We now know that an extraordinary range of problems has set human progress back at least five years according to a depressing study the UN released last week. The Covid-19 epidemic mostly had a severe effect on the world by causing a widespread wave of uncertainty. The Human Development Index (HDI) fell in 2020 and 2021 for the first time since it was established more than 30 years ago, according to the UNDP. The HDI evaluates a nation’s standards of living, level of education, and life expectancy.
According to the most recent studies, the world’s population is slightly less educated, has lower income levels, and has a higher mortality rate. Large swaths of the global population now feel desperate and frustrated as a result of this overall decrease. Particularly today’s youth are more concerned about their future than they were even three years ago.
After the Second World War, there was a long period of continuous advancement in human development, but in 2020, a sharp decline started that has now lasted for two years. The advances over the previous many years have been reversed by this decrease. Billions of people are uneasy due to the uncertainty that has seeped into everyday life throughout the planet. Of course, the Covi-19 pandemic was a significant factor in this reversion, but as the pandemic is winding down, new crises have emerged around the world.
Instability and climate-related difficulties have made things worse, but the biggest crisis is likely a political one brought on by the way the Ukraine problem was handled. Populations all over the world could recover from the Covid-19 threat, but they have a difficult time coping with extreme weather conditions and the decisions made on a global level by Russia, the US, and other key countries. Conflicts and natural disasters have an impact on human growth, and for nations like Pakistan, they necessitate wise management of both internal and exterior affairs.
Despite the fact that the issues are global, it would be foolish to rule out the potential of local and regional remedies. According to UN estimates, roughly 180 of the world’s nearly 200 countries and territories have experienced some sort of setback in the previous two years. Only a few Scandinavian nations have kept their top HDI rankings. With a life expectancy of just over 66 years and only eight years of planned schooling for its children, Pakistan has dropped seven spots on the ranking. In 2021, Pakistan is presently ranked 161 out of 192 nations after falling seven positions.
It was 154 out of 189 countries surveyed the year before. Only Afghanistan and Pakistan in South Asia fall into the category of low human development, falling below Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. This is a worrying scenario, and the Pakistani government and its state institutions cannot and should not ignore it.
