Why is the urban environment important to poverty reduction?
The urban environment and poverty are closely linked. The lack of clean water, refuse collection, adequate sanitation, shelter and drainage have devastating impacts on health. They eat up time as people care for the sick, queue for water or to use toilets, or struggle to move about the area. They cost money in medical bills and high charges. They rob people of dignity and emphasise their lack of power. A poor environment is a cause of poverty, and in turn poverty contributes to the poor environment. Urban populations in south Asia are expanding rapidly, placing enormous pressures on urban services. The proportion of urban residents living in slums is high and continues to grow. This project focuses on those environmental problems which have the most devastating impacts on the poorest sections of the urban population. The link between the urban environment and poverty are recognised internationally, for example in the MDGs. Goal 7 of ensuring environmental sustainability, for example, i
