Development that can meet the needs of the present without harming the needs of future generations is called sustainable development. The 1987 report on environment and development by the United Nations stated two key concepts in sustainable development – meeting the basic needs of the poor and using rational technology to protect the environment. Today, sustainable development refers to a socially inclusive and environmentally sound economic development, and sustainable development is a set of goals for future international development.
A resolution titled ‘Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ has been adopted to ensure empowerment and equitable development in a changing world. These goals were officially approved at the three-day World Conference on September 25-27, 2016, at the United Nations headquarters. These goals replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The United Nations General Assembly has adopted the SDGs as a global development agenda. 193 countries, including Bangladesh, are taking various steps to achieve 17 sustainable development goals for fifteen years. The SDGs are a new agenda for global development to build a sustainable world by 2030 and prosperity, equity and justice for future generations.
Before the Sustainable Development Goals, the Millennium Development Goals were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000. Bangladesh’s success in achieving the MDGs that ended in 2015 is quite remarkable, and Bangladesh is said to be a role model for achieving MDGs. Bangladesh has achieved MDGs in the sectors like poverty alleviation, health, education, gender equality and so on.
Sustaining this success requires the successful implementation of the SDGs. Because the 17 goals of the SDGs for the period 2016 to 2030 are – poverty eradication, hunger eradication, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, sustainable energy, economic growth, industrial innovation and infrastructure development, reducing inequality, sustainable cities, resource stewardship, ensuring equitable use of marine resources, including utilization, land protection, peace and justice, addresses climate change’s effects, etc.
Bangladesh has already started activities to implement SDG targets. Bangladesh ranks 104th among 163 countries in the SDG index of 2022. Five years ago, Bangladesh was ranked 120th out of 157 countries in the 2017 index.
Bangladesh’s most significant challenges in achieving sustainable development goals in the context of Covid-19 and war are unequal distribution of resources, inequality and poverty. While we are talking about poverty alleviation, on the other hand, wealth inequality is increasing in the world. The widening gap between the rich and the poor has made poverty more pronounced. As wealth inequality rises worldwide, the divide between the rich and the poor will become more pronounced. And as the division increases, the hatred will increase.
The current global development is unbalanced, and this development is creating differences between countries and among people. This glaring and growing disparity and fragmentation is a major challenge in Bangladesh’s path to sustainable development.
However, though the poverty rate in Bangladesh decreased, Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine have fueled to increase in the poverty rate again. Due to Covid-19 and the associated lockdown declared in 2020 and 2021, the class structure of Bangladesh has changed dramatically. A study conducted by eminent economist, also known as people’s economist Professor Dr Abul Barkat, has shown that Covid-19 and the related lockdown have radically changed the class structure of Bangladesh. Due to Covid-19, poverty and income inequality in Bangladesh have also increased tremendously.
The study was published as a significant part of Professor Barak’s book (published in 2020) titled “Boro Prodaye Somaj-Orthoniti-Rastro: Vairuser Mohabiporjoye Thekey Shovon Bangladehser Sondhane (On the Larger Canvas of Society-Economy-State: In Search of a Transition from the Virus-Driven Great Disaster to a Decent Bangladesh).”
Dr Barkat estimates that before Covid-19, the number of poor people in Bangladesh was 34 million out of 170 million. And now the number of poor people in one leap has increased to 68 million. In other words, 34 million people have become poor again due to Covid-19. Among the poorest, those “who earn every day and eat every day” (or in government statistics as the minimum 10 deciles of household income) accounted for 10 per cent of total households before Covid-19. Still, it increased to 25 per cent after Covid-19. Before Covid-19, the absolute number of them was 17 million people, but after Covid-19, their number has risen to 42.5 million people; that is, 25.5 million people have been added to the ‘hardcore poor’ class. Before Covid-19, they were in the ‘poor’ class but dropped into the ‘hardcore poor’ class.
However, the noticeable aspect is income and consumption inequality. This disparity has narrowed somewhat in the last few years, but the existing gap is still glaring. Our wealth inequality continues to grow. A class of people in the society own immense wealth by occupying land, river, forest and even economic institutions. As a result, an unbalanced society is developing. Poverty is becoming more pronounced due to the widening gap between the rich and the poor.
Significant challenges in sustainable development are environmental pollution, climate change and natural disasters. Illegal encroachment of the river by a group of people threatens the aquatic biodiversity and hinders the river communication system. Environmental pollution caused by unplanned industrialization and urbanization is having a negative impact on citizens’ lives. Adverse effects on climate change are being observed due to the uncontrolled use of fossil fuels. The lack of necessary preventive measures to deal with natural disasters is hampering the pace of development.
Lack of coordination between public and private institutions challenges sustainable development, and lack of accountability and transparency hinders the establishment of justice in society. From the individual to the collective level, discrimination, lack of coordination, and infrastructural weakness in all areas are Bangladesh’s major challenges in achieving SDGs.
Several things can be done to address the challenges that a developing country like Bangladesh has to face to implement the SDGs. For example, income, consumption, gender, region and wealth inequality should be reduced as much as possible to reduce inequality to a tolerable level and end poverty.
In these circumstances, Dr Barkat made a clear and direct proposal to the policymakers who formulate the country’s development strategies. He suggested all the ways and methods to reduce income-wealth inequality should be included in the development plan as soon as possible. He firmly said that a great danger is impending if the matter is not considered. He also stressed that if the way out of this catastrophe could not be found, the socio-political-economic-cultural instability in the country could reach a stage when the ruling class has nothing more to do; power will be endangered.
The roadmap will include: imposing a high wealth tax rate, taxing excess profits (which was imposed in many parts of the world during the Emergency, the Great Depression and World War II), recovering money laundered and preventing money laundering, recovering black money and preventing the creation of black money; not giving any incentive to the rich (whoever he is, whatever their business, whatever their industry) in cash.
And in determining the budget allocation (‘resource utilization’), prioritize those sub-sectors in terms of ‘inequality reduction development philosophy’, which for the time being will reduce (subsequently eliminate) multi-faceted inequality – will reduce income inequality, health and wealth inequality and education inequality.
With this in mind, priority should be given to almost all activities in the informal sector (85 per cent of the country’s working population, which will be in number 50.5 million out of a total workforce of 68 million 2 lakhs and eight thousand) – including various types of micro and small businesses and industries: cottage industries, agriculture sector: grains and vegetables, livestock-fisheries-aquatic resources, health sector: establishment of ‘Public Health Protection System’ on an emergency basis; social security and safety net, and education and research.
For this purpose, appropriate strategies and institutional arrangements should be developed. Government and other levels of stakeholders should take and implement integrated activities. Taking quick measures to mobilize resources from domestic and international sources will ensure the free flow of information and the rapid development and use of information in sustainable development programs.
Necessary measures should be taken to deal with climate change and protect and develop the environment. Employment arrangements and fair access to resources must be ensured for ordinary people. Education, health care, training and other facilities should be increased. In this, they will be able to contribute to the development of society and the country in addition to accumulating wealth by using their skills.
Policy-structural decision-making, priority-based planning, and institutional and socioeconomic environment should be enriched. At the same time, the monitoring system should be strengthened at every stage of plan implementation.
Political commitment is essential for effectively implementing sustainable development programs by including everyone in all quarters’ collective responsibility and efforts. Besides, stricter measures should be taken to stop money laundering abroad.
The policy framework should be designed so that socioeconomic progress is fairly distributed. The development of education, culture, health and sewage system should be given priority. In addition to increasing the budget allocation in these sectors, management and supervision should be increased. Quality improvement and awakening should be made in education and culture.
Even if the energy sector is given priority in the current budget, strict supervision is required for its implementation. Strong steps must be taken to address the challenges of onshore and offshore exploration to ensure gas availability. Free use of information technology should be prevented.
However, it is impossible for the government alone, individuals or institutions to meet sustainable development challenges. In this case, everyone has to come forward from their position, and everyone’s awareness will take the state one step ahead in development.
The main areas of sustainable development are our social and economic considerations and environmental protection, also called fundamental considerations. Sustainable development can be expected in all areas of the development plan adopted and implemented based on these three issues.
Apart from this, Bangladesh will be prosperous if it takes the initiative to implement the SDGs by coordinating with the government and private level cooperation and the development plan by 2030, five-year plans and Delta Plan-2100.
(The writer is a researcher and development worker).
