The interconnections between poverty and environmental degradation in fragile ecosystems are complex, mutually reinforcing, and multidimensional, reflecting a cycle that poses serious challenges for sustainable development. Fragile ecosystems—such as arid and semi-arid lands, high-altitude mountainous regions, coastal zones, wetlands, and tropical forests—are particularly vulnerable to both natural and anthropogenic pressures. These ecosystems often provide essential resources for livelihoods, including water, food, fuel, and fodder, yet their limited regenerative capacity makes them highly sensitive to exploitation. Poverty exacerbates environmental degradation because resource-dependent communities often lack alternatives, technologies, and institutional support to manage these ecosystems sustainably. One of the primary mechanisms linking poverty to environmental degradation is overexploitation of natural resources. Poor communities, particularly in rural or marginalized areas, frequently rely on subsistence agriculture, livestock grazing, fishing, and forest products for survival. In fragile ecosystems, even small increases in extraction can lead to significant environmental stress. For example, in semi-arid regions, overgrazing by livestock can reduce vegetation cover, resulting in soil erosion, loss of fertility, and desertification. Similarly, in tropical forests, dependence on fuelwood for cooking can lead to deforestation, reducing biodiversity and compromising ecosystem services such as water regulation and carbon sequestration. Poverty restricts access to alternative energy sources, improved farming techniques, or sustainable livelihoods, thereby perpetuating environmentally harmful practices. Soil degradation is a prominent consequence of this poverty-environment link. In fragile ecosystems, soils are often shallow, nutrient-poor, and highly susceptible to erosion. Smallholder farmers who cannot afford fertilizers or soil conservation measures may resort to continuous cultivation, slash-and-burn practices, or inappropriate irrigation methods. Such practices reduce soil fertility and increase vulnerability to droughts or floods, leading to declining agricultural productivity. Reduced productivity, in turn, reinforces poverty, compelling communities to extract more from their surrounding environment, creating a feedback loop of degradation and deprivation. This cycle illustrates how ecological and socioeconomic dimensions are intertwined, with ecological vulnerability amplifying poverty and vice versa. Water scarcity is another dimension through which poverty interacts with environmental degradation in fragile ecosystems. Many such ecosystems—such as arid zones and mountain regions—experience irregular rainfall patterns, seasonal droughts, or limited freshwater availability. Poor communities often depend on unprotected water sources, leading to overuse of groundwater or contamination of rivers and lakes. In coastal fragile ecosystems, such as mangroves and estuaries, overfishing and pollution from human settlements can degrade aquatic ecosystems, undermining fish stocks that are critical for local food security and livelihoods. Limited access to clean water forces communities to engage in environmentally damaging practices, such as clearing wetlands for agriculture or extracting water unsustainably, thereby undermining ecosystem resilience. Biodiversity loss is another critical issue arising from the poverty-environment nexus. Fragile ecosystems often host unique species that provide ecological services, such as pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling, which support local livelihoods. Poverty-driven resource extraction, habitat fragmentation, and overhunting threaten these species. For example, in high-altitude regions, overgrazing by livestock reduces the availability of native vegetation for wild herbivores, indirectly affecting predators and other dependent species. In tropical forests, subsistence logging or collection of non-timber forest products without sustainable management can fragment habitats and reduce biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity diminishes ecosystem services, weakening the environmental safety net for poor communities and increasing their vulnerability to shocks like crop