Sustainable Human Development Index introduced

Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Patali Champika Ranawaka delivering the keynote address on the concept of Developing a Sustainable Human Development Bank at the Trans Asia Hotel said:

"The Government of Sri Lanka considers that the SAARC Summit provides an ideal opportunity to initiate a regional dialogue, particularly within the South Asian region.

On this new concept we have conceptualised as the Sustainable Human Development Index (SHDI). I believe most of you are knowledgeable of the Human Development Index (HDI) regularly prepared by the United Nations Development Programme.

The HDI primarily aims at reflecting up on the status of human well-being. It also attempts to provide a better estimate of development than the broadly used indicators such as the GDP.

Three basic criteria are used for this calculation. These are life expectancy, adult literacy and per capita income in terms of per capita purchasing parity (PPP).

However, we tend to believe that this HDI does not take into account the sustainability aspects of development particularly, the environmental sustainability.

Further, the HDI calculations need to integrate environmental assessment parameters such as environmental pollution and carbon emissions etc. which take place during economic development processes.

Ecological footprint, i.e. the degree of impact caused by the human activities on the environment and the climate change impacts are also some critical aspects that need to be considered when assessing the net degree of development.

Therefore, we are of the view that a comprehensive assessment of development which articulates all these dimensions would provide the true picture of human development, he said.

"We are quite convinced that such a holistic approach would provide a more realistic picture of the development against a more or less distorted picture that reflects by the current HDI.

We believe that this new approach would portray the true nature of development in the form of a Sustainable Human Development Index. Thus, in the context of the SHDI, the present categorization of "developed" and "underdeveloped" status of the countries is bound to change.

The Minister said, "According to some preliminary calculations done by our scientists using available data, the sustainable human development status of the South Asian countries appears to be superior to the so-called economically affluent countries of the world which are placed at the top-most brackets of the HDI scale.

For example, Sri Lanka which is ranked at 99 on HDI scale will be placed at 27th position on the SHDI scale. Similarly, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh placed at 128th, 142nd, 136th and 140th positions respectively on HDI scale will be placed at 59th, 60th, 61st and 79th positions respectively on SHDI scale.

In contrast, major developed countries standing at 2nd, 3rd, 8th, 12th and 16th positions on HDI scale will be placed at 10th, 11th, 50th, 94th and 55th positions respectively on SHDI scale.

A scenario of this nature provides an ample justification to re-visit the HDI in the context of proposed sustainable human development index."

"Therefore, the main purpose of today's briefing is to trigger candid and fair discussions on this new concept at the country and regional level. Hence, I urge you to take this message with you and be a catalyst to initiate such deliberations.

I am sure this concept will be well received and appreciated by the people in the region and once adequate awareness is generated we would like to take it forward through political, scientific and other appropriate regional fora."