ARE WE UNDERCOUNTING POVERTY? TARGETING POOR FOR DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTION IN KHULNA CITY

Abstract

Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP) is a mega-development project in Khulna city. This study questions the method applied to identify the poor for development intervention. In doing so, the paper measures the Poverty of Community Development Committee (CDC) members, identified as poor by the UPPRP, and non-CDC members using the Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI). UPPRP considered 16 sub-indicators under three dimensions, namely infrastructure, livelihood and land tenure, and housing to identify the CDC member. Based on an extensive literature review, a total of six dimensions and 21 indicators were selected to calculate the MPI of CDC and non-CDC members of slum dwellers in Khulna city. The study was conducted in two wards, ward 13 and 14. where ward 13 is considered by the UPPR project as critically poor and ward 14 is a relatively high developed ward. In this paper, an alternative approach to poverty measurement has been proposed to address the issue of how such a UPPRP project is still unable to address poverty. A total of 54 households were surveyed in ward 13 (0= 26) and 14 (n= 28) by simple random sampling. Analytical Hierarchy Method is used to weigh the six dimensions and 21 indicators. The major findings of the study are: (i) slum dwellers of Khulna city are multi-dimensionally poorer than income poverty and (it) CDC members are not necessarily the poorest of the poor. The study concludes that the UPPR project is unable to target the poor for development intervention and certainly there is a possibility of undercounting poverty. The findings of the study need to be validated by a large sample to confirm the findings but surely can be a template for a broader understanding of poverty in Khulna city and beyond.