Poverty Reduction

Poverty is an issue that cannot be ignored from the perspective of "human security," as outlined in the Japanese ODA Charter. The number of people living in poverty on less than US$1.25 per person a day is estimated at over 1.4 billion worldwide. In addition, natural disasters, environmental destruction and other factors make it difficult to continue traditional means of livelihood. This means some people are extremely vulnerable to poverty. Problems such as disease, unemployment, lack of education and social discrimination each impact the other. Once a person falls into this vicious cycle, the situation becomes even more serious, as do the problems that originate from it, making it difficult to escape from poverty. This is sometimes referred to as the "deprivation trap" and has become an urgent issue when tackling poverty reduction. Neglecting poverty and vulnerability may widen the gap between the rich and poor and intensify competition for resources, causing instability in society.