IFAD Strategy for Rural Poverty Reduction in Asia and the Pacific Asia Division Project Management Department February 2002

Millennium Development Goal Rural Poverty Report 2001 Strategic Framework Regional Poverty Assessment The Context Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy 1990: 20% in East/South East Asia and 42% in South Asia lived on < US$ 1 a day 2015 targets: 10% in East/South East Asia and 21% in South Asia

Impressive economic growth and poverty reduction in last 3 decades Per capita income growth between 1970 and 1995 (%) South East Asia192.6 China419.8 India 82.2 Other South Asia 60.0 Asia189.3 Economic Trends Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Poverty: persons below $1/day (millions) (percent) s s South East Asia China South Asia Asia Economic Trends Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Broad-based agricultural growth Land reform Stable macroeconomic policies Investments in education, health and infrastructure What Contributed to this Economic Transformation? Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Nonetheless two-thirds of world’s poor live in Asia South Asia alone has about half of world’s total poor Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy Sub-Saharan Africa 24.3% East Asia and Pacific 23.2% Europe and Central Asia 2.0% Latin America and the Caribbean 6.5% Middle East 0.5% South Asia 43.5%

Today, the emerging issues in the Region are: Rural Poverty Situation Growing income inequality Vulnerability Persistence of poverty Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Rural poor include the landless, marginal farmers, indigenous peoples (IPs), pastoralists and coastal fishermen Large part of chronic poor concentrated in Less Favoured Areas Who are the Poor? Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

IPs are subject to exploitation, human rights violation, and abject poverty Women are particularly prone to poverty; suffer from lack of access to resources, decision-making power, and deprivation Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy Who are the Poor?

Democracy and decentralization Prudent macro policies and investments in education and infrastructure Vibrant civil society Major Strengths of the Region Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Access to common property resources (Bangladesh, Nepal) Security of land tenure (China, India) Conventional technology (IRRI, ICRISAT) Regenerative or sustainable technology (Nepal) IFAD’s Experience in Promoting Access to Productive Resources and Technology Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Rural industrialization (China) Micro-finance Rural public works (India) Asian financial crisis: coping with economic vulnerability Asian Experience in Non-farm Employment and Markets Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Facilitating collective action by the poor (Oxbow Lakes, Leasehold Forestry) Participation in local self-governing institutions - SHGs IFAD’s Experience in Building Coalitions of the Poor Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Household level - access to resources, tackling discrimination Community level - representation in village institutions IFAD’s Strategy to Enhance Women’s Capability Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Regenerative agriculture Tenurial security Decentralised, participatory programme design and implementation IFAD’s Strategy for the Development of Less-favoured Areas Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

Tackling political and economic marginalization Rewarding IPs for environmental services Peace making through development IFAD’s Strategy for Enhancing Capability of Indigenous People Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy

New implementation focus Partnership building Policy dialogue Knowledge management Impact assessment The Way Ahead Introduction Regional Overview Rural Poverty Lessons from Experience IFAD Strategy