Prelims

Half Title Page

Understanding the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Poverty

Series Title Page

Emerald Studies in Sustainable Approaches to Poverty Alleviation

Series Editors:

Dr Richa Goel

Symbiosis Centre of Management Studies, Noida; Symbiosis International Deemed University, Pune, India

Dr Tilottama Singh

Uttaranchal University, India

Md. Mashiur Rahman

Bank Asia Ltd., Bangladesh

Quazi Tafsirul Islam

North South University, Bangladesh

Dr Sukanta Kumar Baral

Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (A Central University of India), India

Emerald Studies in Sustainable Approaches to Poverty Alleviation serves as a hub for researchers, professionals and practitioners to share innovative research and effective solutions aimed at reducing global poverty.

Poverty is a major global issue that affects millions of people around the world. It poses a serious threat to human development, well-being and social fairness. Global poverty is a complicated and complex issue driven by different economic, social, political and environmental elements that vary by location. As per UNDP, today, one in every five people on the planet (1.2 billion) lives on less than a dollar a day. Fifty-six percent of the developing world lacks basic sanitation, and over 50 nations now have poorer real per capita incomes than they did a decade ago.

Drawing on a global authorship, Emerald Studies in Sustainable Approaches to Poverty Alleviation tells the stories of effective interventions and programmes that have made a difference, providing hope and inspiration for those working in the area and inspiring others to become involved. Also using various indicators like HDI, MDPI, Income Consumption index, Poverty headcount ratio, Ginni coefficient data & Welfare index this book series will try to cover even those masses who do not fall in the above criteria and will touch poverty from its grassroots level. It is critical to employ a combination of these methodologies and indicators when assessing poverty in order to present a full picture of the worldwide poverty situation.

This series will include economics, sociology, development studies, public policy and other disciplines to present a comprehensive and multidimensional assessment of worldwide attempts to eradicate poverty. Each work provides policymakers, practitioners, scholars and concerned citizens with insights, research findings, case studies and practical help in the battle against poverty. Emerald Studies in Sustainable Approaches to Poverty Alleviation will allow for in-depth investigation of numerous elements of poverty and its core causes, including income disparity, access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities, social justice, child marriages, micro rural finance, food security, resource mobilisation, women entrepreneurship, war-impacted countries and more.

Title Page

Understanding the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Poverty

Edited by

Richa Goel

Symbiosis Centre of Management Studies, Noida; Symbiosis International Deemed University, Pune, India

Tilottama Singh

Uttaranchal University, India

Md. Mashiur Rahman

Bank Asia Ltd., Bangladesh

Quazi Tafsirul Islam

North South University, Bangladesh

And

Sukanta Kumar Baral

Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (A Central University of India), India

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

Copyright Page

Emerald Publishing Limited

Emerald Publishing, Floor 5, Northspring, 21-23 Wellington Street, Leeds LS1 4DL

First edition 2025

Editorial matter and selection © 2025 Richa Goel, Tilottama Singh, Md. Mashiur Rahman, Quazi Tafsirul Islam and Sukanta Kumar Baral

Individual chapters © 2025 The authors.

Published under exclusive licence by Emerald Publishing Limited.

Reprints and permissions service

Contact: www.copyright.com

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without either the prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying issued in the UK by The Copyright Licensing Agency and in the USA by The Copyright Clearance Center. Any opinions expressed in the chapters are those of the authors. Whilst Emerald makes every effort to ensure the quality and accuracy of its content, Emerald makes no representation implied or otherwise, as to the chapters' suitability and application and disclaims any warranties, express or implied, to their use.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-83753-293-3 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-83753-292-6 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-83753-294-0 (Epub)

Dedication

Dedicated to all who played an important role in the development of this edition of the book: our families, friends, readers, authors, reviewers and of course the Emerald Team with whom this seems to be a true success and we are deeply grateful to all of them.

– Prof (Dr) Sukanta Kumar Baral & Dr Richa Goel

To my father, Quazi Takdirul Islam, and my mother, Samina Islam, whose sacrifices, aspirations and support have shaped me, and to Sonali Islam, Suhana Zaman and Taslima Haque, who have loved me like a son – each of you inspires me to become a better version of myself every day.

– Quazi Tafsirul Islam

To the Almighty who gives me a life on earth, my parents, wife, kids and siblings, those are inspiring and supporting me as and when required – I am grateful to you all.

– Md. Mashiur Rahman

For my kids, Aayra and Aveer, who inspire me to tell stories that matter.

– Dr Tilottama Singh

List of Contributors

Foreword

The book Understanding the Multi-Dimensional Nature of Poverty is a comprehensive reference source that will provide personalised, accessible and well-designed experiences. ‘No Poverty’ is the most crucial of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research perspectives, approaches and topic integration of studies on poverty reduction have significantly extended with the growth of practice in the 21st century.

This book’s first volume in Emerald Studies in Sustainable Approaches to Poverty Alleviation will bring the related topics of poverty eradication and comprehension to the forefront, as well as demonstrate how emerging economies are dealing with poverty challenges at their core. It focuses on the key concerns that nations throughout the world are experiencing, such as pandemic-related poverty, environmental-related poverty, energy crisis, implementation issues, and so on, and how new creative models and methods that use current technology may help make economies and enterprises more sustainable. Poverty is the greatest barrier to long-term development, which is why eradicating it has become one of the most pressing global concerns of the 21st century. It also provides an overview of current research and suggest that, in the future, cross-disciplinary collaboration and attention to the contribution of marginal fields to poverty reduction research should be prioritised. There has been a lot of debate on how developing economies' economic development and structural transformation influence poverty. This book revisits these themes, using a newly constructed dataset of global poverty measures.

I assume that this book is anticipated to be highly valuable for a wide range of readers with a variety of interests, and it is not limited to academics, postgraduate students and research associates, but also to corporate executives, entrepreneurs and other professionals and masses in all fields who can improve and expand their knowledge with the learning of the basic trends and activities in this book. This book will have an edge over the other few existing books as it presents customised economic models, essential policy tools, suggestions and strategies designed to eradicate poverty with respect to innovative technology, sustainable development, Industry 5.0 especially within the context of the 2030 Agenda.

I am pleased to write this foreword as the editors of this book has given full hearted effort for a great solution and innovation. All chapters in this book have been selected based on peer review where reviewers were very much expert in the sector.

Prof (Dr) Mohammad Saeed

Professor Emeritus, Department of Business Administration

Minot State University, Minot, ND 58707, USA

Preface

This first book in Emerald Studies in Sustainable Approaches to Poverty Alleviation talks about poverty as lack of sufficient material assets or money to meet a person's fundamental human requirements, which might include food, clothes and shelter. The poverty rate is the proportion of persons in a specific age group who earn less than the poverty threshold which may be a vicious cycle. It uses a variety of statistical techniques to examine past research on poverty alleviation conducted since 2000. It focuses on several economic research on growth and inequality as well as environmental studies on environmental management and protection systems. It also emphasises the significance of intergovernmental collaboration in fostering international harmony.

The goal of sustainable approaches to poverty alleviation is to combat poverty in a way that encourages long-term economic and social growth while minimising adverse environmental effects. These methods acknowledge the interdependence of social well-being, the environment and poverty. A holistic strategy that takes into account economic, social and environmental variables is also necessary. While protecting the planet's resources for next generations, it seeks to end the cycle of poverty. Achieving these objectives will require cooperation from governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), communities and the commercial sector. Interventions may be more successful if you interact with the community and learn about its values.

This book will give an outline of the most recent studies and make the case for prioritising interdisciplinary cooperation and consideration of the peripheral fields' contributions to research on poverty reduction in the future. How structural change and economic growth in developing economies affect poverty has been a hot topic of discussion. With the use of a recently created dataset of global poverty metrics, this book revisits these concerns.

The following chapters are listed under this book.

Chapter 1 talks about Costa Rican small Business Moving towards Sustainable Future–A Case of Varcli Pinares. Among the major industries in Costa Rica, agriculture has contributed significantly to the country's economy. Felipe Vargas established ‘Varcli Pinares’ 11 years ago to produce good quality bananas through sustainable operations of natural systems. The company invests in circular economy by executing decarbonisation through the capture of CO2 wastes and protection of forests. The business pioneered in reducing water consumption and implementing solar energy usage in banana production through innovative tools and technologies while engaging in no-herbicide practices. The unique, sustainable packaging created through waste makes a visual impact and guides customers to online platforms. The company adheres to sustainable practices while impacting the community positively. However, as a small business, maintaining sustainable practices throughout the entire supply chain and competing with big companies is difficult for Varcli Pinares. Nevertheless, the company believes its simplicity and adaptability will help it thrive in the competitive industry.

Chapter 2 talks about Sustainable Approaches to Poverty and Challenges from the 21st Century. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) (2019) explicated there are four dimensions of poverty, and they include (1) resources, (2) opportunities and choice, (3) power and voice and (4) human security (e.g. violence issues and concerns). Contrastingly, Ellis (1984) postulated dimensions of poverty are social, economic, legal and political poverty. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2015) stated poverty is not always about income, indicating ‘income poverty’. Deprivation factors can be broad, but reported poor health, inadequate living standards and lack of education are dimensions of poverty (OECD, 2015). Also, according to the World Bank, the world's extremely poor are people who live on less than $1.90 USD per day (Beck et al., 2020). The $1.90 amount is at 2011 purchasing power parity levels. Additionally, the $1.90USD amount has decreased significantly over the last decades (Beck et al., 2020). Nevertheless, entrepreneurship, UN SDGs and technology can be strategies for sustainable alleviation of poverty and pandemic global economic recovery, in the 21st century.

Chapter 3 talks about Disentangling Critical Factors for Enhancing Female Entrepreneurship and Women Empowerment to Alleviate Poverty: Focus on BRICS Countries. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development states that eradicating poverty for people everywhere is a pivotal goal (Goal#1), as well as empowering women and girls (Goal#5), for creating sustainable and inclusive communities (Goal#11). Contemporarily, the World Bank suggests that female entrepreneurship can contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction and, at the same time, can represent a suitable means to promote gender equity and inclusion. This chapter aims to deepen the knowledge on this fascinating and challenging topic by uncovering the main barriers that inhibit female entrepreneurship and impede women from actively collaborating to alleviate poverty and create sustainable and inclusive communities worldwide. Public–private efforts that aid women in setting up start-ups, embracing new technologies, innovating, honing their digital skills and gaining improved access to financing and financial support in light of Industry 4.0 need to be actively supported and promoted. Specifically, this chapter focuses on women entrepreneurship in BRICS countries because these nations are experiencing very different growth paths, and their significance in the global economy remains an open question.

Chapter 4 talks about Ubiquitous Business Model and Strategy of WeChat as A Platform in E-Commerce Development. The key purpose of the study is to determine the ubiquitous role of WeChat as a platform in social-media-based co-creation and e-commerce development. The study consists of mixed methodology approach. First, an automatic search was performed which included the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIEXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) and Arts and Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) databases of the Web of Science (WoS). From this, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted. Also, an ethnographic approach was used to measure the ubiquitous role of WeChat as a platform in social-media-based co-creation and e-commerce development. The study findings revealed a few interesting managerial implications. A critical result of this study discovered the social media value co-creation with WeChat as a platform for e-commerce development. In addition, social networking sites (SNSs) such as WeChat attract managers and policymakers as a tool for business development. The findings inform practitioners that social media co-creation strategies may affect e-commerce development significantly due to powerful and popular platform such as WeChat.

Chapter 5 talks about A Comparative Study of Different Poverty Alleviation Programmes undertaken in India and the Middle East: An Overview. Initiatives to reduce poverty aim to reduce the number of people living in poverty by ensuring that those with low-income households and families have appropriate access to food, assistance and essentials. According to the World Economic Forum, poverty is a significant loss of well-being that can appear in a variety of ways. Two instances of this are low wages and the difficulty to access the necessities for daily living in the form of goods and services. Poor physical and mental health, insufficient access to sanitary services, lack of a voice and a lack of resources to improve one's situation are all characteristics of poverty. The goal of this study is to provide insight into the various poverty eradication programmes undertaken in India and the Middle East, i.e. Yemen.

Chapter 6 talks about Economic Dependency Ratio as a Dimension of Poverty and Vulnerability. ‘Ending poverty in all its forms everywhere’ is the very first Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), to be achieved by 2030. However, the progress made in reducing poverty has been reversed due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The worsening poverty, inequality and vulnerability call for identifying the acuteness of the problem with the help of dimensions like the economic dependency ratio along with other sources like poverty line, access to social security, healthcare, basic services, food security and asset ownership and social networks at the village to name a few. The economic dependency ratio goes beyond the age dependency ratio and tries to capture the dependency better by incorporating the number of dependants and employed ones in the calculation. In this study, an attempt has been made to highlight the importance of the economic dependency ratio to measure vulnerability better in India. Unemployment data provided by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) have been utilised to understand the severity of dependency at the country level. Primary data have been collected with the help of the Proportionate Stratified Sampling method from 600 notified, non-notified slum households staying in the western part of India, and in-depth interviews have been conducted with a few homeless families. Quantitative data have been analysed using SPSS and Stata software. This study will be immensely useful as it aims to improvise the methodology to identify the poor and vulnerable. Better identification can take us a step closer to achieving SDG 1.

Chapter 7 talks about Exploring Poverty Measurement Techniques Across Diverse Economies: A Cross-Country Study. Millions of people all over the globe are impacted by poverty, which is a serious global issue. It is a complicated problem with many facets that has important consequences for society, the economy and politics. Poverty is a barrier to achieving sustainable development goals and reducing inequality across the world. Poverty can be measured in several ways, each with its strengths and limitations. Some of the commonly used measures include absolute poverty, relative poverty and multidimensional poverty. However, measuring poverty across different economies is a challenging task due to differences in social, economic and political contexts. The objective of this chapter is to examine the idea of poverty and how it is measured in various economic contexts. In this chapter, we will look at the various methods of calculating poverty, the difficulties in doing so and the efficacy of various poverty measures in capturing poverty in various economies. The chapter will also discuss how the findings may affect policy and practice and propose new lines of inquiry for future studies on how to measure poverty in various economies. The importance of this chapter lies in its potential to improve our knowledge of poverty and its measurement while also offering advice to practitioners and policymakers working to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development. Examining poverty in different economies, this chapter will help to shed light on the complex and dynamic nature of poverty and the need for tailored poverty reduction strategies in different contexts.

Chapter 8 talks about Self-Help Groups in Afghanistan: A Ploy of Economic and Social Empowerment of Women for Sustainable Development. Women's empowerment is not new; it has been recognised as a crucial component of poverty reduction and economic progress. However, it remains problematic in most developing countries, such as Afghanistan. This research evaluates women's empowerment experiences by utilising self-help groups (SHGs) as a fundamental development method to empower women economically and socially. The findings indicated that SHG involvement is closely associated with families' socio-economic well-being, meaning that SHG participants are more empowered than those who do not engage or are oblivious to SHGs. SHGs confront various obstacles in Afghanistan, including (but not limited to) erroneous cultural norms, security issues, inadequate financial assistance and poor member participation, all of which influence operations. The study suggests growing social awareness, civil society and government support, laws and regulations supporting women and strategies to enhance women's economic and social empowerment and linking groups to commercial banks as critical recommendations to foster and realise women's integration and active engagement in SHGs.

Chapter 9 talks about Factors Affecting Poverty Dynamics: A Conceptual Study. The poverty rate in India is still very high despite considerable economic reforms over the past 20 years and a rapid decline in that rate. Even if the accomplishments have received much praise, it is crucial to comprehend the dynamics of poverty by recognising those who entered and emerged from it. The literature on multidimensional poverty dynamics is not as well established as that on poverty entry and leave, despite the wealth of available empirical research on both topics. This chapter uses the multidimensional measure of issues related to health, education and infrastructure; social barriers to advancement; a lack of resources and a lack of competence to make decisions for the benefit of the household to investigate the dynamics of poverty and its underlying causes.

Chapter 10 talks about From Resist to Privilege: Rising Psychological Empowerment and Gender Equality for Poverty Alleviation. ‘Poverty is well-being deprivation’, declares the World Bank. There is no clear, widely accepted definition of well-being, although the World Bank provides some clues, ‘to be impoverished would be to be starving, to lack shelter and clothes, to be unwell and uncared for, and to be illiterate and untutored’. Poverty is much more than this for poor people. Psychological empowerment and gender equality are among the most emphasised areas, and specific tactics will be developed to enhance psychological empowerment and gender equality. ‘Psychological’ empowerment, abbreviated as ‘PE’, denotes empowerment at the specific intensity of analysis. It is a multidimensional concept derived from the integration of various dimensions determined by three realms: (a) personality, which also includes self-attribution of the outcomes of one's actions and internal locus of control, (b) cognitive, one that contains self-efficacy perception, and (c) motivational, which describes the interest in participating in the activity and control of the factors involved. Gender equality is the equivalent involvement of males and females in utter facets of a lifetime. Gender equality manifests in business, collective relationships, politics and academics. Women's civil rights activities affiliated with the rights movements worked to establish gender equality in place of an essential human right. In many nations, indicators such as the gender-linked development indicators, the gender break index and the gender fairness index provide measurements of complete gender equivalence. Gender fairness encourages women's involvement in the above-mentioned domains, improving the quality of life for those in poverty. This chapter discusses the positive impact of psychological empowerment and gender equality on human well-being based on evidence.

Chapter 11 talks about Revamping Economic Parameters in an Innovative Digital World in 21st Century: An Interventive Study on Banking Practices. The banking sector is an essential component of any economy and plays a key role in its growth and development. The banking sector's growth and reputation can be linked to the fact that it responds to people's financial needs and correspondingly provides customised solutions. The banking sector has seen transformation in the new millennium. The pace and trend of transformation is all set to accelerate in the coming decade. The process of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation Model (LPG Model) banking practices which being unleashed a few decades back will reach to greater heights as we step into the next decade. The innovative technology has brought about a paradigm shift in all aspects of banking like routine operations, transactions, products and processes, delivery of services in terms of various e-channels, credit administration and credit management, audit and compliance and FinTech partnership. Digital transformations in the banking sector have received much needed trust because of ‘The Digital India Moment’. The chapter makes an attempt to highlight the role of technology in banking and how technology-led innovations and initiatives will determine the business of banking as a whole. The significance of these technology-driven innovations and transformations is that they put both banker and customer in a win-win situation.

Chapter 12 talks about Sustainable Poverty Reduction Model – Need-Surveillance and Psycho-Social Support Practices among Migrant Workforce. Migrants have been posed with less familiarity in their new environment during COVID times, faced with various social, psychological and emotional traumas. Research indicates that they may have been originating from apprehension of being abandoned by their neighbours. Most of them were precarious with little wages, competing for their basic need fulfilment; putting them under more mental stress. Looking forward to the ancient principle, ‘Athithi Devo Bhavah’ (Visitors are Gods) and immediate response; measures were taken to promote community shelters and kitchens; maintaining social distancing and ensuring physical safety. The governments of different countries took proactive initiatives to study and assess their needs. The study here includes the cases being evaluated in regard to migrants' need for surveillance and psycho-social support given by the government and non-profit associations during the pandemic at the global level. Remarkably, certain countries proved the working of their sustainable poverty reduction model by evaluating factors like (i) catering to the basic necessities by providing them with free kits, (ii) providing free accommodation, (iii) providing medicines to the needy, (iv) quarantining the COVID-affected migrant patients at separate places and (v) ensuring the safe reach of migrants at their native places. The purpose behind this movement was accomplished and the model proved satisfactory, highlighting their best practices across the world.

Acknowledgements

Writing a book is harder than we thought and more rewarding than we could have ever imagined. None of this would have been possible without the efforts, hardship and of course encouragement of our entire team members, and without their experiences and support this book would not exist.

It's as challenging as it sounds to take an idea and convert it into a book. The experience is mentally taxing and satisfying. We want to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who made this possible. The success of this book was made possible by the collaboration of many outstanding researchers, who genuinely provided a new path for this book.

We still treasure the moments when our complete team, which was spread across several locations, used to communicate several times every day for months on end before producing something innovative and knowledgeable. Only by God's grace who gave us the courage to follow our aspirations and trust in our passions that we learnt how genuine this talent of writing is while putting this book together.

Our sincere and heartfelt gratitude to our family members who have been a pillar of support for us during the laborious process of finishing this book. Also, a special thanks to all the authors and reviewers who participated in the review process. This book would not have been possible without their help. We greatly appreciate the fact that many of the writers also acted as referees. Those who provided comprehensive and critical feedback on a few chapters encouraged us to clarify concepts, investigate specific aspects of insight work and explain the rationales for certain recommendations. We would also like to thank many people who have helped us learn and practice both the art and science of networking throughout the years.

Editors

Dr Richa Goel, Dr Tilottama Singh, Md. Mashiur Rahman

Quazi Tafsirul Islam, and Dr Sukanta Kumar Baral

Introduction

In order to address the enduring and complex problem of poverty while ensuring long-term societal and environmental well-being, sustainable approaches to poverty reduction are crucial. In order to be sustainable, inclusive economic growth must be encouraged. We may achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth and resources by promoting economic development that benefits all facets of society, particularly marginalised and disadvantaged communities. This strategy frequently entails spending money on healthcare, education and skill-building to enable people and communities to end the cycle of poverty. Supporting small-scale business owners and advancing sustainable agriculture can also boost regional economies, generate employment opportunities and eradicate poverty in a way that is favourable to the environment.

The preservation and prudent management of natural resources are essential components of long-term poverty reduction. Many underdeveloped communities rely largely on ecosystems for their survival, including forestry, agriculture and fishing. Sustainable resource management practices help to reduce the negative consequences of climate change, which frequently disproportionately affect the poor and ensure the long-term availability of these resources. Reforestation, clean energy sources and encouragement of sustainable agricultural methods can all help to end poverty and advance environmental sustainability.

In addition, social safety nets and focused interventions are essential parts of long-term plans to reduce poverty. These initiatives offer a safety net for the most vulnerable and can aid in ending the poverty cycle that passes down through generations. However, it's important to properly plan such programmes, taking into account their long-term effects and the ability to promote independence rather than dependence. To reduce poverty in a way that benefits both current and future generations while protecting the resources of our world, a sustainable path must ultimately combine economic growth, environmental stewardship and social support systems.

When evaluating poverty, it is important to take a global perspective and acknowledge that factors like commerce, finance and climate change frequently impact the problems that people and communities confront around the world. To accomplish this effectively, international institutions and organisations must work together to provide standardised measurements and indicators that include aspects such as access to social equity, healthcare, clean water and other non-economic resources in addition to economic metrics. A sustainable method of analysing global poverty should also stress the significance of international cooperation and development aid. Richer countries can significantly contribute to the fight against poverty by supporting efforts to enhance the capacity of underdeveloped areas, advocating fair trade and providing targeted aid. In summary, a holistic and sustainable approach to studying global poverty reduction acknowledges that poverty is a complex web of social, economic and environmental concerns that call for coordinated global action and is not just a problem of the economy.