Economic and Social Factors on Poverty: A Case Study of Sindh

Abstract

This research investigates the economic and social factors, which are responsible for the poverty in rural Sindh. Data were collected from 1500 households from four districts i.e. Shikarpur, Larkana, Sukkur, and Jacobabad of upper Sindh by using the simple random technique; a structural questionnaire was design as an instrument tool for measuring the poverty. It was revealed that the poverty position in Jacobabad and Shikarpur is worsening compare with Larkana and Sukkur. There are other factors like tribal disputes among various tribes and law and order situation most of the businesses people shift their business from Jacobabad and Shikarpur. Access to health and education facilities all districts have slight variation except Jacobabad where the literacy ratio is pretty low. It was further revealed that the lack of this makes this vulnerable to natural disasters and uncertainties thereby reduction the earning potential of poor families. This truly depicts the perception of the poor people they were not knowing the poverty in real sense. The vulnerability of the poor household becomes evident from a very significant percentage of households without any legal right in all surveyed districts. The main findings of this research seems to suggest that on average of the household income generated from the agriculture and most of the farmers are facing lot of problems regarding availability of water and inputs. By the criterion of derived demand the households from two districts Sukkur and Larkana engaged in productive activities to earn more compare with the Shikarpur and Jacobabad.