摘要：The condition of the world's natural resource base in the year 2020 largely depends on whetherpoverty has been eradicated. Poverty and environmental degradation are closely linked, often in aself-perpetuating negative spiral in which poverty accelerates environmental degradation anddegradation results in or exacerbates poverty.Poverty is a significant, persistent problem in the developing world. An estimated 1.1 billionpeople live on less than a dollar a day, and their number is not expected to decline in the nearfuture. South Asia is home to half of the world's poor, but Sub-Saharan Africa is becoming thenew locus of poverty. Hunger is a major consequence of poverty. Over 700 million people do nothave access to enough food for healthy, productive lives, and more than 180 million children aresignificantly underweight.
