Description
Book SynopsisFollowing rapid economic growth in recent decades, Asia and the Pacific experienced an impressive reduction in extreme poverty, but this drop was not uniform and achievements are still incomplete. Vulnerability to natural disasters, the increasing impact of climate change and economic crises should all be taken into account. There is also a need to consider the multidimensional nature of poverty and the non-uniformity of the decrease across different ethnic groups. This book explores the Asian 'poverty miracle' and argues for the development and use of an Asia-specific poverty line.
This is a timely and multidimensional assessment of the much neglected issues of, and links between, poverty, vulnerability and ethnicity in Asia. It will be of great interest to lecturers and researchers of Asian development and economics, along with policymakers, public and private institutions, NGOs and international aid agencies.
Contributors include: V. Berenger, S.R. Chakravarty, N. Chattopadhyay, T. Fujii, C. Gradín, L. Hohfeld, S. Klasen, J. Silber, H. Waibel, G. Wan
Trade ReviewThis book introduces a number of recent methodological advances in the measurement of poverty - including on poverty lines, on incorporating vulnerability into poverty indices, and on socio-politically salient groupings - and applies them to the Asian context. The authors include some of the global leaders in this new literature. The volume will prove useful to students of poverty and to analysts of Asian development.' --Ravi Kanbur, Cornell University
'What do we mean by poverty? Why is it so difficult to measure? We have often grappled with these questions which are both pertinent yet difficult to answer because poverty has many facets. In this edited collection, Silber and Wan address four important but distinct aspects of poverty - namely absolute and relative poverty, vulnerability, and multidimensionality. Asia has undoubtedly achieved an unprecedented reduction in poverty, however, as the book argues, this achievement is incomplete unless different aspects of poverty are considered. It is essential reading for those interested in the subject of poverty in Asia.' --Nanak Kakwani, University of New South Wales, Australia
Table of ContentsContents: Introduction Jacques Silber and Guanghua Wan PART I: Is There a Case for a Poverty Line Specific to Asia? 1. An Asian Poverty Line? Issues and Options Stephan Klasen 2. A Poverty Line Contingent on Reference Groups: Implications for the Extent of Poverty in Some Asian Countries Satya R. Chakravarty, Nachiketa Chattopadhyay, and Jacques Silber PART II: Poverty and Vulnerability in Asia 3. Concepts and Measurement of Vulnerability to Poverty and Other Issues: A Review of Literature Tomoki Fujii 4. Measuring the Impact of Vulnerability on the Number of Poor: A New Methodology with Empirical Illustrations Satya R. Chakravarty, Nachiketa Chattopadhyay, Jacques Silber, and Guanghua Wan 5. Climate Change and Vulnerability to Poverty: An Empirical Investigation in Rural Indonesia Tomoki Fujii PART III: The Multidimensionality of Poverty in Asia 6. Measuring Multidimensional Poverty in Three Southeast Asian Countries Using Ordinal Variables Valérie Bérenger 7. Poverty and Nutrition: A Case Study of Rural Households in Thailand and Viet Nam Hermann Waibel and Lena Hohfeld PART IV: Poverty and Inequity 8. Poverty and Ethnicity in Asian Countries Carlos Gradín Index
