Weather and market shocks drive rural households to extract more resources.
Natural resources are running out fast in developing countries, threatening their future. A study in Southeast Asia found that bad weather and market changes make rural families use more resources. But if farmers are more productive, they use fewer resources. Also, having less education and no electricity makes people use more resources. To help, we should focus on making farming better, helping farmers deal with bad weather and market changes, and improving education and access to electricity in rural areas.