Title: Poverty and environmental degradation nexus in Rwanda: any empirical evidence

Authors: Gerard Bikorimana; Shengmin Sun

Addresses: Center for Economic Research, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, 250100, China ' Center for Economic Research, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, 250100, China

Abstract: This study explores the nexus between poverty and environmental degradation with a focus on deforestation in Rwanda for the period 1980-2016. To recognise the nexus between the variables, a time series, cointegration and Granger causality tests have been employed. The results confirm the existence of long-run relationship among the variables of the concerned models. In addition, the Granger causality test results confirm a bi-directional causal relationship between poverty and deforestation in Rwanda. Therefore, the study recommends the government authorities to take effective measures besides exploring the environmental allegation of investment in poverty reduction strategies and suitable shapes of a policy aiming at accomplishing poverty reduction and sustainable environmental management should be strengthened. Although poverty reduction is positively hard to be established in a short period, the continuous environmental awareness system aiming the poor is an alternative but preferably should be integrated into poverty reduction programs.

Keywords: environmental degradation; cointegration; Granger causality test; poverty; Rwanda.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2020.106190

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2020 Vol.20 No.2, pp.136 - 158

Received: 21 May 2019
Accepted: 21 Aug 2019
Published online: 01 Apr 2020 *

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