Does poverty cause environmental degradation? Evidence from waste management practices of the squatter and low‐cost flat housholds in Kuala Lumpur
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/20425945201000018 |
| Pages | 275-289 |
| Published date | 01 August 2010 |
| Date | 01 August 2010 |
| Author | Wahid Murad,Nik Hashim Nik Mustapha |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
World Journal of Science, Technology & Sustainable Development, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2010
275
Copyright © 2010 WASD
Abstract: This study examines whether or not the waste management practices
of the poor households living in squatters and low-cost flats in Kuala Lumpur
are conducive to the environment. With the aim of accomplishing the above, the
study empirically assesses knowledge, attitude and behaviour of the urban poor
concerning their household solid waste management. With primary data collected
from the level of living condition and waste management practices of the urban
poor, the study employed a multiplicity of statistical techniques such as t-tests of
equality of means, one-way analysis of variance, chi-square ‘likelihood ratio’ tests,
and descriptive statistics. The findings of the study provide evidence to the effect
that poverty does not cause environmental degradation as the knowledge, attitude,
and behaviour of the urban poor concerning solid waste management are found
to have been conducive to the environment. The study suggests that the problems
of poverty and environment need to be seen differently as the causal relationship
between the two does actually depend on the level of socioeconomic profile and
the type of environmental practices of a particular group of community.
Keywords: Poverty, Environment, Solid Waste Management, Urban Poor, Kuala
Lumpur City.
Md. Wahid Murad1
and Nik Hashim Nik Mustapha2
University of Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia
DOES POVERTY CAUSE ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION? – EVIDENCE FROM
WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES OF
THE SQUATTER AND LOW-COST FLAT
HOUSEHOLDS IN KUALA LUMPUR
INTRODUCTION
The actual relationship between poverty
and environmental degradation is still un-
clear. Since the 1970s it has been almost
universally agreed that poverty and environ-
mental degradation are inextricably linked
and thus the alleviation of poverty has
been identified as the major prerequisite
of any effective environmental policy. The
World Commission on Environment and
Development (1987) stated “Poverty is a
major cause and effect of global environ-
mental problems. It is therefore futile to at-
tempt to deal with environmental problems
without a broader perspective that encom-
passes the factors underlying world poverty
and international inequality”. The linkages
1 Department of Economics, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Malaysia Terengganu (UMT),
21030 Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, E-mail: mwmurad@yahoo.com
2 Department of Economics, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Malaysia Terengganu (UMT),
21030 Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, E-mail: nhm06@umt.edu.my
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