Paper Reviewed
Sedda, L., Tatem, A.J., Morley, D.W., Atkinson, P.M., Wardrop, N.A., Pezzulo, C., Sorichetta, A., Kuleszo, J. and Rogers, D.J. 2015. Poverty, health and satellite-derived vegetation indices: their inter-spatial relationship in West Africa. International Health 7: 99-106.

Noting that reducing rural and urban poverty in developing countries was a "key target" of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals of 1990-2015, Sedda et al. (2015) conducted a study designed to determine if satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data could be used to evaluate the degree to which this specific goal may or may not have been achieved. And based on NDVI data they obtained for a large area of West Africa, they found that "the intensity of poverty (and hence child mortality and nutrition) varies inversely with NDVI," which findings, in their words, "highlight the utility of satellite-based metrics for poverty models including health and ecological components."

Searching our website for NDVI studies, we find them almost exclusively listed under the topical heading of Greening of the Earth, where a great number of them reveal the very positive connection that exists between landscape greening and atmospheric CO2 enrichment. And this observation suggests that the historic and ongoing increase in the air's CO2 concentration has played a significant role in the contemporaneous reduction in the portion of Earth's human population that has lived under poverty conditions, which currently stands at 21%, and which the nine researchers say is "a reduction from 33% in 2000 and 43% in 1990," citing Ravallion (2012).

In light of these several observations, the nine researchers conclude that since "the relative location of people in poverty and child mortality is dependent on the values of NDVI," a simple "accounting for NDVI can reduce the number of indicators required to measure the intensity of poverty," as well as to "improve the geographic targeting of pro-poor interventions," as a part of "the upcoming United Nations Sustainable Development Goals framework." But to its own disgrace, the United Nations simultaneously works to reduce the anthropogenic CO2 emissions that can raise the standard of living for all people of all countries.

Reference
Ravallion, M. 2012. How Long Will it Take to Lift One Billion People Out of Poverty? World Bank, Washington, D.C.