Search Articles

Home / Articles

POVERTY, NATURAL DISASTERS AND CONFLIFTS IN PAKISTAN: IS THERE A CASUAL RELATIONSHIP?

. Naveed Jehan, Sajjad Ahmad Jan, Kashif Saeed and Majid Khan.


Abstract

Poverty has been remaining one of the pressing issues for humanity. In this study, we attempt to determine whether national poverty estimates are also valid for all the provinces of Pakistan. In addition, efforts are made to comprehend the causes and determinants of Pakistan's declining poverty trend. To this end, panel data analysis was carried out on different point of times from 2001 to 2018. The random effect model was applied after Hausman specification test. The result confirmed that natural disasters and terrorism incidences are positively associated with poverty head counts. Terrorism and natural disasters incidence increase poverty by 2.2 and 6 percent respectively. Social protection decrease poverty by 27.7 percent. Current expenditures, both provincial and federal, respond to decline poverty at the rate of 6.9 and 25.2 percent, respectively. Industry can help by providing more goods for a better life standard. Government should make functional the non-functional industrial units at Gaddon and Hattar industrial estates. Rashakai economic zone which is part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) be developed on priority basis. Trade with neighboring countries should be given more priority. The loopholes in safety net programs should be overcome and duplication of beneficiaries from different safety net strategies be avoided. Forestation and reduced deforestation can help to minimize natural shocks and disasters. Climate shocks can be mitigated by closely monitoring forestation drives such as the billion-tree tsunami and enforcing strong penalties for forest removal.

 

Keywords: Natural Disaster, Pakistan, Poverty, Terrorism

Jel Code: I32, O15, P36, P46, Q54

Download :