Multiple Perspectives for Poverty Reduction

The 193 United Nations member countries, focused on halving world poverty by 2015, set eight Millennium Development Goals. A new 2030 agenda for sustainable development has replaced the failed goals; it comprises 17 new sustainable development goals including ending poverty. 1.2 billion people (about 20% of the world's population) cannot fulfil most basic daily needs to live without fear, hunger, or suffering. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) estimates that more than one billion people in the world live on less than US$1 a day while 2.7 billion struggle to survive on less than US$2 per day. The chapter strategically examines four perspectives (economic, sociological, occupational, and educational) to identify some of the key success factors to ensure the viability of new micro-businesses. A theoretical framework that incorporates these perspectives and the SEED–SCALE methodology is proposed, demonstrating how the establishment of new micro-businesses may be used to reduce poverty in developing economies.

Agricultural Schemes in Namibia for Meeting Essential Needs

Namibia has been striving to improve the rural poor quality of life through policies and schemes in line with the national development framework (Vision 2030). Sustained food production is one of the major initiatives, as it constitutes as basic livelihood activity but also augments rural income and livelihood. Apart from that, it is also a citizen's critical need. Though significant the schemes are, their contribution to household income and their role in improvement of livelihood is never taken up and exploration done. Adopting the DFID sustainable livelihood assessment framework, this chapter uses direct observations and primary data to present an assessment of the contribution of selected agricultural schemes.

An Overview of Population Growth and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Development efforts in several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are harmed by a combination of many factors, high rates of population growth being among of them. Despite the strong links between population and sustainable development, these issues were not a priority in broader development policies and strategies in SSA. Population and sustainable development had been often addressed separately at policy and programme levels. Despite the fact that decision makers in these countries recognize the importance of population issues for sustainable development, these issues are rarely worked on together, limiting the payoff that could result from integrating the two. This chapter, therefore, re-examines and relates these two concepts to see their compatibility and provides a more realistic approach in converting population growth into economic gains for future development of SSA countries and Africa in general.

Institutional Structures and the Prevalence of Foreign Ownership of Firms

This chapter examines how country-level institutional structures influence the prevalence of foreign ownership of firms in Africa. It reinforces the new institutional economics perspective by empirically highlighting that institutional structures influence the prevalence of foreign ownership of companies in an economy. Using archival data from 39 African economies, the authors found that there is a significant positive association between regulatory quality and foreign ownership prevalence. Also, foreign ownership is prevalent in African countries that are politically stable and embrace rule of law. However, the authors found that countries with high voice and accountability structures are associated with low foreign ownership prevalence.

The Role of Mass Transport for Sustainable Public Transit in Developing Cities

The need for an efficient public mass transportation system in the context of developing countries can well be overemphasized since a majority of the urban population continues to be either captive walkers or users of the public transport facility. In Addis Ababa, inadequacy of public transit and improper traffic management issues are dominant problems. Evidence indicates that solutions related to traffic congestion and accidents are still left behind the city. However, it is expected that the recent project interventions and initiatives will enhance the capability of the public transit to deliver effective and sustainable transportation. This chapter evaluates the public transit performance, the initiatives towards terminals, and the future models for implementation. It concludes that an integrated public mass transit system is vital to a sustainable future public transport in developing cities in general and in Addis Ababa in particular. Recommendations are forwarded in the chapter.

Tourism and Hospitality in Ethiopia's Development Agenda

The tourism and hospitality operation is a lucrative but volatile business. Concerns about its sustainability require utmost knowledge and skills. Practicable philosophies about people, economics, finance, management, culture, and political ideology are essential. The chapter critically analyzes trans-disciplinary options that can assist responsible stakeholders to make and take remedial actions and classified decisions for sustainable growth and development in Ethiopia. Fundamental but profitable actions that demand a timely call for Ethiopia's tourism and hospitality amelioration are explicated. Underlined is that a destination should not entertain decline at the expense of rejuvenation. Skilled dependence on technology can boost returns and scale up on indigenous resources to sustain a tourism and hospitality operation. In a nutshell, a trans-disciplinary vibrant interaction of growth and development variables can create and highly soar the hegemonic status quo of tourism and hospitality business operation in Ethiopia.

Public Sector Role in Sustainable Development

Being at a global development crossroad under an era plagued by major global challenges including financial crisis, poor governance, economic inequalities, climate change, food insecurity, human rights injustices, among others calls for a concerted effort from all the stakeholders to play a critical role in development. These roles are to be embraced through market-driven and people-centered modalities that seek to address inefficiency in service delivery and unequal distribution of economic gains. To foster this, the public sector is at the central point in driving institutional reforms in safeguarding progressive development-oriented norms and practices within an economy. In this regard, strategic reforms ought to be upheld as multifaceted processes that involve social structural changes, attitudinal changes, national institutions reforms, economic growth acceleration, reduction of inequalities, and poverty eradication. Restructuring, participation, public-private partnership, accountability, human-resource issues are some of the reformation strategies identified in this chapter.

Elections, Politics, Democracy, and the Challenge of Sustainable Development in Africa

The chapter conceptualized elections, politics, and democracy; showed the nexus among these variables; and established the link between them and sustainable development. Elections as key components of democracy are examined as a factor to engendering sustainable development. The chapter also appraises the concept of sustainable development as a construct of Western powers and its promotion as a liberal ideology as an appraisal of a cross section of countries within the African continent. Furthermore, the chapter discusses elections, politics, and the trend of the emerging democracy in Africa towards sustainable development with facts and figures. The chapter in conclusion examines factors that have shaped and is shaping elections, politics, democracy, and sustainable development in Africa and thereafter recommends policy options that would engender credible elections, inclusive politics, and participation and development that is home grown and sustainable across the African continent.

Towards Child-Centred Sustainable Development Goals

This chapter is mainly based on a historiography approach and explores enhanced child protection and safeguarding mainstreaming in Zimbabwe within the milieu of sustainable development goals (SDGs). The 17 SDGs set the tone for further global development outcomes taking off from the millennium development goals. The chapter unpacks how SDGs can complement Zimbabwe's readily comprehensive legal and child protection policy framework to enrich child protection. The chapter offers recommendations on possible approaches to dovetail SDG targets with enhanced child protection and development in Zimbabwe.

Sustainable Development Goals and Their Implication on Economic Growth

The MDGs have been criticised for being too narrow and leaving out many people and their needs, like mental health. Likewise, not all MDGs were implemented successfully in all countries. Some countries implemented one or two MDGs of their choice and left others untouched, others partially implemented all MDGs. It was on this basis that the UN member states met in Rio to frame the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, in order for the SDGs to address systemic challenges across economic, social, and ecological dimensions of sustainable development they require appropriate institutional support to effectively integrate them into institutions and practices, to coordinate activities, and to mobilize resources for implementation. Rising income inequality negatively impacts economic growth and is threatening sustainable development of East African Community (EAC) member states. Since, the SDGs are many, it is recommended that, East African Member states should adopt a targeted approach in implementing the SDGs and focus on the smallholder farming sector.