Empirical regularities in the poverty-environment relationship of African rural households

Analysis of rural households and environmental resources is beset by inadequate data, especially in Africa. Using purpose-collected panel data from Zimbabwe, we demonstrate seven empirical regularities in the rural poverty-environment relationship. Most importantly, environmental resources make a significant contribution to average rural incomes. Poorer households also depend heavily on these resources, which contribute c.40 percent to their incomes. However richer household use greater quantities of environmental resources in total. Finally, considerable differentiation exists in the economic characteristics of environmental goods. These results demonstrate the considerable economic significance of environmental resources to rural households. Surveys which ignore them miscalculate rural incomes and welfare.