Urban Poverty Reduction Issues

Abstract

Conceptually, poverty always implies lack of income, lack of opportunities and deprivation, whether in the cities or in villages. However, for poverty reduction work, locational differences need to be taken into consider-ation as the nature and the sources of poverty can be different in cities as compared to villages. The urban poor typically have few assets, limited access to resources and services, inadequate human capital, a large dependency burden and earn low wages, and are engaged predominantly in informal small or micro businesses. They often belong disproportionately to disadvantaged groups, living in slums and shanty towns. Urban poor also face the aftermath of financial crises or economic slowdowns, as they are primarily dependent on the services sector, which is often adversely affected by economic slowdowns or financial crises.