The international development policy agenda is currently dominated by the theme of poverty reduction. The theme has been vigorously pursued by multilateral donors, such as The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), World Bank, and others. Their assistance has also been tuned to pro-poor policy frameworks. Poverty, however, is understood mainly to be a rural phenomenon. This is based on the fact that rural poverty is widespread and pervasive and affects a large segment of the population since the majority of people in less developed countries reside in rural areas. There is, however, an increasing trend of urban growth and with it urban poverty all over the world. In Ethiopia urban poverty, in comparison to rural poverty and national level poverty, has increased over time. This has necessitated urban poverty reduction as an important area of intervention in urban development and planning. The objective of this study is to understand the livelihood situations of the poor in big and small towns, and identify the gaps and linkages between the livelihood requirements of the poor and policies at municipal level. The study was conducted in nine cities and towns of the country, including the capital city.

This book takes a new approach on understanding causes of extreme poverty and promising actions to address it. Its focus is on marginality being a root cause of poverty and deprivation. “Marginality” is the position of people on the edge, preventing their access to resources, freedom of choices, and the development of capabilities. The book is research based with original empirical analyses at local, national, and local scales; book contributors are leaders in their fields and have backgrounds in different disciplines. An important message of the book is that economic and ecological approaches and institutional innovations need to be integrated to overcome marginality. The book will be a valuable source for development scholars and students, actors that design public policies, and for social innovators in the private sector and non-governmental organizations.​

With the emphasis on market-led development initiatives, sustainable urbanization is a challenge, especially in growing nations. Regional administrative efforts are crucial for cities to meet the planned city operations and specific targets and objectives. The Handbook of Research on Urban Governance and Management in the Developing World is a research publication that explores contemporary issues in regional political and administrative practices and key challenges in implementing these strategies in growing nations. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics such as urban and regional economics, supply chain management, and environmental concerns, this book is geared toward city development planners, policy makers, researchers, academics, and students seeking current and relevant research on the regional bureaucracy and its practices and how they affect growing nations.

Nowhere in Africa is urban development occurring as rapidly as in Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa, at the present moment. During the last decade and a half, massive construction projects in housing, commercial buildings and infrastructure have transformed the landscape of the city, creating a social experiment that has never been replicated on such a massive scale in Africa. This volume, written by Ethiopian and Finnish experts in urban planning, architecture, geography, and ethnology, documents for the first time Addis Ababa’s process of radical transformation. It asks how the city’s poorest residents are affected by the current urban renewal, and identifies the most important challenges facing the city’s residents as a result. Its conclusions focus on three issues: the livelihoods of low-income residents, their participation in the development of the city, and their social networks of support. This volume also traces out the organic forms of the city’s development. Unlike cities in many other African countries, Addis Ababa emerged with only the thinnest traces of a brief colonial legacy: only five years under Italian occupation in the mid-20th century. The city’s development has eluded many planners and has produced unique indigenous forms of urban living. The book records the current spatial relationships and older architectural forms in the old inner city currently slated for demolition. Numerous maps and illustrations are included to help readers visualize the topics discussed in the volume. The volume will be of interest to anyone interested in Addis Ababa’s history and character, as well as policymakers, urban planners, architects, human geographers, ethnographers and researchers of urban poverty and urban informality.

One of the most promising approaches to poverty reduction in developing countries is to encourage sustainable livelihoods for the poor. This takes account of their opportunities and assets and the sources of their vulnerability. Based on recent and extensive research, this volume thoroughly assesses the value of the livelihoods approach to urban poverty. The book reviews the situation and strategies of the urban poor and identifies the policies and practical programmes that work best. Lasting improvements depend not just on economic development, but on political commitment and structures that are responsive to the claims and needs of different groups of poor people.

A joint FAO and World Bank study which shows how the farming systems approach can be used to identify priorities for the reduction of hunger and poverty in the main farming systems of the six major developing regions of the world.

Transforming Africa: How Savings Groups Foster Financial Inclusion, Resilience and Economic Development presents in-depth empirical research into current day savings group activities across Africa, exploring savings groups through the lens of financial inclusion and reflecting on formal finance, economic and social outcomes.

This book looks at the major policy challenges facing developing Asia and how the region sustains rapid economic growth to reduce multidimensional poverty through socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable measures. Asia is facing many challenges arising from population growth, rapid urbanization, provision of services, climate change and the need to redress declining growth after the global financial crisis. This book examines poverty and related issues and aims to advance the development of new tools and measurement of multidimensional poverty and poverty reduction policy analysis. The book covers a wide range of issues, including determinants and causes of poverty and its changes; consequences and impacts of poverty on human capital formation, growth and consumption; assessment of poverty strategies and policies; the role of government, NGOs and other institutions in poverty reduction; rural-urban migration and poverty; vulnerability to poverty; breakdown of poverty into chronic and transitory components; and a comparative study on poverty issues in Asia and other regions. The book will appeal to all those interested in economic development, resources, policies and economic welfare and growth.

As the global population continues to increase, it has become necessary to find ways to handle this increase through various policy tools that address population growth and urbanization problems. The urbanization process has both potential issues and opportunities that need to be exploited to move societies forward. Megacities and Rapid Urbanization: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice examines trends, challenges, issues, and strategies related to population growth and rapid urbanization and its impact on urban environments. The book also explores the use of different governance approaches in addressing challenges and different tools and systems of appropriate allocation to address issues. This publication is an ideal reference source for academicians, students, practitioners, professionals, managers, urban planners, and government officials.