9. Conclusion
The past is our heritage, the present our responsibility and the future our challenge. Poverty and environmental degradation are linked in a vicious cycle in which the poor people cannot afford to take proper care of the environment since they have no alternative but to use environmental resources unsustainably for their basic survival. For example within the SADC region forests are being decimated at unprecedented rates, faster than the natural regeneration, resulting in environmental problems. People become more vulnerable, both socially and economically, because degraded environments are producing less resources.
Policies that entrench unequal distribution of resources, lack of tenure and low commodity prices drive the poor into marginal environments , causing more poverty. To address poverty and curb environmental damage, more attention should be paid to degraded environments, promoting public expenditure , empowering communities and building their capacity to own and mange initiatives aimed at improving their wellbeing. Finally, rapid changes in the number of people in a particular area may cause environmental change and degradation.
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