World Bank2012-03-192012-03-192012-01https://hdl.handle.net/10986/2725Poverty, environment, social development, and gender are important cross-cutting themes of the World Bank and government investment programs, especially within the Sustainable Development Network (SDN). For developing sectoral strategies and programs, economic, environment and social assessments are undertaken, however, these are usually done separately, and most often gender issues are not included. This is a missed opportunity, because joint assessments can map the links between gender, environment, and poverty and help identify approaches that can accelerate the positive synergy and better social/gender, environment, and poverty outcomes; otherwise, the existing negative relationships may slow the development process, and can even lead to unintended results. A joint analysis will also reduce cost of project preparation. This study was undertaken to analyze the links between gender, environment, and poverty; identify approaches; and provide practical suggestions for fostering positive synergies for better outcomes. The analytical framework for this study draws on the World Bank's three pillars of sustainable development: social inclusion, economic growth and environmental sustainability, and from political ecology literature, which highlights how decision-making processes, power relationships, and social conditions influence environmental policies and development outcomes. The following four propositions derived from political ecology literature guide the analysis: i) socioeconomic marginalization and natural resource degradation are mutually reinforcing processes; ii) protected area conservation and external control of natural resources can disrupt household and community production and social organization; iii) competing environmental interests shape environmental change; and iv) collective action and resilience can help mitigate negative impacts. The study is based on in-depth analysis of two sub-Saharan African countries Ethiopia and Ghana. The research methodology was qualitative, and included a series of interrelated analyses: a political ecology literature review, country-specific reviews of literature and data sets, good-practice project case studies in both countries, and participatory appraisals of grassroots perceptions of gender-poverty-environment links. Study sites were selected to include the major agro ecological zones and rural livelihood systems in each country. National and sub regional participatory forums were conducted to 'ground truth' the findings and elicit policy and project recommendations. A seven-week online discussion explored the broader applicability of the framework and study findings.CC BY 3.0 IGOACCESS TO EDUCATIONADULT LITERACYAGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENTAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIONAGRICULTURE ORGANIZATIONARMED CONFLICTBANKSBASIC INFRASTRUCTURECASH CROPCASH CROPSCITIZENCIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONSCIVIL WARCLIMATE CHANGECOMMON PROPERTYCOMMON PROPERTY RESOURCESCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTCOMPARATIVE ANALYSISCONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKCREDIT COOPERATIVESDECISION MAKINGDEFORESTATIONDEGREE OF GENDER DISPARITYDEVELOPING COUNTRIESDEVELOPMENT BANKDEVELOPMENT PLANNINGDEVELOPMENT POLICYDISEASESDISSEMINATIONDIVERSIFICATIONDIVISION OF LABORDRINKING WATERECOLOGYECONOMIC ACTIVITIESECONOMIC CAPACITIESECONOMIC CHANGEECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTECONOMIC GROWTHECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIESECONOMIC RESOURCESECONOMICSENDOWMENTSENVIRONMENT INTERRELATIONSHIPSENVIRONMENTALENVIRONMENTAL CHANGEENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATIONENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATIONENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTENVIRONMENTAL POLICIESENVIRONMENTAL POLICYENVIRONMENTAL POLITICSENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMSENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCESENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITYENVIRONMENTSEQUITABLE ACCESSETHNIC GROUPETHNIC GROUPSEXPENDITUREFAMILY WELFAREFARMERFARMERSFARMSFERTILITYFERTILITY RATEFISHFISHERSFISHINGFOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONSFOOD INSECURITYFOOD SECURITYFOOD SHORTAGESFOREST MANAGEMENTFORESTRYFUTURE GENERATIONSGENDERGENDER DISPARITIESGENDER DISPARITYGENDER EQUALITYGENDER INEQUALITIESGENDER INEQUALITYGENDER ISSUESGENDER MAINSTREAMINGGENDER RELATIONSGENDER ROLESGREATER ACCESSGROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTGROSS NATIONAL INCOMEHARMFUL TRADITIONAL PRACTICESHEALTH CAREHEALTH SERVICESHOUSEHOLD FOOD INSECURITYHOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITYHOUSEHOLD INCOMEHOUSEHOLDSHUSBANDHUSBANDSILLITERACYINCIDENCE OF POVERTYINCOME-GENERATION ACTIVITIESINDIGENOUS PEOPLESINFANTINFANT MORTALITYINFORMAL SAVINGINHERITANCEINTERNATIONAL BANKJOB CREATIONKEY CHALLENGESLABOR MARKETLACK OF ACCESSLACK OF FOODLAND ADMINISTRATIONLAND DEGRADATIONLAND RIGHTSLAND TENURELAND USELEGAL STATUSLEVEL OF POVERTYLIVE BIRTHSLIVING STANDARDSLOCAL COMMUNITIESLOGGINGMALARIAMATERNAL MORTALITYMATERNAL MORTALITY RATIOMIGRANTMIGRATIONMILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALMINORITYMORTALITY RATENATIONAL ACTIONNATIONAL ACTION PLANNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTNATIONAL GOVERNMENTNATIONAL INCOMENATIONAL POLICYNATURAL DISASTERSNATURAL ENVIRONMENTNATURAL RESOURCENATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENTNATURAL RESOURCESNUTRITIONOILOPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMENOVERPOPULATIONPARTICIPATION IN DECISIONPASTURESPERCEPTIONS OF GENDERPOLICY DECISIONSPOLICY DEVELOPMENTPOLICY FORMULATIONPOLITICAL ECONOMYPOPULATION PRESSUREPRACTITIONERSPRIMARY EDUCATIONPRIMARY SCHOOLPRIMARY SCHOOL AGEPRODUCERSPRODUCTION COSTSPRODUCTIVE RESOURCESPROGRESSPUBLIC GOODQUALITY OF LIFERADIORANGELANDSREDUCING EMISSIONSREFRIGERATIONRESOURCE ALLOCATIONRESOURCE MANAGEMENTRESPONSIBILITIES OF MENRURAL AREASRURAL COMMUNITIESRURAL DEVELOPMENTRURAL GIRLSRURAL POPULATIONSRURAL RESIDENTSSAFE DRINKING WATERSAFETY NETSAFETY NETSSANITATIONSAVINGSSCARCITIESSECONDARY SCHOOLSECONDARY SCHOOLSSEXSMALLHOLDERSOCIAL CONDITIONSSOCIAL DEVELOPMENTSOCIAL IMPACTSOCIAL INSTITUTIONSSOCIAL NETWORKSSOCIAL NORMSSOCIAL SERVICESSOCIAL SYSTEMSSOCIOECONOMIC STATUSSOIL DEGRADATIONSOIL EROSIONSPECIESSTATUS OF WOMENSTREAMSSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICIESTABOOTECHNICAL SUPPORTTIMBERTRADITIONAL PRACTICESTRANSPORTATIONURBAN AREASURBAN CENTERSURBAN MIGRATIONVILLAGEVULNERABILITYWATER RESOURCESWELFARE GAINSWOMANWORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIONYOUNG POPULATIONSYOUNG WOMENWorld Bank10.1596/2725