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The role of ecological theory and practice in poverty alleviation and environmental conservation
Author(s) -
DeClerck Fabrice,
Ingram Jane C.,
Rumbaitis del Rio Cristina M.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/1540-9295(2006)4[533:troeta]2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - poverty , millennium development goals , sustainable development , extreme poverty , development economics , environmental planning , environmental resource management , ecology , economic growth , geography , economics , biology
The fight against global poverty has gained momentum following the creation of the Millennium Development Goals, which aim to halve extreme poverty by 2015. Traditionally, ecologists have not played leading roles in poverty alleviation. Yet, knowledge of ecosystem functions and processes can be applied to improve the lives of millions of people, suffering from hunger, lacking clean drinking water and reliable, efficient energy sources, dying from preventable diseases, and suffering disproportionately from natural disasters. Here, we describe ways in which ecologists can apply ecological theory and tools to help improve the efficacy of poverty alleviation programs.