Human Rights, Poverty Reduction, and Environment: Are They Complementary or Competing Concepts?

Abstract

This writing clearly shows as Human Rights and Environmental protection on one side, and Human Rights and Poverty Reduction on the other side are complementary than competing concepts. Results of different literature review indicate that human rights and environment are mutual supportive because damage to one of them undermine the enjoyment of the other. At same time poverty mean infringement on human rights but not social problem from human rights perspective. Environmental protection may be cast as a means to the end of fulfilling human rights standards. Also human rights serve as tool to achieve adequate levels of environmental protection and promotion of procedural or participatory rights, right to information, and right of access to justice and redress in connection with environmental concerns. International treaties show that poverty and environmental concerns are closely linked and cannot be tackled in isolation. Poverty reduction and improved environmental outcomes mean improvement in the health of poor peoples’. Economic development and poverty reduction strongly depend on improving management of the environment and natural resources, the natural capital of the poor. Environmental management cannot be treated separately from other development concerns, but requires integration into poverty reduction and sustainable development efforts.

Keywords: Human Rights, Poverty Reduction, Environmental Protection, Complementary, and Competing

DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/76-01

Publication date:September 30^th 2019