a pristine state

Political
- limited/no access to trading arrangements/trade blocs
- resources diverted if the country has internal or external conflicts
- usually strong link between development and stability of government
- corrupt government
- non-democratic governments or democracies that function poorly