Human Development Report: A First step toward Sustainable Human Development

• Recognizing the limitations of using income as the sole measure of development, health and education indicators have gained prominence.
• These indicators, such as those used in comparing Kerala and Haryana, provide a more comprehensive understanding of development. 
• The Human Development Report, published by UNDP, compares countries based on educational levels, health status, and per capita income.

NOTES:

• HDI stands for Human Development Index. HDI ranks in above table are out of 189 countries in all.
• Life Expectancy at birth denotes, as the name suggests, average expected length of life of a person at the time of birth.
• Per Capita Income is calculated in dollars for all countries so that it can be compared. It is also done in a way so that every dollar would buy the same amount of goods and services in any country.

Figure: Data regarding India and its neighbours for 2019

“We have not inherited the world from our forefathers — we have borrowed it from our children.”- Mr. Lester Brown.

Groundwater Depletion in India’s Critical Regions

• Recent evidence highlights a concerning trend of groundwater overuse in various parts of India.
• Approximately 300 districts have experienced a decline in water levels exceeding 4 meters over the past two decades. 
• Presently, nearly one-third of the country is overexploiting its groundwater resources.
• If these practices persist, it is projected that within the next 25 years, 60 percent of the country will face a similar situation. 
• Groundwater depletion is particularly prevalent in agriculturally prosperous regions like Punjab and Western Uttar Pradesh, hard rock plateau areas in central and southern India, certain coastal regions, and rapidly expanding urban areas.

Exhaustion of Natural Resources

The figure provides an estimation of crude oil reserves. More significantly, it indicates the remaining years these crude oil reserves will be sustained if the current extraction rate continues. 

• Globally, these reserves are projected to last only an additional 50 years. 
• However, individual countries confront unique circumstances. 
• For example, India relies on oil imports due to insufficient domestic reserves, which could pose a burden in the event of rising oil prices. 
• Conversely, countries like the USA, with limited reserves, seek to ensure their oil supply through military or economic means.
• Thus, the question of sustainability of development raises many fundamentally new issues about the nature and process of development.