Poverty Reduction

Rural Poverty
Addressing the Issue More Effectively

About half of Asia's poor people live in rural areas. These also include the poorest of the poor, often indigenous people or special vulnerable groups with little economic opportunities such as the fisherfolk and people living from forestry products.

The majority of the rural poor are already living in marginal dryland and wetland areas. The number of the environmental poor is likely to increase with global warming. For these people, effective approaches towards rural poverty and vulnerability go much beyond investments in agriculture and food security.

Areas that are becoming more relevant to address rural poverty are:

• rural infrastructure and connectivity (particularly through an effective transport network)
• natural resources conservation* (soil and water)
• land reforms, water rights and empowerment of women
• off-farm employment opportunities
• securing against natural disasters and new forms of social protection
• special plans for remote areas
• targeting of indigenous people fisherfolks and forest communities, and
• managed migration to urban areas

View ADB's knowledge products and operational expertise on addressing rural poverty.

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