Poverty and environmental degradation are deeply intertwined, particularly within fragile ecosystems, creating a cycle that reinforces both human suffering and ecological vulnerability. Fragile ecosystems—such as arid regions, wetlands, tropical forests, coastal zones, and high-altitude areas—are characterized by limited natural resources, low resilience to environmental stress, and sensitivity to human interventions. These ecosystems are often home to populations that depend directly on natural resources for their livelihoods, including small-scale farming, fishing, grazing, and forest-based activities. The interconnections between poverty and environmental degradation in these contexts can be analyzed through ecological, socio-economic, and policy lenses, highlighting both the direct and indirect mechanisms through which human and ecological well-being influence one another. Poverty intensifies environmental degradation through multiple pathways. In economically marginalized communities, households often rely on the immediate extraction of natural resources for subsistence. For instance, in fragile forest ecosystems, impoverished populations may engage in illegal logging, fuelwood collection, and unsustainable hunting to meet their basic needs. Similarly, in dryland regions, limited access to modern agricultural technologies or irrigation compels smallholder farmers to overexploit soil and water resources, leading to soil erosion, desertification, and depletion of water tables. The scarcity of financial and technical resources forces these populations to adopt short-term coping strategies, prioritizing survival over long-term sustainability. These practices, while necessary for immediate survival, degrade the natural environment, reducing ecosystem services that communities rely on, such as water purification, soil fertility, and biodiversity maintenance. Environmental degradation, in turn, exacerbates poverty, creating a feedback loop. Degraded ecosystems offer fewer resources for livelihoods, increasing vulnerability and limiting economic opportunities. For example, deforestation reduces the availability of non-timber forest products, while overfishing in coastal zones diminishes fish stocks critical for food security and income. In degraded drylands, soil erosion and desertification lower crop yields, undermining agricultural productivity and income stability. This reduction in natural capital forces households to work harder and invest more in maintaining their livelihoods, often by expanding into marginal lands or employing environmentally damaging methods. The result is a cycle in which environmental decline perpetuates poverty, and poverty further accelerates ecosystem degradation. The interaction between poverty and environmental degradation is also mediated by social and institutional factors. Marginalized communities frequently have limited access to land tenure, credit, education, and infrastructure, which restricts their ability to invest in sustainable practices. Weak governance and ineffective environmental regulation can exacerbate resource exploitation, as enforcement of conservation policies may be uneven, and local communities often lack participation in decision-making processes. In fragile ecosystems, where resilience is naturally low, the absence of institutional support magnifies the consequences of environmental mismanagement, amplifying both ecological damage and socio-economic vulnerability. Additionally, social inequality can influence resource use patterns. Poorer households may be compelled to exploit the environment more intensively than wealthier households who have access to alternative income