WB On Poverty Alleviation
POVERTY has been a global problem in the
world in general and Third World countries in particular. A large chunk of global
population is poor and backward who are unable to meet their most basic needs. All Third
World governments as well as some donors have accorded high priority in their development
programmes to poverty alleviation . As poverty has impaired all fronts and sectors of
development activities, poverty eradication has been a single most challenge of the world.
The World Bank released its World Development Report-2000/2001 the other day which has
also focused more on poverty alleviation that has afflicted the major chunk of world
population. These absolute poor people do not have access to safe food, shelter, safe
drinking water, health care facilities and education. The menace of poverty is, in fact,
increasing every year instead of receding. Against this background, the World Bank
conducted a detailed research on world poverty and impact of programmes launched in the
name of poverty alleviation. As the World Bank has been involved in poverty eradication in
the world for the last few years, the report has recommended some fundamental and
comprehensive approaches and measures to attack massive poverty in the world. This
approach, as the World Bank report has pointed out, needs to directly address absolute
poor population in the world in areas like creating opportunities, empowerment and
security. It is true that unless people are freed from the shackles of poverty, the world
cannot be safer and better place to live. In order to reduce and eradicate poverty,
economic opportunities are to be created for the absolute poor people. Besides, education,
human resource development employment are another aspects that have direct bearing in
poverty reduction. These are the areas the World Bank report has suggested the governments
of the developing countries to give more attention for attacking poverty. Nepal is also
one of the poor countries in the world where over 42 per cent people are absolute poor.
The government has taken poverty as the main hurdle of its development endeavour and
accorded top priority to poverty alleviation in its development plans and programmes.
Accordingly, the government has prioritised some areas, like the ones the World Bank has
recommended, for attacking poverty in the country. If employment opportunities were
created and access to fundamental and basic needs provided, the population which is
currently living in absolute poverty, can take equal part in country’s development,
which would help transform the social and economic condition of the nation.
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