The demand that this burgeoning population places on global resources is a function of both the numbers and their per capita consumption. Poor people often eke out a living based on natural resources and they are often forced to live in areas that are environmentally vulnerable or fragile and prone to risk. Policy responses vary and depend on the region, culture, and economic status. It is increasingly acknowledged that social investment such as female education, better nutrition, and employment generation for women will have direct impacts on the rate of population growth and the degree of poverty. An educated mother with some resources is the best insurance for a sustainable future in any culture.
Child education can create awareness of environmental realities along with economic opportunities.
The lessons to be learned here have true value in developing new intervention strategies. This entails involving all stakeholders in decision-making at the local level, particularly in natural resources management. Dialogue, the participation of local poor populations, and conflict resolution among stakeholders strengthens the acceptablility and adaptability of concepts, projects, and programmes and makes interventions more cost-effective and culturally appropriate. Formal micro-credit has proved to be one of the few tools to fight poverty and to enter the formal economy. The resource base can be made more secure by planting trees for construction material, firewood, and organic soil fertilization, by increasing fish productivity, and by installing hand pumps to ensure a nearby supply of clean drinking water.