Today is the United Nation's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the need to eradicate poverty.

Approximately 1.1 billion people live in extreme poverty, which is commonly defined as living on less than US$1 a day. People living in poverty often have inadequate access to health care, clean drinking water, a stable and regular food supply, education, and human security.

In 2000, United Nations Member States committed to the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015. Information regarding the progress towards this goal can be seen at the UN Millennium Development Goals Indicators website.

World Resources Institute's World Resources 2005: The Wealth of the Poor—Managing Ecosystems to Fight Poverty looks at environmental income, the benefits derived from ecosystems goods and services, and how those living in poverty can use environmental income as a means to rise out of poverty.

EarthTrends has a large collection on poverty related information. For more information take a look at EarthTrends' Poverty Resource, a collection of datasets, maps, and feature articles on the relationship between poverty and the environment.

Here are additional EarthTrends poverty related resources including indicators, maps, and feature articles:

FEATURES
Globalization, Governance, and Poverty
Health, Environment, and Poverty
Life on a Dollar a Day
Poverty and Governance in a Global Frame
The Dimensions of Poverty

INDICATORS
Population indices: Human poverty index
Poverty: National poverty rates
Poverty: National poverty rates, rural population
Poverty: National poverty rates, urban population
Poverty: Population living on less than $1/day
Poverty: Population living on less than $2/day
Poverty: Poverty gap at $1/day
Poverty: Poverty gap at $2/day

DATA TABLES
Income and Poverty 2005

MAPS
Agenda 21 National Reporting Status in 2002