BY MENGISTEAB TESHOME
Ethiopia though is entangled with number of manmade and natural challenges, including, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, unpredictable weather condition and conflict, it has been exerting utmost with regard to advancing its socioeconomic development and realizing its goal in all areas.
The country, fighting with its internal and external enemies that are working day in day out to disrupt its peace and security on the one hand; and accelerating its socioeconomic development on the other hand, has been working persistently to achieve its development ambitions thereby improve the livelihoods of its citizens.
As a result, even if it is not at the desired level for various factors and some challenges still remain unresolved, significant achievements are witnessed in all areas. To mention but a few, exports and foreign direct investment have strengthened, the construction of the Abay Hydro Dam is progressing accordingly; activities exerted to conserve the environment and tackle the effects of climate change through planting trees are going smoothly. Not only that, but works carried out in the health and education sectors, expansion of infrastructures, particularly transportation and communication areas are also showing tangible outcomes.
The United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP), the Human Development Report 2021/22 launched last week under the title “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives; Shaping Our Future in a Transforming World also confirmed this fact- Ethiopia’s Human Development Index (HDI) value changed from 0.287 to 0.498.
As to the report, the Human Development Index, which measures a nation’s health, education, and standard of living, has for the first time in the 32 years that the UN Development Program (UNDP) has been calculating, declined globally for two consecutive years.
“Human development has fallen back to its 2016 levels, reversing much of the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals”, argues the 2022 Human Development Report (HDR).
Moreover, the HDI is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development including long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.
Many countries experienced ongoing declines on the HDI in 2021. Even before the pandemic, feelings of insecurity were on the rise nearly everywhere. Many people feel alienated from their political systems, and in another reversal, democratic backsliding has worsened, the report further elucidated.
However, Ethiopia even if faces a number of challenges, both manmade and natural, between 2000 and 2021, nation’s HDI value changed from 0.287 to 0.498, a change of 73.5 percent, it was pointed out.
Speaking to the local media with regard to the report, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia, Catherine Sozi said the country at this moment is going through a lot of difficulties that are impacting on the lives of people.
She added Ethiopia has been facing conflict in the northern part and drought in some parts of the country. In spite of all these crises, the Coordinator noted that Ethiopia is actually trying to remain up in the Human Development Index.
This gives hope for the UN system that Ethiopia can achieve better human development progress as well as will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she remarked.
“I am optimistic that Ethiopia can move through achieving the SDGs. But certain investments have to be made to make sure the crisis around conflict and drought are ended,” the Coordinator opined.
According to the Coordinator, the need for Ethiopia to invest in quality education and in health for human development success is of paramount importance. In this regard, the UN will give all necessary support to Ethiopia, she pledged.
UNDP Resident Representative, Turhan Saleh on his part said that Ethiopia’s Human Development Index of 0.498 out of one puts the country in the low human development category. However, the rank is in a stable situation compared with other countries across the world.
“The important thing is that we have seen the past two years, human development fall in 90 percent of countries across the world. It is the first time this has happened. In Ethiopia, we are not going as quickly forward, but we have not lost. So we are now in a kind of stable situation.”
Noting that because of conflict millions of children have not been to school for a long time, the Representative urged Ethiopia to invest in peace, health and education for permanent success of human development.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2022
