Human Development Set Back By Five Years By Covid-19

The UN Development Program (UNDP), developed in 1990, announced for the first time this week that the Human Development Index (HDI) has declined due to crises such as the coronavirus pandemic. Further, several other political, financial, and climate related crises across the globe have also contributed to this decline. These back-to-back global crises have set human development back by at least five years, and has impacted more than 90 percent of countries around the world. 

The report found that the biggest reason for the HDI’S decline is a global drop in life expectancy, which has dropped from 73 years in 2019, to 71.4 years in 2021. Additionally, it described how forces such as climate change, globalization, and political polarization have created an unprecedented level of uncertainty “never seen [before] in human history.” This uncertainty, and the quick succession of crises the world has seen in the past two years has not allowed countries the time to sufficiently recover. The UNDP stated that 9 out of 10 countries recorded a decline in their HDI score, with South Sudan, Chad, Niger experiencing the most extreme declines. 

Speaking on the finding, Ulrika Modeer from the UNDP stated, “The world has definitely seen such challenges before. We have seen pandemics [and] wars affecting more than one country, but not actually the entire world. What has happened now and what is represented in the report is an uncertainty complex.” The UNDP has stressed that quick fixes will not do, and systematic change is the way to overcome world crises. The UNDP administrator, Achim Steiner, expressed “The world is scrambling to respond to back-to-back crises. We have seen with the cost of living and energy crises and, while it is tempting to focus on quick fixes like subsidizing fossil fuels, immediate relief tactics are delaying the long-term systemic changes we must make.”

The Human Development Index is a measurement system used by the United Nations to evaluate and monitor the level of individual human development in every country. It uses components such as life expectancy at birth, educational expectations, and GNI per capita to rank and compare countries. The HDI was created to emphasize that people and their capabilities should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the development of a country, not economic growth alone. During its creation in 1990, the United States was the most developed country in the world, although it is now ranked at 21st place in 2022. Currently, Switzerland is ranked as the most highly developed country in the world, with a value of 0.962, with Norway and Iceland closely behind it. 

The UNDP report did make some recommendations. These included investments in renewable energy and preparation for future pandemics, insurance to absorb shocks, and innovations to strengthen the capacity to cope with future crises. As we globally continue to change the climate and profit from conflicts, the frequency of crises will only continue to grow. States must, as recommended by the UNDP, invest and develop their capacity to deal with pandemics, conflict, climate, and financial crises to navigate this uncertain world order.  

Cerys Williams

Related