Archive for category: Sustainable Development Goals

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Updates on SDG Goal 1 in China

updates on SDG Goal 1 in ChinaSDG is short for Sustainable Development Goals, or the blueprints set by the United Nations to achieve global sustainable development. This initiative motivates every country to fight against social issues including hunger, global poverty, gender inequality and more. The first objective of the SDG is to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere.” Here are some updates on SDG Goal 1 in China.

Chinese Government’s Endeavor to Eliminate Domestic Poverty

Among important updates on SDG Goal 1 in China is the fact that some researchers believe that China is on its way to eliminating poverty. According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the population of rural citizens in poverty has declined from 100 million in 2012 to 16.6 million in 2019. The poverty line set by the government is an annual income of 2,300 yuan, or about 6 yuan a day. This reduction in poverty in China is due to political support: the Chinese government aims to end poverty by 2020 and complete the establishment of a “moderately prosperous society.”

Another key part of updates on SDG Goal 1 in China is the government’s new actions to reduce poverty. Since 2012, China has employed targeted poverty alleviation methods focusing on relatively impoverished areas. As a result, the average annual income for citizens in rural areas increased to nearly 10,000 yuan in 2018. The Chinese government has also employed “Internet Plus” strategies by encouraging the development of e-commerce centers in rural areas. Accordingly, many cities have become “miracles” for poverty alleviation: statistics show that 2.54 million people have escaped from poverty in China in 2019.

Challenges During COVID-19

COVID-19 is a special challenge that the world, and especially developing countries, must confront. It is not only a health crisis but also a social and economic crisis. As such, it affects updates on SDG Goal 1 in China. For China, COVID-19 presents a barrier to achieving the goal of eliminating poverty. COVID-19 restricts agricultural development because farmers cannot return to their lands. Meanwhile, due to interruptions in transportation, migrant workers are also unable to work. The combination of these challenges has caused an economic decline in China. In addition, healthcare issues and economic distress have resulted in poverty in China.

Some of China’s poverty alleviation strategies are also no longer appropriate during the pandemic. In 2013, China encouraged “wildlife breeding and domestication” in specific areas and created a market value of 521 billion yuan. Many impoverished areas depend on raising wild animals for economic growth; however, the Chinese government banned the industry due to its link to the spread of COVID-19 and the suspicion that wild animals can infect people. Thus, perpetuating this industry in the midst of COVID-19 presents a severe challenge for undeveloped areas.

Looking Forward

China’s endeavors in poverty alleviation are significant for both the nation and the world. Other countries can learn from China’s successes in fighting against poverty, which helped 602.7 million people escape poverty. If China can achieve SDG Goal 1 in 2020, it will be 10 years ahead of the United Nations’ commitment to eradicating global poverty.

– Yilin Che
Photo: Flickr

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4 Poverty Alleviation Schemes in India for Rural Development

Poverty Alleviation Schemes in India
Poverty is a multidimensional concept that encompasses the various deprivations that poor people experience in their daily lives. The first goal of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere. India has witnessed a decline in poverty through lifting 271 million people out of poverty from 2006 to 2016, according to U.N. reports. The Government of India has launched various poverty alleviation schemes to address poverty in rural areas and to ensure rural development.

4 Poverty Alleviation Schemes in India for Rural Development

  1. National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) was launched in 2011 by the Ministry of Rural Development and aided by the World Bank. NRLM aims to create an efficient and effective system for the rural poor to access financial services. To that end, the objective is to create sustainable opportunities by empowering and enabling the poor to increase their household income. In addition to income-generated assets to the poor — they would also be facilitated to achieve increased access to rights, entitlements and public services, diversified risk and better social indicators of empowerment. The mission aims at harnessing the innate capabilities of the poor and complements them with providing them the capacity to participate in the growing economy of the country. In 2015, the program was renamed to Deendayal Antayodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM).
  2. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MNREGA). To ensure the security and livelihood of people in rural areas, this act guarantees a minimum of 100 days of wage employment. These measures apply to households whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled, manual work. All districts in India have coverage under MNREGA. Under this scheme, every person has the right to a job. If the state is unable to provide a job within 15 days of application, then the worker receives an entitlement to a daily unemployment allowance. To ensure social inclusion, women gain priority — such that some 33% of the beneficiaries under this scheme are women. Moreover, the robust institutions for grievance redressal and social auditing guarantee accountability and transparency.
  3. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G). Due to the gaps in the earlier scheme for rural housing, titled Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) — it was restructured in 2016 to PMAY-G. Through this scheme, the government commits to realizing housing for all, by 2022. The aim is to provide solid and permanent housing with all the basic amenities including toilet, LPG connection, electricity connection and drinking water.
  4. Public Distribution System (PDS) aims to manage food scarcity and distributing essential food commodities at affordable prices. The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) launched in June 1997, to allocate food resources to the poor. The primary goal is to distribute essential food commodities like rice, wheat and kerosene at highly subsidized rates to the people living below the poverty line. This poverty alleviation scheme helps in addressing the issue of food insecurity in rural areas of India.

Empower the Rural Poor to Alleviate Poverty

According to the 2019 U.N. Human Development Report, 27.9% of the population in India is multidimensionally poor. With proper implementation of the poverty alleviation schemes, India can reduce poverty by empowering the rural poor with optimal use and management of resources. These schemes focus on targeting the multidimensional deprivations the poor face by providing them with food security, employment, housing and wages. Finally, the driver of these schemes is the objective to create sustainable mechanisms leading to rural development.

– Anandita Bardia
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

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Updates on SDG Goal 16 in Germany

SDG Goal 16 in Germany
With an index score of 80.8, Germany ranks fifth among all U.N. member states for progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The strategies and efforts for SDG Goal 16 in Germany, particularly help it to stand out as an international spearhead for sustainable development.

What is SDG Goal 16?

SDG Goal 16 calls for countries to “promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” Global progress is measured via the Sustainable Development Report, which includes the following indicators for SDG Goal 16:

  • Homicide rates
  • Percentage of unsentenced detainees in the prison population
  • Percentage of population who feel safe walking alone at night in the city or area where they live
  • Qualitative assessment of property rights
  • Percentage of children younger than age 5 with birth registrations
  • Corruption Perception Index
  • Percentage of population ages 5 to 14 involved in child labor
  • Exports of major conventional weapons
  • Press Freedom Index
  • Persons held in prison

For all but one of these indicators, Germany is on track to maintain SDG Goal 16 achievement, rendering its progress towards this goal substantial. According to the German Federal Association for Sustainability, the country has adopted several measures to ensure the achievement of SDG Goal 16 in Germany. Moreover, Germany’s progress may allow it to serve as a model for other U.N. member states.

A Closer Look

Germany’s role on the world stage has been critical towards fulfilling the SDGs by 2030. The country’s National Sustainability Strategy of 2016 has been central to its achievements thus far. The strategy covers additional goals for development cooperation and outlines a long-term process of sustainable development. Although originally introduced by the German government in 2002, the country revised its strategy in 2016 to align with the SDGs. Now, Germany regularly revisits its principles and parameters every two years.

Updating the National Sustainability Strategy in 2018 was especially effective for SDG Goal 16 in Germany. The changes introduced objectives that refocused international development and institution-building. Some of the panel’s recommendations included increased accountability and transparency in international financial institutions. Further recommendations also included support for sustainable practices, internationally. Importantly, the peer review also called for the incorporation of sustainable development in curricula throughout all levels of the education systems. This demonstrates Germany’s clear commitment to building sustainable, inclusive institutions for the long-term.

Notably, the indicator trends for SDG Goal 16 in Germany also suggest positive outcomes in sustainable development and institution-building. The country has a Press Freedom Index of 14.60 and a Property Rights value of 5.31. The country also achieved a long-term objective in 2018, i.e., 100% of children born (younger than age 5) had their births registered with the relevant national civil authorities.

Recent Updates

Germany’s federal government intends to further update its National Sustainability Strategy in 2020, taking into account the expert advice from another peer review. As for the SDG Goal 16 indicators, exports of major conventional weapons is an area in need of improvement for Germany — given the country’s index of 2.04 in 2019. German arms exports increased by 65% during that year, whereas the previous three years saw consistent decreases.

Despite this, Germany remains “committed to peace and justice worldwide” when promoting sustainable development practices. From protecting human rights to forwarding inclusive governance, the country remains on track for achieving SDG Goal 16 by the year 2030.

– Rachel Moloney
Photo: Flickr

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Updates on SDG Goal 1 in India

SDG Goal 1 in IndiaIndia is located in the South Asian peninsula. It is the second-most populous country, seventh-largest country by area and the largest democracy in the world. Since its independence in 1947, India has had a consistently developing economy. The country made great strides in raising growth, income levels and standards of living. However, the luxuries that a few receive are not available to the majority of the country. Around 77% of all wealth is owned by only 10% of the population. Today, at least 6% of India’s population lives on less than $2 per day. Recognizing this fact, the U.N. has formulated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to acknowledge and eradicate poverty in every form. The future of achieving SDG Goal 1 in India is promising.

India and the Sustainable Development Goals

Along with being one of the fastest developing economies in the world, India has played a tremendous role in the formulation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The SDGs consist of 17 goals, 169 targets and 306 national indicators. Although the SDGs is an exhaustive list, it has not stopped India from making substantive progress towards achieving most of these goals.

Goal one of the SDGs of the U.N. Sustainable Development Agenda is the complete elimination of poverty in every form by 2030. From 2008 to 2018, the poverty rate in India halved as the percent of Indians living in poverty dropped from 55% to 28%. The good news is that India is on track to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. However, it is important to recognize recent trends to gain a better perspective on where India stands in the race to achieve SDG goal 1.

Updates on SDG Goal 1 in India

  1. As of 2018, 44 people in India come out of extreme poverty every minute. This is the fastest rate of poverty reduction in the world. Besides rapid economic development, this reduction in poverty can be attributed to an anti-poverty government agenda. It started providing rural areas with access to living necessities such as sanitation facilities and cooking fuel.
  2. In the same year, India fell one spot from being the home to the largest number of poor people in the world. Despite being the fastest-growing population in the world, India’s rate of absolute poverty continues to decline.
  3. In just one decade, India lifted 271 million people out of multidimensional poverty. This is nearly half the total population of Indians living in poverty. Multidimensional poverty refers to poverty across an array of factors such as lack of education, health care and insufficient standards of living. Economic development is concentrated within the urban regions of India. At the same time, an investment in the most vulnerable communities allowed millions to rise from poverty. In addition, the investment provides millions of the population with sufficient means to live sustainably. This includes access to sanitation, cooking gas, electricity and education in food growing techniques.
  4. Updates on SDG Goal 1 in India includes an evaluation of the economy. Economists believe the country’s economy must grow at 7 to 8% annually in order to achieve SDG goal 1 in India by 2030. Over the last 15 years, India has maintained an average growth rate of 7.4%. Much of this growth is the result of the government programs that invest directly in the lives of their citizens. By providing basic necessities to poor populations, India is able to bring people out of poverty and making them more productive and self-sustainable.

Hope for the Future

As India aims to achieve its goal on time, a glance at recent trends gives an optimistic view of the future of India. India owes its reduction in poverty to its thriving economy and to the coordinated efforts of its government and the U.N. Beginning with the government of 2014, India has made successful attempts in distributing essential commodities to its most vulnerable communities. For instance, electricity, clean water and sanitation. Through a robust anti-poverty scheme, India has granted 90% of its population access to electricity. Additionally, a whopping 99.45% of its population has access to basic sanitation. The latter number is up from 40% in 2014.

The evidence suggests that governments can effectively tackle poverty when they have the means to do so. The past decade in India is a prime example. However, India is only halfway through in achieving SDG goal 1. In order to continue its progress, it is imperative to recognize the benefits of coordinated government initiatives that are supported by our own. For the county’s thriving economy and progress towards SDG goal 1 in India can only sustain itself through the support of the effective government.

– Aadil Khan
Photo: Flickr

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Hunger in Grenada

hunger in grenadaGrenada is a small cluster of Caribbean islands, with the largest one being home to the country’s capital, St. George’s. Grenada has a population of about 112,500 people, making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Although Grenada is considered a middle-income country, 38% of its residents live below the poverty line, meaning that the number of people living in hunger is also a serious issue. Read on to learn about the past and present history of hunger in Grenada.

A Turbulent Past

After President Ronald Reagan ordered the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, invading forces murdered Grenada’s leader along with 208 residents of the islands. Although those involved in the invasion were punished, the country’s difficult history continues. Grenada was one of the countries hit hardest by hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Emily (2005). Nearly 95% of all Grenada’s buildings were affected, which decimated the country’s annual GDP, thus putting Grenadians in a vulnerable situation. The impact of the hurricanes forced the government to shift its attention to rebuilding the country rather than tending to widespread hunger in Grenada.

By 2008, Grenada’s average growth rate had reached impressive levels considering the destruction it had endured. The country even began to see the emergence of a middle class. Despite these movements in the right direction, Grenada was one of the countries most likely to go into massive debt in 2012, mainly due to loan disputes with Thailand concerning the tourism industry.

Sustainable Development Goals

One of the most effective ways to evaluate hunger in Grenada is through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Of the 17 goals, Grenada is only struggling with two. Although it is important to recognize the progress Grenada has made toward the 15 other goals, Grenada has made little progress toward completely eliminating hunger. The second goal, “Zero Hunger,” is in the worst shape out of all 17 goals currently. Without adequate funding or direction to help this goal, much of the country will continue to live in hunger.

Grenada’s struggles with goal 15, “Life on Land,” also contribute to its hunger problems. This goal deals with the degradation of habitats and biodiversity, which leads to an increased level of widespread hunger. Such intense degradation impacts the hunger situation because the destruction of habitats destroys fertile farmland as well. This inhibits Grenadians’ access to adequate food sources.

Combating the Issue

One promising United Nations initiative, the “Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative,” works toward the second Sustainable Development Goal. The Ministry of Agriculture, Land, Forestry, Fisheries and Environment began this initiative in 2013. By 2015, the Food and Agriculture Organization had given $11,308,00 to significantly diminish hunger in Grenada. The Zero Hunger Challenge Initiative worked to improve economic diversification across the workforce, implement school feeding programs and collaborate with neighboring islands to accomplish a mutually beneficial outcome. Although this program helped hunger in Grenada, it ended in 2019, and the U.N. has collected almost no data since the end of the program to determine how successful it was. Hunger in Grenada therefore likely remains a problem.

– Natalie Tarbox
Photo: Flickr

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Updates on SDG 10 in China

SDG 10 in China
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 targets intended to combat poverty on a global level and create a more sustainable future. All United Nations Member States adopted them in 2015. Major challenges still remain to reach SDG 10 in China, which targets the reduction of inequalities across the world.

The Gini coefficient, which is an indicator used to measure wealth and income inequality within a nation, typically measures inequality levels. The United Nations has set the warning value of this indicator as any value over 40. China’s Gini index peaked in 2008 at 49, and has since experienced a slight decline to 46.8 in 2018, and then to 46.5 in 2019.

Causes of Inequality

One of the primary hindrances to progress in SDG 10 in China is its rural-urban gap. There are major differences in lifestyle, education level, income and access to financial services between urban and rural areas in China, which exacerbates the increase in inequalities across the country.

High levels of inequality in China began to surge in the 1980s when the country experienced one of the most rapid periods of macroeconomic growth and urbanization. While poverty levels overall lowered substantially in China over this time period, and income levels increased among poorer groups, inequality increased drastically. This is largely due to the income of the most wealthy upper two deciles (most of whom live in urban areas) nearly doubling between 2002 and 2007. This, coupled with the creation of private property, all led to a severe widening of the wealth gap. Private ownership of property led to a growth of asset income in urban areas. In 2002, experts found that assets contributed to 8% to 10% of national income inequality in China, and in 2007, this figure grew from 13% to 19%.

China’s Urbanization Plan

Since 2008, there has been some slight advancement in SDG 10 in China but continued levels of rapidly increasing urbanization will cause China to largely depend on policy reform to continue to moderate and lower its high levels of inequality. These initiatives should include a focus on targeting the rural-urban gap.

As a way to target the rural-urban gap, which experts see as a main cause of inequality, China announced an urbanization plan in 2014, which targets moving about 100 million more current rural residents into cities by 2020. The urban population in China has since increased from a proportion of 54.77% of the population in 2014 to a proportion of 59.58% of the population in 2018. A criticism of this plan notes that as this does not address the underlying issues causing inequalities between rural and urban areas, it could simply lead to a shift to an urban-urban wealth gap.

The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme

China has also expanded the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme since 2005, which is a health insurance program that emerged in the late 1990s. It also created the New Rural Pension Scheme in about 2010. These two programs expanded the rural social protection system, which previously did not cover all people in rural areas. Access to health insurance for rural populations has indirect effects on rural incomes. The rapidly aging population of China has also been a contributor to inequality levels, which the pension program helps to address.

Other Initiatives

Several other policy initiatives that aid the progress of SDG 10 in China include personal tax income reform, labor market policies, pro-farmer policies, social security, regional development strategy and fiscal transfer policies, poverty alleviation policies and financial inclusion. The country also added an exemption from agricultural fees and taxes for rural households in 2006. These had historically been a financial burden for rural citizens. China has also established the Dibao program, which is a cash transfer program that guarantees a minimum income for low-income households. It started in urban areas in the mid-1990s and expanded to include rural areas after 1999. In 2016, more than 60 million people were beneficiaries of the Dibao program.

Further fiscal policy reforms are crucial to improve the status of SDG 10 in China. Without these, projected structural trends predict rising inequality levels. These policies will likely have to focus on tax reforms, an increase in public spending on education, health and social assistance and on targeting the provincial and regional inequalities that contribute to the rural-urban gap.

– Katherine Musgrave
Photo: Flickr

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4 Facts About Updates on SDG Goal 3 in El Salvador

updates on SDG Goal 3 in El Salvador
El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, with a population of about 6.3 million people. Compared to every country around the globe participating in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals program, El Salvador ranks relatively high. The Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, are 17 goals that the United Nations established in order to create a better world for citizens around the globe. All 17 goals interconnect to ensure that the goals fully account for all persons worldwide. The U.N. gives each country a numerical score out of 100 that evaluates how close it is to achieving all 17 SDGs. El Salvador has a score of 69.62 and ranks 77th out of 193 countries. Specifically, there have been many updates on SDG Goal 3 in El Salvador.

Goal 3 focuses on good health and well-being. This goal in El Salvador is increasingly important due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the U.N. had been seeing great strides in improving the health and well-being of people worldwide. SDG Goal 3 primarily focuses on reducing maternal mortality rates, providing universal care and ending epidemics with high mortality rates. Here are four updates on SDG Goal 3 in El Salvador.

4 Updates on SDG Goal 3 in El Salvador

  1.  There is room for improvement. While El Salvador has made significant progress toward achieving Goal 3, the country has more to accomplish. Specifically, the number of deaths related to tuberculosis in El Salvador has increased to 70 people per 100,000. The number of traffic deaths has also increased to 22 people per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, the adolescent fertility rate, however, has slightly decreased to approximately 69 people per 100,000.
  2. The maternal mortality rate has decreased. The U.N. measures maternal mortality rates as the number of women aged 15-49 who die as a result of pregnancy complications. This statistic reached its peak in El Salvador in 2001, with 75 deaths per 100,000 live births. After 2001, this number decreased, reaching its lowest point in 2017, with 46 deaths per 100,000 live births. The decrease in the maternal mortality rate is most likely due to increased hospital coverage in El Salvador. The majority of newborn babies are now born in a hospital and are able to receive their first checkups. This brings SDG 3 in El Salvador closer to reality.
  3. New HIV infections have decreased. In the past, HIV rates were on the rise in El Salvador. Mothers would transmit the disease to their children, and there was a lack of sexual education, which resulted in the high transmission of HIV. With time, however, people have begun to normalize the topic of HIV and its dangers. Specifically, a woman named Angélica Méndez started a program in her community to start conversations about the dangers of HIV and how to prevent it. With programs like these all across El Salvador, HIV infection rates have dropped from a peak of 43,000 people in 2000 to 11,000 people in 2018.
  4. El Salvador has seen an increase in overall well-being. Annually, citizens of El Salvador rate their overall well-being on a scale of zero to 10, with zero being the worst possible life and 10 being the best possible life. The average well-being has fluctuated over the years but currently stands at 7.6. Previously, the average was at its lowest at 4.74 in 2011. The average well-being has most likely risen due to the increase in sex education and greater hospital accessibility.

The SDGs are an effective way of providing step-by-step approaches for different countries to provide the best health and safety for their citizens, and El Salvador is no exception. The country has been working consistently to improve the health and well-being of its citizens. Though there are some areas in need of improvement, these updates on SDG 3 in El Salvador make it clear why the country ranks relatively high in comparison to others. With time and further assistance, El Salvador can fully attain SDG Goal 3.

– Alondra Belford
Photo: Flickr

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Efforts to Protect Marine Biodiversity in Mexico

Marine Biodiversity in MexicoLike all U.N. members, Mexico is subject to an annual Sustainable Development Goal Report report. This year, Mexico ranks 69th out of 193 countries with a score of 70.44 out of a possible 100. Significant challenges remain in 16 of Mexico’s 17 sustainable development goals (no poverty, zero hunger, quality education, etc). Mexico holds its highest rating in SDG 14: Life Below Water. This goal aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marines resources for sustainable development.” While SDG 14 is positive for Mexico, the U.N. report states that “challenges remain” and details the trend as “moderately improving” but at a level insufficient to reach the ultimate goal. Listed below are the five indicators for progress toward achieving SDG 14 and protecting marine biodiversity in Mexico.

Protected Marine Areas

According to the U.N., Mexico continues to improve its protection of key marine biodiversity areas. The country is currently on track to achieve this critical component in the overall fight for protecting life below water. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) works in partnership with other NGOs and the Mexican government to protect marine biodiversity. TNC’s main concern is the 700-mile long Mesoamerican Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. With encouragement from TNC and other NGOs, the Mexican government now designates about 25% of its marine areas as protected areas (MPAs). This includes the Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park, which encompasses 34 million acres and is home to hundreds of aquatic species. MPAs and coral reef conservation are crucial measures for protecting marine biodiversity in Mexico.

Ocean Health Index: Clean Waters Score

Significant challenges remain in maintaining clean waters. Mexico has a score of 64.43 for keeping “chemicals, excessive nutrients (eutrophication), human pathogens and trash” out of its waters. The Mexican organization Villa Duendes has taken a unique approach toward encouraging people to clean up their local waters. They offer free nights in their sustainable domes for anyone who brings five garbage bags of plastic from Mexican beaches/waters. Villa Duendes also operates the Mar Amor Project, which partners with local fishing companies, environmental foundations, governments and communities to collect plastic waste from the ocean and upcycle it for re-use.

Fish Caught from Overexploited Stocks

The SDG report declares this indicator to be in a better position than the clean waters score, but the score is decreasing as of the latest calculation. The most recent estimate finds that almost 35% of fish caught in Mexican waters are from species that are overexploited or collapsed. The ocean conservation organization Oceana criticizes mishandling by Mexico’s National Fisheries Institute and alleges corruption. Oceana warns that sharks, red snapper, bluefin tuna, grouper and octopus are endangered due to continued overfishing. Less marine biodiversity in Mexico could not only cripple aquatic ecosystems but also local economies reliant on fishing.

Fish Caught by Trawling

Trawling is a fishing method in which fishermen drag nets along the seafloor to catch a species of fish en masse. This technique does incredible damage to marine habitats, particularly coral reefs. It also compounds problems related to overfishing by indiscriminately trapping whatever species happens to be in the net’s path. These bycatch (unwanted fish that are inadvertently netted) are often thrown back dead or dying into the ocean. Fortunately, the SDG’s latest estimates put Mexico on track to effectively eliminate trawling, although challenges do remain.

Marine Biodiversity Threats in Imports

This indicator determines whether or not marine biodiversity in Mexico is being harmed by mass importation. Developed nations with the capacity to import a variety of marine goods generally receive poor scores in this category. For example, seafood-loving Japan is one of the worst offenders in the world when it comes to overfishing. Japan’s now depleted fish stocks are nowhere near enough to satisfy the insatiable seafood appetite of its people. Thus, Japan has to import huge quantities of fish, resulting in a low score for marine biodiversity threats embodied in imports. When it comes to imports that threaten marine biodiversity in Mexico, the nation is currently at a level of sustainable development. This indicator is a major boost to Mexico’s SDG 14 score.

The Mexican government recognizes the threat to its oceans and is taking steps in conjunction with NGOs, fisheries and local communities to protect marine life. While Mexico has much work to do, its efforts to protect its oceans and life below water are admirable. Clean waters are one of the areas where Mexico has the most work to do toward achieving SDG 14. However, if the Mexican people can follow the example they set in protecting key marine biodiversity sites, then there is real hope that the country can continue on its path to SDG 14. Organizations like the Nature Conservancy, Villa Duendes and Oceana are among the catalysts striving to protect the oceans and its inhabitants.

– Spencer Jacobs
Photo: Flickr

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5 Takeaways from the Recover Better Publication

 

Recover Better Publication
The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the conditions that the world’s most vulnerable populations continually face. Social distancing and mobility restrictions are changing consumer behavior, disrupting supply chains and straining certain sectors, like tourism. These social and economic challenges are disrupting, and in some places halting, progress toward meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Through these unprecedented challenges, the U.N. is emphasizing the importance of using the global response to “recover better.”

The U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs released a new publication entitled Recover Better: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities in late July 2020. The report outlines plans for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals while taking into account the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Written by members of the U.N. High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs, the Recover Better publication comprises of seven essays, each addressing a different region or sector.

5 Takeaways from the Recover Better Publication

  1. New technologies and automation present great potential for developing countries. Their introduction has improved the quality and accessibility of communication, basic necessities and medical care. However, many unintended consequences may follow the implementation of new technologies in developing countries. For example, technology can add pressure to employment in human-labor reliant industries, exacerbate the digital divide and raise ethical issues. These include increasing inequality and data privacy issues, particularly with medical data. Considering the social and economic environment into which technology is introduced is a critical step in effective integration.
  2. As the global economy faces high levels of uncertainty, it is important to contextualize its current state by taking into account past patterns. Making recommendations for the future requires understanding the trends that were in place leading up to the pandemic. The global economy saw a deceleration in growth in 2019, which was particularly pronounced in developing countries. Both inefficient labor allocation and a lack of investment in research and development contributed to this slowdown. Importantly, the events of early 2020 exacerbated these issues.
  3. Allocating labor and resources toward a country’s strongest, most productive sectors is a critical factor in reducing income inequality between developed and developing countries. Utilizing comparative advantage in this way can maximize potential economic growth, leading to an increase in employment and higher wages. This way, countries can increase productivity in their strongest sectors while maintaining internal income equality.
  4. Natural resource management and sustainability should be at the forefront of each country’s socio-economic development plans. Recent industrialization has spiked carbon emissions and placed many environmental pressures on countries. In order to promote sustainable development, it is critical to improving the efficiency of natural resource use so that it is not surpassed by labor productivity and demand. The adoption and creation of sustainable technologies can help achieve that.
  5. The pandemic intensifies the challenges that low-income and vulnerable populations face. Nearly 71 million people will return to a state of poverty due to many socioeconomic factors, including job loss and recession. This will cause the first increase in global poverty rates since 1998. Among those groups most at risk for falling behind are inhabitants of conflict and post-conflict settings, youth, older persons, women, refugees, indigenous persons and those with disabilities.

While the Recover Better publication provides specialized insight into distinct areas of concern, it develops the general message that the Sustainable Development Goals can act as guidelines during recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. The principles shared in Recover Better can leverage COVID-19 recovery efforts to inform existing strategies used to promote sustainable global development.

– Sylvie Antal
Photo: Flickr

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Updates on SDG Goal 1 in the Dominican Republic

updates on sdg goal 1 in the dominican republicAccording to the Sustainable Development Report, the Dominican Republic is making good progress on eradicating poverty. This is the first of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report states that 0.2 million Dominicans live under the poverty line of $1.90 a day, which is approximately 111 Dominican Pesos (DOM). This is an improvement from 2014, when 4.3 million Dominicans were making less than 111 DOM a day. Though the U.N. considers the Dominican Republic to have completed this goal, challenges remain for its second part. This would require the country to have every working Dominican earn more than $3.30 per day, which equals 187 DOM. Here are some important updates on SDG Goal 1 in the Dominican Republic.

Updates on SDG Goal 1 in the Dominican Republic

According to the report to the 2030 Agenda, the annual growth of real GDP in the Dominican Republic has been 5% annually since the 90’s. Additionally, poverty has declined from 40% in 2003 to 25.5%. The government claims that “Per Capita income has increased in the last decade, placing the country as a high middle-income economy.” Extreme poverty in the Dominican Republic is under 6%.

While financial poverty has improved, there is still multidimensional poverty influencing the small nation. Many residents face issues in public services, housing and regressing to poverty. Furthermore, this newfound economic boon is not distributed equally throughout the land. There are still greater amounts of poverty among kids and teenagers in rural areas and the unemployed.

To combat this, the Dominican government has promised to utilize its public policies to deepen its emphasis on universal social security, health care and education services. The government also wishes to address gender equality in the workforce. This would mean tackling the workplace wellbeing of the most vulnerable of the population, including women, children and those who work dangerous jobs. The government has also focused on reducing unemployment, which went down 2.6% between 2014 and 2017. While these numbers are good overall, women, teenagers and those in low-income housing still struggle to find jobs.

SDG Goal 1 Around the World

These updates on SDG Goal 1 in the Dominican Republic make it clear that this country is ahead of many others in terms of meeting this goal. While the SDG initiative has incentivized countries around the world to improve their citizens’ lives, there is still a lot of work to be done. 736 million people around the world still live in poverty, which means 10% of the global population is impoverished.

However, the number of people living in poverty around the world has decreased drastically since 1990. By the end of the decade, the SDG initiative will have hoped to “reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.” Overall, the program aims to “ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular, least developed countries, to implement programmes and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions.” It is fair to say that the Dominican Republic is on the right track to fulfill this goal.

– Pedro Vega
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