Human
Wellbeing and Sustainable Development

Options Magazine, Winter 2011/12:

Historically, development and economic growth have been key to bringing significant numbers of people out of poverty. But such growth must be sustainable if today’s world is to be fair to future generations. The winter 2011/2012 issue of Options brings together IIASA research into poverty and equity with research on sustainable development.

Eradicating poverty is one of the greatest challenges of our time. In 2005 1.4 billion people lived under the international poverty line of US$1.25 a day, according to the World Bank. Poverty is not only an economic concern, but it also is closely related to lack of education, poor health, degraded environment, and lack of access to resources including energy and water. Historically, development and economic growth have been key to bringing significant numbers of people out of poverty. But such growth must be sustainable if today’s world is to be fair to future generations and not exceed the planetary boundaries. This issue of Options brings together IIASA research into poverty and equity with research on sustainable development.

The quest for “clumsy solutions” in Nepal’s mountains

Options Magazine, Winter 2011: A simple cable system carrying milk across a valley in the Mahabharat Mountains provides insight into a complex theory of world views and conflict resolution More

Education spells hope for world wellbeing

Options Magazine, Winter 2011: Education has a positive effect on every aspect of human health, wealth, and wellbeing. Educational attainment, the evidence now clearly shows, is linked to economic growth as well as fertility and life expectancy. Even the transition of societies into modern democracies is rooted in widening educational participation among the young. But strong further investment in education in the developing world is needed if the potential benefits of education are to be realized. More

Beating the poverty trap

Options Magazine, Winter 2011: People unable to escape from poverty without external help are caught in what’s commonly termed a “poverty trap.” Even people who are not extremely poor can be forced into a state of inescapable poverty by extreme events like floods or drought. Disaster microinsurance can offer resources for poor households to overcome the immediate impacts of natural disasters, but recent IIASA research shows that microinsurance, when integrated with additional adaptive measures, is much more effective than microinsurance alone in preventing people from falling into a poverty trap in the first place. More

The role of human behavioral games in international negotiations

Options Magazine, Winter 2011: Karl Sigmund, an IIASA mathematician, works in a world of games. He began his career studying dynamical systems, and then population dynamics and cooperation among early humans. He now applies his lessons learned from those first hunter–gatherers to countries and international organizations. More

Poverty alleviation is about people

Options Magazine, Winter 2011: New research aims to discover more about the people on the receiving end of our current aspirations to expand energy access. More



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Last edited: 07 December 2015

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