By Erika Kinetz
THE CAMBODIA DAILY
Even as economic conditions in Cambodia improve, the very poorest are being left behind, according to the preliminary results of a new study on poverty in the Tonle Sap region announced Tuesday in Phnom Penh.
The study, which was conducted by the Cambodia Development Resource Institute in collaboration with the National Institute of Statistics and the Asian Development Bank, drew on interviews and research conducted over eight months in 24 villages in six provinces around the Tonle Sap lake.
Despite the nation's economic growth, the very poor are frequently forced to live off the land, the study found. That land, however, is under growing threat CDRI found that the poor are often forced to sell their land to pay for medical care; they are out-fished by people with better—and often illegal—fishing equipment; and land concessions have eroded their access to natural resources.
Overall, women's growing presence in the labor market has not translated into better educational opportunities for girls or more decision making power within the household, according to the study.
The study also found that the poor don't have adequate means to address their problems. "[T]he fact that government institutions are perceived as part of the problem, rather than the solution, is in the medium to long term problematic," according to a summary of the findings.
The study, which was conducted by the Cambodia Development Resource Institute in collaboration with the National Institute of Statistics and the Asian Development Bank, drew on interviews and research conducted over eight months in 24 villages in six provinces around the Tonle Sap lake.
Despite the nation's economic growth, the very poor are frequently forced to live off the land, the study found. That land, however, is under growing threat CDRI found that the poor are often forced to sell their land to pay for medical care; they are out-fished by people with better—and often illegal—fishing equipment; and land concessions have eroded their access to natural resources.
Overall, women's growing presence in the labor market has not translated into better educational opportunities for girls or more decision making power within the household, according to the study.
The study also found that the poor don't have adequate means to address their problems. "[T]he fact that government institutions are perceived as part of the problem, rather than the solution, is in the medium to long term problematic," according to a summary of the findings.
No comments:
Post a Comment