The objective of this paper is to review the economic, political and social processes influencing the nature, extent and depth of poverty in urban areas of the South. The task is primarily descriptive, seeking to summarise what is already known about these processes and to demarcate significant...

The argument of this paper is founded on an analytical perspective that can be summarized through three basic propositions. Firstly, the phenomenon of chronic poverty is best analysed through examination of the nature of poverty traps. Secondly, the causes of poverty can be identified at...

It is well known that Uganda has achieved impressive progress in poverty reduction over the 1990s, based to a large extent on a good macroeconomic performance in combination with a specific package of poverty eradication measures. Monetary poverty fell from 56% of the population in 1992/93 to...

Work developed broadly within the Weberian tradition has argued, for a long time, that there is a link between effective bureaucratic institutions and economic development. In a widely cited article, Evans and Rauch (1999) have demonstrated that there is a strong relationship between a national...

This report is one of two commissioned by HelpAge International (HAI), which investigates the extent, distribution and nature of chronic poverty among older people in South Africa. In response to the terms of reference provided by HAI, the report includes a comprehensive review of existing...

The paper lists estimates of chronic poverty incidences in 25 countries. Research reveals its 'patterns' and socio-economic 'correlates', but hardly 'explanations'. The patterns are three (economic insecurity, short-range mobility and path dependency) and the correlates are four (spatial,...

This paper aims to analyse how the term 'vulnerability' has been used in the Chronic Poverty Research Centre's (CPRC) initial set of working papers. The intention of this analysis is to show that 'vulnerability' can be utilised in a variety of ways, with different meanings, and different...

This review seeks to examine the dimensions of poverty in general and chronic poverty in particular in West African countries. The preparation of poverty reduction strategy papers by several countries in the sub-region as part of the HIPC initiative has created an incentive for the collection of...