This review systematically assesses thefocus of Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) onenvironment-related issues. A total of 40 Interim and fullPRSPs from countries in Africa, Latin America and EasternEurope, the Middle East, Central and East Asia are reviewed.Four major questions: are posed: (i) What issues ofenvironmental concerns and opportunities are identified inthe PRSPs?; (ii) To what extent are poverty-environmentcausal links analyzed?; (iii) To what extent areenvironmental management responses and indicators put inplace as part of the poverty reduction efforts?; and (iv) Towhat extent has the design and documentation of the processallowed for mainstreaming the environment? The reviewfinds:: There is considerable variation across countries inthe degree of mainstreaming: from a high score of 2.2(Mozambique) to a low of 0.3 (Sao Tome Principe). Scoresindicate the approximate level of attention given toenvironmental matters in the PRSPs. Some variation acrosscountries is legitimate and to be expected, but there is noreason to believe that the lower scoring countries are freefrom concerns of environmental health and natural resourcesdegradation linked to poverty. Finally, it should berecalled that a PRSP is only the written expression of anunderlying and still emerging process of participation andimplementation. What ultimately matters are the results onthe ground, which cannot be evaluated across 40 countries atthis point in time.
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