THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC STABILITY OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuliia Chaliuk ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
South Asia ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Economic Stability ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
The Impact

The middle class is the basis of socio-economic stability of the state, acts as a generator of economic, social, cultural and institutional transformations. The consumption model of this class is above the subsistence level, which allows them to invest in production activities, to accumulate physical and human capital. Increasing income leads to increased spending on health and education, leisure and entertainment, leads to an increase in the range of consumer goods. Quantitative and qualitative parameters of the middle-class assessment serve as a platform for characterizing living standards and redistribution of economic growth in the country. The tasks of expanding the middle class, combating poverty, smoothing socio-economic asymmetries and imbalances, and improving the well-being of the population are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Globally, the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic create obstacles to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The world government should reduce the number of poor by at least half by 2030 (Sustainable Development Goal 1, Target 1.2), expand opportunities and promote social, economic and political inclusion of all segments of the population, regardless of their economic status (Sustainable Development Goal 10, Target 10.2), but the pandemic makes its adjustments. In regions such as South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, instead of reducing poverty, it has risen to 1990 levels. The middle class has suffered the most in South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic will provoke the deepest socio-economic crisis in 100 years. Representatives of the middle class in India, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand and Ukraine continue to record rising food and real estate prices, their purchasing power is declining, and central banks are forced to tighten monetary policy prematurely. In order for the middle class to stimulate economic growth, increase investment, maintain adequate consumption, use public and private services, national governments and the international community must respond quickly to the crises triggered by Covid-19 and take the necessary measures to eliminate them in order to ensure a decent standard of living above the poverty line.

scholarly journals Climate change: A threat towards achieving ‘Sustainable Development Goal number two’ (end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture) in South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shingirai S. Mugambiwa ◽  
Happy M. Tirivangasi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Sustainable Agriculture ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
The Impact

This article aims to assess the impacts of climate change towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal number two (SDG 2) as well as examining the poverty alleviation strategies by subsistence farmers in South Africa. Widespread hunger and poverty continue to be among the most life-threatening problems confronting mankind. Available statistics show that global poverty remains a serious challenge around the world. Across the globe, one in five people lives on less than $1 a day and one in seven suffers from chronic hunger. Similarly, the developing world is adversely affected by poverty and hunger. In the sub-Saharan Africa, research has revealed a higher prevalence of hunger, malnutrition, poverty and food insecurity. SDG 2 focuses more on eliminating hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture. The study employed an exploratory design and a qualitative method. Snowball sampling was used in selecting relevant sources which led the researchers to other research work on the same field through keywords and reference lists. The researchers employed discourse analysis to analyse data. The study discovered that there are numerous potential effects climate change could have on agriculture. It affects crop growth and quality and livestock health. Farming practices could also be affected as well as animals that could be raised in particular climatic areas. The impact of climate change as well as the susceptibility of poor communities is very immense. The article concludes that climate change reduces access to drinking water, negatively affects the health of people and poses a serious threat to food security.

scholarly journals Human Rights in the Least Developed Countries of Asia: An Index for Quantifying Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing)

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4747
Author(s):  
Karen G. Añaños Bedriñana ◽  
José Antonio Rodríguez Martín ◽  
Fanny T. Añaños
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Least Developed Countries ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Distance Method ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
The Impact

This paper aims to measure disparities among the variables associated with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 defined by the United Nations (UN) in the least developed countries (LDCs) of Asia. In the terms of the UN Conference on Trade and Development, LDCs are countries with profound economic and social inequalities. The indicator was constructed using a set of variables associated with SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing. Applying Pena’s DP2 distance method to the most recent data available (2018) enables regional ordering of Asia’s LDCs based on the values of these variables. The index integrates socioeconomic variables that permit examination of the impact of each individual indicator to determine territorial disparities in terms of the partial indicators of SDG3. “Maternal education,” “Proportion of women who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use, and reproductive health care,” and “Gender parity index in primary education” are the most important variables in explaining spatial disparities in good health and wellbeing in the LDCs of Asia.

scholarly journals Implementation of the No Poverty Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) in Visegrad Group (V4)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1030
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Sobczak ◽  
Bartosz Bartniczak ◽  
Andrzej Raszkowski
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Poverty Area ◽  
Development Level ◽  
Poverty Indicators ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Visegrad Group

This presented study discusses problems related to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty, aimed at eliminating poverty, based on the example of the Visegrad Group (V4) countries. The introduction addresses the general characteristics of the V4 and attempts to define the concept of sustainable development, with particular emphasis on its complex nature and importance for future generations. The purpose of the research was to assess the diversity within the Visegrad Group countries in the years 2005–2018 in terms of poverty and sustainable development level in the No Poverty area and also to identify the impact of the socioeconomic development level in the studied countries on sustainable development in the No Poverty area. Taking into account the analysis of poverty indicators in the Visegrad Group countries, the best results were recorded for Czechia. The second part of the conducted analyzed allowed us to conclude that Czechia definitely presents the highest level of sustainable development, followed by Slovakia. The highest average dynamics of changes occur in Poland and Hungary, which result in the gradual elimination of the existing disproportions. Among other research results, it is worth highlighting that the V4 countries show significant, however, decreasing differences regarding the indicators describing poverty in relation to sustainable development.

scholarly journals What If Your Husband Doesn’t Feel the Pressure? An Exploration of Women’s Involvement in WaSH Decision Making in Nyanchwa, Kenya

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelma Zulfawu Abu ◽  
Elijah Bisung ◽  
Susan J. Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Low Literacy ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Implementation Processes ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Sub Saharan

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) is a major challenge in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Women and girls suffer the main burden of a lack of access to WaSH because they are primarily responsible for collecting water for their homes. However, they are often excluded from WaSH decision-making and implementation processes. This research sought to explore women’s experiences in participating in WaSH decision-making through a case study in Nyanchwa, Kenya. Twelve (12) key informant interviews were conducted with community leaders and members regarding challenges and possible measures for enhancing women and girls’ participation in WaSH decision-making. From this research, it is evident that economic challenges and cultural factors such as male dominance, greatly inhibit women and girls’ participation in WaSH decision-making and implementation processes. Other factors such as time constraints and low literacy rates also emerged. The paper concludes with a call for collaboration among women’s groups to enhance collective action for improved access to WaSH. This will undoubtedly lead to enhanced community health and wellbeing (Sustainable Development Goal 3, SDG3) through the empowerment of women (Sustainable Development Goal 5, SDG5).

scholarly journals Metrics to Accelerate Private Sector Investment in Sustainable Development Goal 2—Zero Hunger

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5967
Author(s):  
Molly E. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Private Sector Investment ◽  
Quantitative Metrics ◽  
Substantial Investment ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Zero Hunger ◽  
The Impact

Substantial investment from both the private and public sectors will be needed to achieve the ambitious Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2), which focuses on ending poverty and achieving zero hunger. To harness the private sector, high quality, transparent metrics are needed to ensure that every dollar spent reaches the most marginalized segments of a community while still helping institutions achieve their goals. Satellite-derived Earth observations will be instrumental in accelerating these investments and targeting them to the regions with the greatest need. This article proposes two quantitative metrics that could be used to evaluate the impact of private sector activities on SDG2: measuring increases in yield over baseline and ensuring input availability and affordability in all markets.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Relationship between Poverty and Environmental Sustainability in Sub-Saharan African Countries using Dynamic Econometric Models

Economy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 16-25
Author(s):  
Owusu Samuel Mensah ◽  
Chen Jianlin ◽  
Fu Chuambo ◽  
Hu Qio
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Econometric Models ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

Sustainable development remains an important issue in the quest to achieve a safe and a better world. The expansion of the 8 millennium development goals into the 17 sustainable development goals is a testament of the conscious desire to improve the human environment to ensure better quality of life for its citizens. This study assembles a collection of four sophisticated econometric models to determine the impact of poverty and other variables on two indicators of environmental sustainability. Beside, economic development, the study confirmed the negative impact of poverty on both indicators of sustainable development. The results prove that poverty in sub-Saharan Africa is a threat to environmental quality and its consequential challenges. The call to promote environmentally responsible behaviours should not be focused on developed countries alone. Poverty is also associated with high levels of pollution and poor countries including countries in sub-Saharan Africa contributes must equally restrategise for effective environmental goals. The study further discloses that poverty is one of the strongest factors that affect environmental sustainability. This observation is not a contradiction to the well-established fact that prosperity or economic growth is a major precursor of unsustainable environment. On the contrary the evidence in this paper amplifies a consequence of a social crisis if they fester at both ends. In one breath, whereas economic growth or economic prosperity can compromise the quality of the environment. In conclusion, this result implies that African countries in their pursuit of economic growth, education and effective healthcare to ameliorate poverty must incorporate other aggressive strategies to hasten poverty reduction.

scholarly journals Unlocking the potential for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 – ‘Zero Hunger’ – in Africa: targets, strategies, synergies and challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prudence Atukunda ◽  
Wenche Barth Eide ◽  
Kristin R. Kardel ◽  
Per Ole Iversen ◽  
Ane C. Westerberg
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
State Fragility ◽  
Current Topic ◽  
Slow Progress ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Zero Hunger

Background: The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 (‘Zero Hunger’) aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Thus, a range of different strategies are needed to facilitate the achievement of SDG 2 to overcome challenges and enable synergies between various SDG targets. Objective: The aim of this review is to highlight Africa’s progress toward SDG 2, including targets, strategies, synergies and challenges. Methods: We scrutinized published research articles in peer-reviewed journals, UN reports and in-country Africa reports (between 2015 and 2020) that were relevant to the current topic. Results: Several hunger indicators are showing slow progress or even deterioration in Africa. The prevalence of undernourishment in the general population was 19.1% in 2019 and is expected to increase to 25.7% by 2030. Improvements in child stunting in several regions in Africa are slow, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where about 34% of under-fives were stunted in 2012 and 31% in 2019. In Eastern Africa, stunting prevalence decreased from 38% in 2012 to 34% in 2019. Major drivers of hunger are poor governance and state fragility, war and conflicts, increasing inequality, weak economic development, climate change, biodegradation – and now lately the Covid 19 pandemic – factors that all increase food insecurity. Conclusion: Africa is off track to reach SDG – ‘Zero Hunger’ – by 2030. Current efforts and progress are insufficient. Africa must champion the SDG agenda on a national, regional and global level to facilitate synergies to unlock the potential for reaching ‘Zero Hunger’ throughout the continent.

scholarly journals ‘When you preach water and you drink wine’: WASH in healthcare facilities in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thelma Zulfawu Abu ◽  
Susan J. Elliott ◽  
Diana Karanja
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Informal Settlement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Infection Prevention And Control ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Water And Sanitation ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Healthcare Facilities

Abstract Access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene, waste management and environment cleaning (WASH) in healthcare facilities (HCFs) is critical for infection prevention and control. The WHO/UNICEF 2019 global baseline report on WASH in HCFs indicates that 51 and 23% of those in sub-Saharan Africa have basic access to water and sanitation, respectively. Guided by the political ecology of health theory, this research engaged with 13 key informants, 16 healthcare workers and 31 community members on their experiences on the implementation, use and management of WASH in HCFs. Interviews were conducted in one informal settlement and three rural dispensaries in Kisumu, Kenya from May to September 2019. Findings indicate improvement in water access, yet water quality and other WASH service components remain a challenge even in newly constructed maternity facilities, thus impacting local health promotion efforts. Institutional challenges such as limited financial resources and ecological factors like climate variability and disease outbreaks compromised WASH infrastructure and HCF resilience. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3, good health and well-being, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 6, clean water and sanitation, the prioritisation of WASH in HCFs is required at all levels, from the local to the global.

scholarly journals The Eighth Sustainable Development Goal considering the economic system and its contradictions – A Critique

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-52
Author(s):  
José António De Sousa Pinho
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic System ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Environmental Crisis ◽  
Global Community ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Employment Sector ◽  
The Way

This article focuses on the eighth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) for the global community, analysing its objectives and recommendations that are to be achieved by 2030 in the sectors of economic growth and employment. It is a critique of the SDG chosen, in light of the current economic system and its contradictions, taking into account the new factors of the decade, such as technology and the environmental crisis. Economic growth was present in every economic analysis in the past decade, but should it be the focus of the next? The current environmental concerns have forced the global community to rethink the way we look at economic growth and the system in general. The article will also explore the contradictions in employment and work while attempting to explain the problems of this sector. A special attention will be given to profit and the way it prevents the creation of decent jobs. The new possibilities of the green economy and the technological progress will be taken into account and developed. It will finish with a reflection on the economic system in general and the SDGs, while also proposing a solution to the problems of the next decades concerning the economic and employment sector.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document