{"id":1176,"date":"2022-12-17T02:05:27","date_gmt":"2022-12-17T01:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/actforyourplanet.com\/?p=1176"},"modified":"2026-05-22T22:46:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T20:46:52","slug":"the-human-development-index-is-declining","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/actforyourplanet.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/17\/the-human-development-index-is-declining\/","title":{"rendered":"The Human Development Index is declining"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time in the 32 years that UNDP have been calculating it, the Human Development Index, which measures a nation\u2019s health, education, and standard of living, has declined globally for two years in a row.<\/h3>\n

Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.\"\"<\/p>\n

The reversal is nearly universal as over 90 percent of countries registered a decline in their HDI score in either 2020 or 2021 and more than 40 percent declined in both years, signaling that the crisis is still deepening for many.<\/p>\n

While some countries are beginning to get back on their feet, recovery is uneven and partial, further widening inequalities in human development. Latin America, the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have been hit particularly hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe world is scrambling to respond to back-to-back crises. We have seen with the cost of living and energy crises that, 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,\u201d says Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator. \u201cWe are collectively paralyzed in making these changes. In a world defined by uncertainty, we need a renewed sense of global solidarity to tackle our interconnected, common challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report explores why the change needed isn\u2019t happening and suggests there are many reasons, including how insecurity and polarization are feeding off each other today to prevent the solidarity and collective action we need to tackle crises at all levels. New calculations show, for instance, that those feeling most insecure are also more likely to hold extreme political views.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven before COVID-19 hit, we were seeing the twin paradoxes of progress with insecurity and polarisation. Today, with one-third of people worldwide feeling stressed and fewer than a third of people worldwide trusting others, we face major roadblocks to adopting policies that work for people and planet,\u201d says Achim Steiner. \u201cThis thought-provoking new analysis aims to help us break this impasse and chart a new course out of our current global uncertainty. We have a narrow window to re-boot our systems and secure a future built on decisive climate action and new opportunities for all.\u201d<\/p>\n

To chart a new course, the report recommends implementing policies that focus on investment\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 from renewable energy to preparedness for pandemics, and\u00a0insurance<\/em>\u2014including social protection\u2014 to prepare our societies for the ups and downs of an uncertain world. While\u00a0innovation<\/em>\u00a0in its many forms\u2014technological, economic, cultural\u2014can also build capacities to respond to whatever challenges come next.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo navigate uncertainty, we need to double down on human development and look beyond improving people\u2019s wealth or health,\u201d says UNDP\u2019s Pedro Concei\u00e7\u00e3o, the report\u2019s lead author. \u201cThese remain important. But we also need to protect the planet and provide people with the tools they need to feel more secure, regain a sense of control over their lives and have hope for the future.\u201d