Energy and Environment

Drylands Development & Human Development

Each year UNDP produces the Human Development Report that analyses human development throughout the world and ranks countries in terms of a Human Development Index . The results show clearly that countries with high proportions of drylands tend to have low Human Development Indices. The exceptions to this rule - places like the USA and Australia - are interesting pointers to the potential of drylands and the real possibility of substantial and sustained development in even the poorest dry regions.

Environment and Human Development
The concept of human development distinguishes between core human capabilities (things like health and education) that help to prepare people to take advantage of choices, and the external conditions that affect them. For this reason the Human Development Index does not take into consideration any environmental criteria. However no full understanding of development can ignore the effects that the environment has on people, or the ways in which people are reducing the choices for future generations by damaging the environment.

These stark issues are encountered to some extent in all countries, and to a great extent in drylands countries where the environment is fragile. UNDP helps countries to prepare National Human Development Reports that focus on issues of major developmental importance for each country. Many of these reports have identified environmental management as being of fundamental importance to their development.

Staff of the Drylands Development Centre have prepared an internal UNDP report giving guidance on how to incorporate environmental issues into National Human Development Reports .

More information on Human Development Report can be found by clicking here . To access the Human Development Report for 2003, click here