SDGs priorities in Bangladesh and the role of civil society
Globally 836 million people live in extreme poverty. Many of them lack access to good employment, adequate food, clean drinking water, improved sanitation and healthcare
Dr. Atiq Rahman and Dwijen Mallick
The government of Bangladesh is committed to achieve SDGs through inclusive social and economic development, which would be environmentally sound and resilient to climate change, disasters and other externality like market forcrs. The country has prioritized a number of goals from the UN-SDGs and put emphasis on securing economic growth that is inclusive, reduce poverty, enhanced equity and improve living conditions of the common people. Emphasis is also given on environmental governance, conservation of natural resources, pollution control, reducing risks and build resilience to disasters and climate change.
End poverty in all its forms everywhere is the main goal of SDGs. Despite good progress in poverty alleviation, still globally 836 million people (2015) live in extreme poverty. Many of them lack access to good employment, adequate food, clean drinking water, improved sanitation and healthcare. Women are disproportionately more likely to live in abject poverty than men due to unequal access to economic resources, paid work and education. Poverty ratio may rise again due to the emerging threats of climate change, food insecurity, wars, human displacement and violent conflicts. Currently, about 800 million people are chronically undernourished in the world and over 90 million under the age of five are underweight. The SDGs aim to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition.
Recently, Bangladesh has made laudable progress in poverty alleviation. The poverty ratio has come down to 24% in 2015 from 48% in 2000 in the country. But the absolute number of poor people is huge and millions are living in extreme poverty in hard to reach areas (offshore islands, riverine chars, haors and in the hilly area) and in the urban slums. The government, NGOs and development actors must redirect their efforts toward the extremely poor through resources transfers, human resources development, healthcare, education and ensure their basic security for food, nutrition, drinking water, sanitation and energy. Ending poverty process must target those who live in vulnerable situations; increase basic resources and services and supporting the communities affected by climate change, social exclusion and conflicts.
Clean Water and Sanitation
Water scarcity affects more than 40% people currently around the world. Global temperature rise and rapid climate change may aggravate situation in some regions and in many countries in the near future. Bangladesh made sustained progress in improving drinking water supply and sanitation, but still over 40% people lack improved sanitation in rural areas and urban slums. Climate change impacts and natural disaster hinder the progress and achievements in WATSAN every year. More investment from government, non-government organizations, development partners, and private sectors would be required in WATSAN facilities and hygiene practices. Empowering women and promoting gender role in economy, family and society is crucial for water and health security, gender equity and accelerating inclusive development. More international cooperation would be required for ensuring greater access to safe water and sanitation by 2030, water efficiency and technology for pro-poor and climate resilient water supply and sanitation.
Empowering Women and Gender Equity: Empowering women and promoting gender equality is crucial to achieve sustainable development. Ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls is not only a basic human right, but it has also multiplier positive effects on society, institutions and development. There are still sharp and gross inequalities in access to productive employment and significant gaps between male and female in the job market. Sexual violence against women, exploitation, unequal division of labour, discrimination in public and family decision making etc., remain as the huge barriers towards gender equality. Ensuring universal access to education and healthcare, womens equal right to economic and productive resources such as land are vital to realize this goal. Bangladesh must take further actions in this regard based on the earlier achievements.
Affordable and Clean Energy for All: The number of people with access to energy has increased in the recent years, but still one in five lack access to electricity and sustainable energy systems globally. Ensuring universal access to affordable and clean energy would need huge investment in renewable and clean energy, expanding infrastructure and upgrading the technology to make those pro-poor and climate resilient.
Climate Action: Every country in the world is experiencing negative impacts of climate change. GHG emission continues to rise because of extremely inadequate mitigation efforts, which might cause further global warming and rapid climate change. Deeper carbon cut and greater mitigation action are urgently required to keep temperature rise well below 2 degree Celsius by 2100 and stopping dangerous climate change. The poor and vulnerable communities would require knowledge, skill, resources and technologies for adaptation, mitigation and resilience building. Further, we must correct our development paths from an unsustainable production-consumption to more low carbon and climate resilient development.
Sustainable Cities: More than half of the world population now lives in the cities. By 2015, about 6.5 billion people may live in the cities. The countries in the developing world are already facing and would face huge problem of rapid urbanization in the near future. We must make the cities socially and economically inclusive, safer, resilient to climate change and sustainable. Millions of poor live in the cities in the developing world. Making cities safer and sustainable means productive employment, ensuring safe and affordable energy, water, health services and housing for city dwellers. It would require huge investment in public transport, water supply, sanitation and energy systems, creating green public spaces as well as improving city planning and management.
Political Will and Governments Commitment
Sheikh Hasina, Honble Prime Minister of the Government of Bangladesh addressed the 70th UN General Assembly and reassured that her government would be working with the United Nations in advancing peace, prosperity, security, human right and inclusive social development in the country and in the region to achieve the shared dreams and aspirations of all humanity. She has also emphasized that climate change poses formidable development challenges. We would not be able to sustain our development endeavors if climate change cannot be effectively dealt with. The new development agenda makes it clear that all our actions need to be underpinned by our strong commitment to protect and preserve our planet, our biodiversity and our climate. We have only a small window of opportunity, and succeed to set the world on safer, greener and more prosperous path.
There is huge scope for the civil society to work with the government in giving critical insights into all these defined goals and transform them into actions. They can also assist the government in developing institutional mechanisms and governance process through periodical assessment and critical monitoring. Bangladesh civil society considers that the development agenda should aim to guarantee an inclusive society, founded on rights and equal access to the resources, individual capabilities, and a decent and sustainable living environment, while making faster economic development and industrialization a positive force for the society.
Bangladeshs civil societies strongly feel that the post-2015 development process should promote sustainable economic growth, while taking account of the specific challenges of Bangladesh and not harming the environment and society. Attainment of SDGs will require a strong and effective institutional mechanism involving all stakeholders including public representatives (central and local), politicians, government officials (executive and bureaucracy), private sector, civil society, NGOs, knowledge community (academic and nonacademic), and development partners. We are committed to work with communities, government, development partners including the UN agencies and the actors for a better, equitable and sustainable world.
Dr. Atiq Rahman, Executive Director of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) and Dwijen Mallick, Fellow of BCAS
