This mapping approach aims to make the marginalized and poor visible by identifying areas with
difficult biophysical and socio-economic conditions. Mapping using different data sources and
data types gives deeper insight into possible causal interlinkages and offers the opportunity for
comprehensive analysis. The maps highlight areas where different dimensions of marginality
overlap – the marginality hotspots – based on proxies for marginality dimensions representing
different spheres of life. Furthermore, overlaying the marginality hotspots with the number of
poor shows where most of the poor could be reached to help them to escape the spiral of
poverty. Marginality hotspots can be found in particular in India and Nepal as well as in several
countries in Central and Eastern Africa, such as Eritrea, Mozambique, Central African Republic,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, Northern Sudan and large parts of Niger. Maps showing the
overlap between marginality and poverty highlight that the largest number of marginalized poor
are located in India and Bangladesh, as well as in Ethiopia, Southeastern Africa and some parts
of Western Africa.