The interactions shown in Figure 1 are illustrative of certain poverty-environment processes where poor households are “compelled” to degrade environmental resources. However, this should not obscure the fact that much environmental degradation is caused by large-scale commercial operators, and by State policy; and there are many examples of positive actions by poor households and communities to manage environmental resources sustainably (see for example Box 19 on community- based resource management). Where environmental degradation is caused by commercial operators and/or State policy, poor households still suffer. They may be pushed into more marginal areas by large-scale logging or ranching activities, or may face lower productivity on crop and grazing.
