Human Development Report 2014 Sustaining Human Progress: Empowered lives. Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience Resilient nations. The 2014 Human Development Report is the latest in the series of global Human Development Reports published by UNDP since 1990 as independent, empirically grounded analyses of major development issues, trends and policies. Additional resources related to the 2014 Human Development Report can be found online at http://hdr.org, including complete editions or summaries of the Report in more than 20 languages, a collection of papers commissioned for the 2014 Report, interactive maps and databases of national human development indicators, full explanations of the sources and methodologies employed in the Report’s human development indices, country profiles and other background materials as well as previous global, regional and national Human Development Reports.
Human Development Report 2014 Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience Published for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Empowered lives. Human Development Reports 1990–2014 1990 Concept and Measurement of Human Development 1991 Financing Human Development 1992 Global Dimensions of Human Development 1993 People’s Participation 1994 New Dimensions of Human Security 1995 Gender and Human Development 1996 Economic Growth and Human Development 1997 Human Development to Eradicate Poverty 1998 Consumption for Human Development 1999 Globalization with a Human Face 2000 Human Rights and Human Development 2001 Making New Technologies Work for Human Development 2002 Deepening Democracy in a Fragmented World 2003 Millennium Development Goals: A Compact among Nations to End Human Poverty 2004 Cultural Liberty in Today’s Diverse World 2005 International Cooperation at a Crossroads: Aid, Trade and Security in an Unequal World 2006 Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis 2007/2008 Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World 2009 Overcoming Barriers: Human Mobility and Development 2010 The Real Wealth of Nations: Pathways to Human Development 2011 Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All 2013 The Rise of the South: Human Progress in a Diverse World 2014 Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerability and Building Resilience Regional Human Development Reports: Over the past two decades, regionally focused HDRs have also been produced in all major areas of the developing world, with support from UNDP’s regional bureaus. With provoc- ative analyses and clear policy recommendations, regional HDRs have examined such critical issues as political empowerment in the Arab states, food security in Africa, climate change in Asia, treatment of ethnic minorities in Central Europe and challenges of inequality and citizens’ security in Latin America and the Caribbean. National Human Development Reports: Since the release of the first national HDR in 1992, national HDRs have been produced in 140 countries by local editorial teams with UNDP support.
These reports—some 700 to date—bring a human development perspective to national policy concerns through local consultations and re- search. National HDRs have covered many key development issues, from climate change to youth employment to inequalities driven by gender or ethnicity. Copyright © 2014 by the United Nations Development Programme 1 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission.
ISBN 978-92-1-126368-8 eISBN 978-92-1-056659-9 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library and the Library of Congress. Printed in the United States by PBM Graphics, an RR Donnelley Company, on Forest Stewardship Council certified and elemental chlorine‑free papers. Printed using vegetable-based inks. Editing and production: Communications Development Incorporated, Washington DC, USA Information design and data visualisation: Accurat s., Milan, Italy For a list of any errors or omissions found subsequent to printing, please visit our website at http://hdr.org Human Development Report 2014 Team Director and lead author Khalid Malik Research and statistics Maurice Kugler (Head of Research), Milorad Kovacevic (Chief Statistician), Eva Jespersen (Deputy Director), Subhra Bhattacharjee, Astra Bonini, Cecilia Calderon, Alan Fuchs, Amie Gaye, Sasa Lucic, Arthur Minsat, Shivani Nayyar, Pedro Martins, Tanni Mukhopadhyay and José Pineda Communications and publishing William Orme (Chief of Communications), Botagoz Abreyeva, Eleonore Fournier-Tombs, Anna Ortubia, Admir Jahic, Brigitte Stark-Merklein, Samantha Wauchope and Grace Sales National Human Development Reports Jon Hall (Head of Team), Christina Hackmann and Mary Ann Mwangi Operations and administration Sarantuya Mend (Operations Manager), Mamaye Gebretsadik and Fe Juarez-Shanahan | iii Foreword The 2014 Human Development Report— often evolved and persisted over long periods Sustaining Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities of time and may be associated with gender, and Building Resilience—looks at two concepts ethnicity, indigeneity or geographic location— which are both interconnected and immensely to name just a few factors.
Many of the most important to securing human development vulnerable people and groups face numerous progress. and overlapping constraints on their ability to Since the United Nations Development cope with setbacks. For example, those who are Programme’s (UNDP) first global Human poor and also from a minority group, or are fe- Development Report (HDR) in 1990, most male and have disabilities, face multiple barriers countries have registered significant human which can negatively reinforce each other. This year’s Report shows that The Report considers the way in which overall global trends are positive and that pro- vulnerabilities change during our lives—by gress is continuing.
Yet, lives are being lost, and taking a ‘life cycle approach’. Unlike more static livelihoods and development undermined, by models, this analysis suggests that children, natural or human-induced disasters and crises. adolescents and the elderly each face different However, these setbacks are not inevitable. sets of risks which require targeted responses.
While every society is vulnerable to risk, some Some periods of life are identified as particular- suffer far less harm and recover more quickly ly important: for example, the first 1,000 days than others when adversity strikes. This Report of a child’s life or the transition from school asks why that is and, for the first time in a glob- to work or from work to retirement. Setbacks al HDR, considers vulnerability and resilience at these points can be particularly difficult to through a human development lens. overcome and may have prolonged impacts.
Much of the existing research on vulner- Based on analysis of the available evidence, ability has considered people’s exposure to this Report makes a number of important particular risks and is often sector-specific. recommendations for achieving a world which This Report takes a different and more holis- addresses vulnerabilities and builds resilience tic approach. It considers the factors which to future shocks. It calls for universal access to contribute to risks to human development basic social services, especially health and ed- and then discusses the ways in which resilience ucation; stronger social protection, including to a broad group of evolving risks could be unemployment insurance and pensions; and a strengthened.
commitment to full employment, recognizing This approach is particularly important in that the value of employment extends far be- our interconnected world. While globalization yond the income it generates. It examines the has brought benefits to many, it has also given importance of responsive and fair institutions rise to new concerns, manifest at times as local and increased social cohesion for building reactions to the spillover effects of events far community-level resilience and for reducing away. Preparing citizens for a less vulnerable the potential for conflict to break out.
future means strengthening the intrinsic re- The Report recognizes that no matter how silience of communities and countries. This effective policies are in reducing inherent vul- Report lays the groundwork for doing that. nerabilities, crises will continue to occur with In line with the human development par- potentially destructive consequences. Building adigm, this Report takes a people-centred capacities for disaster preparedness and re- approach.
It pays particular attention to dispar- covery, which enable communities to better ities between and within countries. It identifies weather—and recover from—shocks, is vital. the ‘structurally vulnerable’ groups of people At the global level, recognizing that risks which who are more vulnerable than others by virtue are transborder in nature require collective ac- of their history or of their unequal treatment tion, the Report calls for global commitments by the rest of society. These vulnerabilities have and better international governance.
iv | HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2014 These recommendations are both important of the concepts of vulnerability and resilience. As UN Member States prepare to Unless and until vulnerabilities are addressed conclude negotiations on the post-2015 devel- effectively, and all people enjoy the opportu- opment agenda and launch a set of sustainable nity to share in human development progress, development goals, the evidence collected and development advances will be neither equitable analysed in this Report, and the human devel- nor sustainable. opment perspective on which it is based, are This Report aims to help decisionmakers and particularly valuable. Eradicating poverty, for other development actors lock in development example, will be a central objective of the new gains through policies which reduce vulnerabil- agenda.
But, as this Report argues, if people ity and build resilience. I recommend it to all remain at risk of slipping back into poverty who wish to see sustained development pro- because of structural factors and persistent gress, especially for the most vulnerable people vulnerabilities, development progress will re- in our world. The eradication of poverty is not just about ‘getting to zero’—it is also about staying there. Achieving UNDP’s vision to help countries achieve the simultaneous eradication of pover- ty and significant reduction of inequalities and Helen Clark exclusion and to promote human and sustaina- Administrator ble development, requires a deep appreciation United Nations Development Programme Foreword | v Acknowledgements The 2014 Human Development Report is the Atkinson, Birol Aydemir, Rachid Benmokhtar product of a collective effort by the United Benabdellah, Wasmalia Bivar, Grant Cameron, Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nailin Feng, Enrico Giovannini, D.
Human Development Report Office (HDRO) Gunawardena, Peter Harper, Yemi Kale, and many valued external advisors and contrib- Hendrik van der Pol and Eduardo Sojo utors. However, the findings, analysis and pol- Garza-Aldape. icy recommendations of this Report, as with The Report’s composite indices and other previous Reports, are those of the authors alone statistical resources rely on the expertise of the and do not represent the official viewpoint of leading international data providers in their UNDP, nor that of its Executive Board. The specialized fields, and we express our gratitude UN General Assembly has officially recognized for their continued collegial collaboration the Human Development Report as “an inde- with HDRO.
James Foster, Stephan Klasen pendent intellectual exercise” that has become and Conchita D’Ambrosio contributed critical “an important tool for raising awareness about reviews of the Report’s composite indices. To human development around the world.”1 ensure accuracy and clarity, the Report’s sta- We are pleased that H. Ellen Johnson tistical analysis have also benefitted from the Sirleaf, President of Liberia, Bill Gates, Stephen external review of statistical findings by Sabina Hawking, James Heckman, Rajendra Pachauri, Alkire, Adriana Conconi, Maria Emma Santos, Juan Somavia, Joseph Stiglitz and M. Kenneth Harttgen, Hiroaki Matsuura, Claudio Swaminathan have made special contributions Montenegro, Atika Pasha and Jackie Yiptong.
to the Report. We are also most grateful to The consultations held around the world the authors of papers commissioned for this during preparation of the Report relied on 2014 Report: Connie Bayudan; Des Gasper the generous support of many institutions and and Oscar Gomez; Andrew Fischer; Thomas individuals who are too numerous to mention Hale; Khalil Hamdani; Abby Hardgrove, here. Events were held between April 2012 Kirrilly Pells, Jo Boyden and Paul Dornan; and February 2014 in Addis Ababa, Almaty, Naila Kabeer; Inge Kaul; William Kinsey; Brussels, Geneva, Islamabad, Managua, New Samir KC, Wolfgang Lutz, Elke Loichinger, York and Tokyo.2 Support from partnering Raya Muttarak and Erich Striessnig; Rehman institutions, including UNDP country and Sobhan; Adam Rose; Till von Wachter; Mary regional offices, listed at http://hdr. Young; and Ashgar Zaidi.
en/2014-report/consultations, is acknowl- During the preparation of the Report, edged with much gratitude.
