Nepal sees some progress, experiences slow progress and regression in others in SDGs

Nepal has seen some progress in areas such as sustainable urban expansion and spatial data generation for various indicators (including 11.2.1-Urban access to public transport, and 11.3.1-ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate, and 11.7.1-measures the share of land allocated to public spaces and the total population with access of these spaces by age, gender and disability)

However, there are areas where Nepal is experiencing slow progress and regression, particularly in achieving food security and combating undernourishment (Goal 2) and reducing inequalities within and among countries (Goal 10), according to a UN report.

The report published by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) also underscores the importance of addressing these challenges and customising strategies to address specific issues in Nepal.

Despite improvements in data collection, significant data gaps still exist, it reads, adding that gender equality (Goal 5) and peace, justice and strong institutions (Goal 16) continue to have the least available data. "This report assesses Nepal’s SDG progress at the global level indicators; and we should be careful interpreting this report in relation to the SDG Report of the Government of Nepal that uses nationalised indicators to assess the SDG progress."

The report -- published today -- also provides an overview of current progress towards the SDGs in the Asia-Pacific region.

Progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains uneven and inadequate across various segments of the population and within the five subregions of Asia and the Pacific, according to the report published by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) today, gender and location remain key factors in determining levels of poverty and inequality in the region.

“While additional efforts are required across the board, granular data emphasizes the urgency of addressing inequalities that impact marginalized groups, including women, girls, rural populations and the urban poor, who continue to find themselves locked out of education and employment opportunities,” underscored United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana.

“Equally, the sustained progress gap revealed between countries in special situations, especially Pacific small island developing States, and the rest of the region demands a concerted response from international, regional and national partners,” added Ms. Alisjahbana.

The Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2024 takes a closer look at groups that may be disadvantaged, focusing on how sex, urbanization, education level, age and income contribute to existing disparities and sometimes exacerbate them.

Despite overall progress in school enrolment rates, women and girls in the region continue to face considerable challenges when it comes to accessing education and employment opportunities. They have lower enrolment rates and struggle with literacy. Young women also encounter difficulties accessing labour markets, leading to higher rates of youth unemployment. Meanwhile, the challenges faced by men tend to be related to their health or personal safety. They suffer from higher rates of suicide, chronic diseases and road traffic deaths.

People living in rural areas face pronounced disadvantages, such as limited access to basic drinking water and sanitation facilities. Additionally, the lower availability of clean cooking fuels in these areas contributes to serious respiratory diseases. In general, urban areas exhibit better conditions, yet paradoxically, within these areas, the poorest boys and girls face significant hurdles in completing upper secondary education.

At its current pace, the report further highlights that the region will not achieve all 17 SDGs before 2062 – marking a significant 32-year delay. While positive steps have been taken toward eliminating poverty (Goal 1) and bolstering sustainable industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9) in the region, progress in other critical areas has been more modest. Efforts towards mitigating hunger (Goal 2), enhancing health and well-being (Goal 3), ensuring the availability of clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), expanding affordable and clean energy (Goal 7) and building sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11) have been less pronounced and require heightened attention.

On a more encouraging note, the report shares several laudable national success stories on supporting at-risk population groups. In the Philippines, dedicated research and analysis aimed at estimating the cost of supporting children living with a disability played a pivotal role in influencing recent legislation to provide a disability allowance, extending support to children with disabilities. Nationwide digital training programmes in Viet Nam have underscored the value of public-private partnerships in accelerating digital transformation and bridging the skills and employment gap for youth and migrant workers. Meanwhile, in North and Central Asia, national statistical systems in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have been upgraded to better support stateless populations.

An annual publication produced by ESCAP, the Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report uses the latest data for global SDG indicators to determine where additional effort is needed in the region and where momentum for future progress is building.

UNDP urges swift action and new directions to advance Asia-Pacific's Human Development

The Asia-Pacific region is lurching towards an era of unmet aspirations, worsening inequalities, and a steady erosion of democratic spaces. Rising global tensions, new technologies, growing polarisation, and existential threats linked to climate change threaten to disrupt improvements in well-being the region has seen in past decades, according to a new report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The 2024 Asia-Pacific Human Development Report, launched today, paints a qualified picture of long-term progress, but also persistent disparity and widespread disruption, foreseeing a turbulent development landscape and urgently calling for new directions to boost human development.

Titled Making our Future: new directions for Human Development in Asia and the Pacific, "that unmet aspirations, heightened human insecurity, and a potentially more turbulent future create an urgent need for change," the report warns that the region faces three converging ‘risk clusters’, ranging from existential threats due to climate change and future pandemics, economic headwinds from shifting globalisation patterns and automation, and a flagging pace of reform due to diminishing democratic spaces, rising populism, and polarisation.

While the region will account for two-thirds of global economic growth this year, income and wealth disparities are worsening, particularly in South Asia, where the wealthiest 10 per cent control over half of total income. 

More than 185 million people continue to live in extreme poverty – earning below $2.15 a day – a number that is expected to climb higher following the economic shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, the report reads.

“The report underscores that to overcome existing challenges, we must prioritise investments in human development, with an understanding that each nation will tailor its own pathways to do so,” said UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP’s regional director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja. “By fostering a people-first policy and smart growth strategies that put a high value on natural assets, we can pave the way for a future that is not only more secure and peaceful but also sustainable and prosperous for many millions more."

To bring about that change the Report calls for three new directions in human development: to put people at the heart of development, to recalibrate growth strategies to generate more jobs and respect the environment, and to focus relentlessly on the politics of reform and the science of delivery to turn ideas into practice.

It also provides a panoramic view of how in an uncertain future, countries can revitalize development strategies to close existing inequality gaps and reduce human insecurity.

A people-centered strategy must start by expanding choice for everyone by, among other things, tackling structural exclusion, upholding human dignity, and building capability. Tackling structural exclusion is not only the ‘right thing to do,’ it could also produce large economic benefits. Promoting women's equality alone could boost the region's collective annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by $4.5 trillion by 2025, the report further reads.

With external market conditions becoming more competitive, a razor-sharp focus on competitiveness and diversification is essential. The Report also highlights new areas of economic opportunity in the low carbon ‘green economy’ and in technologies, and the region’s rich marine resources that can be optimized and sustained through new technology and investment as part of the blue economy, which is especially important for Small Island Developing States.

"The call for economic growth should be louder, not quieter, as growth remains essential for human development,” UNDP’s chief economist for Asia and the Pacific, and the principal author of the Report, Philip Schellekens said, adding that facing growing headwinds to growth and job creation and the prospect of further disruption, it is time to recalibrate both export-led and domestically oriented growth strategies.

The region’s large informal workforce—about 1.3 billion people—is being left behind, with many workers trapped in low-quality jobs because the formal sector has failed to offer decent employment opportunities. And the region has seen a steady reversal in democratic practices, to a degree last seen in the late 1970s, the report notes, with the pandemic enabling governments to further tighten restrictions on civil liberties. 

To chart a new course, governments would need to be future fit to combat the challenges to come.  It unpacks how a greater focus on making change happen would be rooted in leadership and governance that is more anticipatory, more adaptable, and more agile.

UNDP is the leading United Nations organisation fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.

Increased cost-of-living crisis undermines progress on poverty alleviation in Asia and Pacific

 The increased cost-of-living crisis sparked by surging inflation last year, combined with the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, is continuing to push people in Asia and the Pacific into extreme poverty, according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

An estimated 155.2 million people in developing Asia and the Pacific, or 3.9 per cent of the region’s population, lived in extreme poverty as of last year, according to Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2023, released today. The number is 67.8 million greater than it would have been without the pandemic and the increased cost of living crisis, according to the report. Extreme poverty is defined as living on less than $2.15-a-day, based on 2017 prices and adjusted for purchasing power and inflation.

“Asia and the Pacific is steadily recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, but the increased cost-of-living crisis is undermining progress toward eliminating poverty,” said ADB Chief Economist Albert Park. “By strengthening social safety nets for the poor and fostering investment and innovation that creates opportunities for growth and employment, governments in the region can get back on track.”

Poor people have been hurt the most by the increased cost-of-living crisis, as they are less able to pay higher prices for necessities such as food and fuel. Increases in the price of basic goods and services leave many poor people unable to save money, pay for health care, or invest in education and other opportunities that can improve their condition in the longer term. Women may have also been disproportionately affected, as they tend to earn less than men while also being subject to unpaid work.

Not only do the poor earn less income—they also pay a premium to access many essential goods and services while being forced to make choices that can be more expensive in the long term, the report reads. For instance, low-income households often have to buy commodities in smaller quantities, which may be more expensive than buying in bulk. They may also be forced to live in informal settlements where they are exposed to greater health hazards, increasing their health care costs, and they may have longer and less convenient commutes.

ADB estimated in 2021 that the pandemic had pushed an additional 75 million to 80 million people into extreme poverty as of the previous year, compared with pre-pandemic projections. Extreme poverty was then defined as living on less than $1.90-a-day based on 2011 prices.

Economies in developing Asia and the Pacific are projected to continue making progress against poverty. Nonetheless, by 2030, an estimated 30.3 per cent of the region’s population—or about 1.26 billion people—will still be considered economically vulnerable, defined as living on $3.65 to $6.85-a-day, based on 2017 prices.

To help address the increased cost-of-living crisis, governments in Asia and the Pacific can strengthen social protection systems, increase their support for agricultural development, improve people’s access to financial services, prioritise infrastructure investments, and promote technological innovation and human capital development, according to the report.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.

Global progress in reducing extreme poverty grinds to a halt

The world is unlikely to meet the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 absent history-defying rates of economic growth over the remainder of this decade, according to a new World Bank study.

The study finds that Covid-19 dealt the biggest setback to global poverty-reduction efforts since 1990 and the war in Ukraine threatens to make matters worse. 

The Bank’s latest ‘Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report’ provides the first comprehensive look at the global landscape of poverty in the aftermath of the extraordinary series of shocks to the global economy over the past few years. It estimates that the pandemic pushed about 70 million people into extreme poverty in 2020, the largest one-year increase since global poverty monitoring began in 1990. As a result, an estimated 719 million people subsisted on less than $2.15-a-day by the end of 2020.

“Progress in reducing extreme poverty has essentially halted in tandem with subdued global economic growth,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “Of concern to our mission is the rise in extreme poverty and decline of shared prosperity brought by inflation, currency depreciations, and broader overlapping crises facing development. It means a grim outlook for billions of people globally. Adjustments of macroeconomic policies are needed to improve the allocation of global capital, foster currency stability, reduce inflation, and restart growth in median income. The alternative is the status quo—slowing global growth, higher interest rates, greater risk aversion, and fragility in many developing countries.”

The report also indicates 2020 marked a historic turning point—when the era of global income convergence yielded to divergence. The poorest people bore the steepest costs of the pandemic: income losses averaged 4 per cent for the poorest 40 per cent, double the losses of the wealthiest 20 per cent of the income distribution. Global inequality rose, as a result, for the first time in decades.

Strong fiscal policy measures made a notable difference in reducing Covid-19’s impact on poverty, the report reads, adding that in fact, the average poverty rate in developing economies would have been 2.4 percentage points higher without a fiscal response. “Yet government spending proved far more beneficial to poverty reduction in the wealthiest countries, which generally managed to fully offset Covid-19’s impact on poverty through fiscal policy and other emergency support measures.”

Developing economies had fewer resources and therefore spent less and achieved less: upper-middle-income economies offset just 50 per cent of the poverty impact, and low- and lower-middle income economies offset barely a quarter of the impact.

“Over the next decade, investing in better health and education will be crucial for developing economies, given the severe learning losses and health-related setbacks they suffered during the pandemic,” the World Bank’s chief economist and senior vice president for Development Economics Indermit Gill said, adding that in a time of record debt and depleted fiscal resources, this will not be easy. “Governments will need to concentrate their resources on building human capital and maximizing growth.”

The new report is the first to provide current and historical data on the new global extreme-poverty line, which has been adjusted upward to $2.15 a day to reflect the latest 2017 purchasing-power-parity data. Extreme poverty fell dramatically across the world from 1990 through 2019, the latest year for which official data are available. But progress slowed after 2014, and policymakers now confront a tougher environment: Extreme poverty is concentrated in parts of the world where it will be hardest to eradicate—in Sub-Saharan Africa, in conflict-affected areas, and in rural areas.

Sub-Saharan Africa now accounts for 60 per cent of all people in extreme poverty—389 million, more than any other region. The region’s poverty rate is about 35 per cent, the world’s highest. To achieve the 2030 poverty goal, each country in the region would need to achieve per-capita GDP growth of 9 per cent per year for the remainder of this decade. That’s an exceptionally high hurdle for countries whose per-capita GDP growth averaged by 1.2 per cent in the decade before Covid-19.

National policy reforms can help restart progress in reducing poverty, the report finds. Stepped-up global cooperation will also be necessary. In fiscal policy, governments should act promptly on three fronts:

    • Avoid broad subsidies, increase targeted cash transfers: Half of all spending on energy subsidies in low- and middle- income economies goes to the richest 20 percent of the population who consume more energy. Cash transfers are a far more effective mechanism for supporting poor and vulnerable groups.

    • Focus on long-term growth: High-return investments in education, research and development, and infrastructure projects need to be made today. In a time of scarce resources, more efficient spending and improved preparation for the next crisis will be key.

    • Mobilise domestic revenues without hurting the poor: Property taxes and carbon taxes can help raise revenue without hurting the poorest. So can broadening the base of personal and corporate income taxes. If sales and excise taxes do need to be raised, governments should minimize economic distortions and negative distributional impacts by simultaneously using targeted cash transfers to offset their effects on the most vulnerable households.

World Bank provides $80 million to improve water supply and sanitation services

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved an $80 million project to help Nepal improve the delivery of water and sanitation services and promote integrated water resources management.

“This project aims to strengthen the delivery of water and sanitation services at the local level by building the capacity of municipalities and thereby supporting Nepal’s historic transition to federalism, while at the same time addressing critical gaps in water and sanitation infrastructure that hinder Nepal’s economic progress,” said World Bank country director for Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka Faris Hadad-Zervos.

The Water Sector Governance and Infrastructure Support Project will be implemented in strategic towns and rural municipalities in Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces. Both provinces have low access to water supply and sanitation services, a higher incidence of poverty, and are vulnerable to climate change.

The project will help the local governments develop viable institutions to deliver water supply and sanitation services sustainably and efficiently, a press note issued by the multilateral development partner reads. The project will also strengthen the accountability of the sector to customers by building the monitoring and regulatory capacity of provincial and federal government agencies in the sector, it reads, adding that these will be complemented by investments in construction and rehabilitation of vital water supply and sanitation infrastructure, as well as water-quality surveillance facilities and monitoring systems.

“Through this project, we look forward to supporting the government of Nepal’s efforts to transform the water and sanitation by applying best practices in climate resilience, gender equality, social inclusion and citizen engagement – all of which are essential for delivering effective, equitable and inclusive services to local communities,” said Water Resources specialist and the Task Team Leader for the Project Feriha Mukuve Mugisha.

Remittance help reduce poverty not government policy: UN human rights expert

Nepal's poverty has reduced not due to government policy rather with the help of remittance inflow, according to a UN expert.

"Poverty reduction owes more to remittances than to proactive government anti-poverty policies," the UN special rapporteur and extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, said today after conducting an 11-day official mission.

"A quarter of the decline in poverty can be attributed to outmigration only, with estimates showing that, without remittances, poverty would have increased in Nepal,” he said, adding that remittances in Nepal were 10 times larger than foreign aid and 2.5 larger than total exports only in 2017. "It is clear that much more needs to be done by the government to meet its own target of reducing multidimensional poverty to 11.5 per cent by 2023-2024,” the expert said, suggesting the government to ensure its skills and training programmes reach the poorest families. "While public works programmes such as the Prime Minister’s Employment Programme (PMEP) have considerable potential, in practice the programme has yet to deliver on its promise of providing 100 days of work per person per year. "In the country, 80 per cent of workers are informal, which exposes them to higher rates of abuse, largely because the government lacks the ability to enforce minimum wage legislation in the informal sector.|

Although informal workers should also contribute to and benefit from the Social Security Fund (SSF), there is currently no plan to include them in the programme, he added.

Nepal has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world, but many of its promises still are to be fulfilled, De Schutter, said, adding that Nepal has succeeded in reducing multidimensional poverty by 12.7 per cent between 2014 and 2019, and its Human Development Index (HDI) has improved, as have indicators related to health and education. "But significant gaps remain."

"Women are still lagging on a number of indicators," he said, adding that though banned, caste-based and ethnicity-based discrimination remain a reality in social life, and it is a major factor explaining the perpetuation of poverty. "Land issues remain unresolved, despite the efforts to accelerate the rehabilitation of former bonded labourers and to ensure landless Dalit benefit from land redistribution."

De Schutter’s fact-finding mission began on December 29, just weeks after the UN General Assembly voted a resolution inviting Nepal, along with Bangladesh and Lao People’s Democratic Republic, to prepare for graduation from the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to that of an emerging economy. Nepal will benefit from a five-year transition period. “Graduation from LDC status is a major milestone for Nepal,” De Schutter said, adding that poverty reduction must be at the heart of the country’s transition strategy to ensure that no groups are left behind."

The UN expert met with communities who suffer from intersecting forms of deprivation. Most were landless daily wage labourers working in agricultural or informal jobs and struggling to send their children to school. Many were from historically disadvantaged and discriminated groups including Dalit, Madhesi, and Indigenous people, as well as women. “The stark inequalities resulting from the deeply entrenched norms and values of the Nepali caste system continue to perpetuate disadvantage today,” De Schutter added.

Women suffer the brunt of a historically patriarchal society, earning almost 30 per cent less than men, suffering from higher rates of informality, owning only 19.7 per cent of homes and land, and enduring a 17.5 per cent literacy gap compared to men, the UN poverty expert noted. "Nepal can and must do better,” he said.

Children experience the worst forms of deprivation because of the poverty their families face, he added. Over one million children work in Nepal, and in rural areas over a fifth of children do.

"During my mission, I met with countless families whose children, especially girls, engaged in agricultural or domestic work,” De Schutter said. "Wealth inequality is a major factor: over 20 per cent of children in poverty work, compared to only five percent of children from rich families."

“The government must take child poverty seriously and take the necessary steps to end child marriage and labor and improve quality of and access to education,” he added.

During his mission, the special rapporteur visited Bagmati, Karnali, Lumbini provinces, as well as Province 2. He met with nine ministries, including six ministers, as well as local and provincial authorities, people affected by poverty, civil society organisations, and development cooperation and UN agencies.

अर्थतन्त्र जोखिमग्रस्त

२०७२ वैशाख १२ गते भूकम्प गयो । त्यतिखेर आर्थिक वर्ष सकिन तीन महिनामात्रै बाँकी थियो । हुनतः देशैभर भूकम्पको प्रभाव थिएन । करिब १ दर्जन जिल्लामा मात्र भूकम्पको प्रभाव रहेको थियो । त्यसलगत्तै नाकाबन्दी पनि भयो । जसका कारण आर्थिक वर्ष २०७२-७३ को आर्थिक वृद्धि ०.२ प्रतिशतमात्रै रह्यो ।

विश्वभर कोरोना संक्रमण फैलन थाले पनि सरकारले २०७६ चैत ११ गतेदेखि १२० दिन देशव्यापी लकडाउन ग-यो । अर्थात् चैतदेखि असारसम्ममा आर्थिक वर्ष सकिन ४ महिनामात्र बाँकी थियो । तर, देशैभर लकडाउनका कारण आर्थिक वर्ष २०७६-७७ को आर्थिक वृद्धिदर पनि ०.६ प्रतिशत रहने राष्ट्रिय योजना आयोगको नयाँ अनुमान छ ।

नेपालको अर्थतन्त्र खुम्चिएर जम्मा तीन महिनामा सीमित रहेको तथ्यांकले देखाएको छ । तथ्यांकले आर्थिक वर्षका १२ महिनामा जम्मा पछिल्ला तीन महिना अर्थात अन्तिम त्रैमासले मात्रै अर्थतन्त्र धानेको हो कि झैँ देखिने भए पनि प्राकृतिक प्रकोप तथा महामारीले सिर्जित सम्पत्तिमा पनि असर गर्ने भएकोले नेपालको अर्थतन्त्रमा धेरै प्रभाव देखिएको अर्थविद् बताउँछन् । तर, अर्थतन्त्र यसरी संकुचित हुँदै जाँदा आन्तरिक तथा वाह्य दुवै प्रकारका झट्का धान्न नसक्ने गरी थला परिसकेको भने स्पष्ट देखिन्छ ।

अर्थविद् रामेश्वर खनाल भने भूकम्प वा कोरोना कहरले पनि उक्त आर्थिक वर्षभरी सिर्जित सम्पत्ति नष्ट गरेका कारण वर्षान्तमा परेका यस्ता आन्तरिक वा बाह्य झट्काले समग्र आर्थिक वर्षलाई प्रभावित पर्ने बताउँछन् । उनका अनुसार नेपालको अर्थतन्त्र यस्ता आन्तरिक वा वाह्य झट्का धान्न भने कमजोर नै रहेको छ । “नेपालको अर्थतन्त्रको जोखिम बहन गर्नसक्ने क्षमता भने कमजोर छ,” खनाल भन्छन् ।

कोरोना कहरका कारण गत आर्थिक वर्षमा कुल गार्हस्थ्य उत्पादनमा उत्पादकको मूल्यमा १ खर्ब ९८ अर्ब रुपैयाँ बराबरको क्षति भएको योजना आयोगको कार्यदलको प्रतिवेदनले देखाएको छ । आर्थिक वर्ष २०७२-७३ मा पनि भूकम्पले करिब २ खर्बको नोक्सानी गरेको योजना आयोगले तयार गरेका भूकम्पपछिको आवश्यकता अनुमान प्रतिवेदनले जनाएको छ ।

योजना आयोगले गत आर्थिक वर्षको अर्थतन्त्र ऋणात्मक नै नभएको भने पनि अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय मुद्रा कोषले भने शून्य हुने प्रक्षेपण गरेको छ भने योजना आयोगले पनि करिब शून्यकै हाराहारीमा आर्थिक वृद्धि हुने अनुमान गरेको छ । केन्द्रीय तथ्यांक विभागले भने २.२८ प्रतिशतको आर्थिक वृद्धि हुने अनुमान गरेको थियो । सरकारले चालू आर्थिक वर्षमा ८.५ प्रतिशतको आर्थिक वृद्धि गर्ने लक्ष्यका साथ जेठ १५ गते बजेट पेश गर्दै गर्दा कोरोनाका कारण अर्थतन्त्रमा संकुचन आउने स्पष्ट देखिसकिएको थियो ।

२०७६ चैत ११ गते देखिको १२० दिन अर्थात् ४ महिना देशव्यापी लकडाउन र त्यसपछिका निषेधाज्ञाले कलकारखाना त बन्द भए नै पर्यटनलाई भने पुसदेखि नै असर गर्न थालेकोले पर्यटनसँग सम्बन्धित होटेललगायतका अन्य क्रियाकलाप भने करिब बन्द गर्नै अवस्थामा नै पुगिसकेका थिए ।

कोरोनका कारण कुल गार्हस्थ्य उत्पादनमा ५.६ प्रतिशत बराबर क्षति बेहोर्नुपरेको आयोगको प्रतिवेदनले जनाए पनि रोजगारीमा भने कोरोनाको असर धेरै परेको देखिन्छ । देशभित्र तथा बाहिर गरि १५ लाख ६७ हजार नेपालीले रोजगारी गुमाएको प्रतिवेदनले उल्लेख गरेको छ । यसरी प्रत्यक्ष रोजगारीमा असर परेका कारण नेपालमा करिब ४ प्रतिशत गरिबी बढ्ने आकलन गरिएको छ ।

नेपालका ५५ प्रतिशत जनसंख्या यस्ता आन्तरिक तथा वाह्य झट्काका कारण सधै जोखिममा रहने पनि खनालले बताए । जसका कारण नेपालको आधाभन्दा बढी जनसंख्या सबैभन्दा बढी जोखिममा रहेका छन्, उनीहरूले आफनो पेशा व्यवसाय गुमाएकाले उनीहरू गरिबीको सीमाभन्दा बाहिर आउँदै गर्दा फेरि गरिबीको सीमाबाट तल झर्ने उनको भनाइ छ ।

MCC funding not open-ended: US Embassy

As the ratification of Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) become uncertain due to ruling political party’s internal feud, the United States Embassy in Kathmandu has clarified that it cannot wait indefinitely for Nepal to take final decision. “The accepting MCC grant is Nepal’s choice but availability of the funding is not open-ended,” reads a press note issued by the United States Embassy in Kathmandu.
The US diplomatic mission said that the United States is aware that Nepal’s parliament has not yet ratified the MCC Compact. “The ratification is the next step needed to proceed with the $500M grant, which the two countries signed in September 2017 and which Nepal committed to ratify by September 2019,” it reads, adding that delaying ratification is delaying the benefits of more jobs and increased economic growth for nearly 23 million Nepalis. “Accepting this grant is Nepal’s choice but availability of the funding is not open-ended, and tangible, near-term steps in Nepal are necessary to ensure the continued viability of the programme.”
The government and MCC have worked together continuously since 2012 under multiple governments, representing all major political parties, to develop the compact programme, it further reads, adding that this compact will build electric transmission infrastructure and perform road maintenance activities, and directly benefit 23 million Nepalis. “The projects funded by the compact are priorities identified by Nepal during the nearly three years of project design to benefit the people of Nepal.”
According to the US Embassy, MCC is a committed partner having successfully partnered with nearly 30 countries worldwide on 37 grant agreements of several hundred million dollars, totaling $13 billion. Every country eligible for a second grant has requested one.
The press note also brushed aside speculations made by a section of people in Nepal that MCC has a hidden agenda. “MCC’s transparency as a development partner is also recognised globally, and this year MCC was once again ranked as the top bilateral development partner in the Aid Transparency Index (AIT).”
The United States and Nepal share a 73-year partnership working together in many sectors successfully and to the benefit of both countries, the Embassy press note reads, “The Nepali-led projects funded by the MCC compact support poverty reduction through economic growth.”
The statement comes in the wake of a section of politicians and others making speculation that the US was exerting pressure on Nepal to accept the grant. 

Number of children living in household poverty to soar by up to 86 million by end of year

The economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic could push up to 86 million more children into household poverty by the end of 2020, an increase of 15 per cent, according to a new analysis released today by Save the Children and UNICEF.
The analysis highlights that without urgent action to protect families from the financial hardships caused by the pandemic, the total number of children living below the national poverty line in low- and middle-income countries could reach 672 million by year-end. Nearly two-thirds of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the report reads.
Countries across Europe and Central Asia could see the most significant increase, up to 44 per cent across the region. Latin America and the Caribbean could see a 22 per cent increase. “The coronavirus pandemic has triggered an unprecedented socio-economic crisis that is draining resources for families all over the world,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF executive director. “The scale and depth of financial hardship among families threatens to roll back years of progress in reducing child poverty and to leave children deprived of essential services,” Fore said, adding that without concerted action, families barely getting by could be pushed into poverty, and the poorest families could face levels of deprivation that have not been seen for decades.
Save the Children and UNICEF warn that the impact of the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic and related containment policies is two-fold. Immediate loss of income means families are less able to afford the basics, including food and water, less likely to access healthcare or education, and more at risk of child marriage, violence, exploitation and abuse. When fiscal contraction occurs, the reach and quality of the services families depend on can also be diminished.
For the poorest families, lack of access to social care services or compensatory measures further limits their ability to abide by containment and physical distancing measures, and thus further increases their exposure to infection.
“The shocking poverty impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic will hit children hard,” Save the Children International CEO, Inger Ashing, said. “Children are highly vulnerable to even short periods of hunger and malnutrition, potentially affecting them for their whole life,” Ashing said, adding, “If we act now and decisively, we can prevent and contain the pandemic threat facing the poorest countries and some of the most vulnerable children.”
This report should be a wake-up call for the world. Poverty is not inevitable for children,” Ashing added.
Before the pandemic, two-thirds of children worldwide did not have access to any form of social protection, making it impossible for families to withstand financial shocks when they hit and furthering the vicious cycle of intergenerational poverty. Only 16 per cent of children in Africa are covered by social protection.
Hundreds of millions of children remain multidimensionally poor - meaning they lack access to health care, education, proper nutrition, or adequate housing - often a reflection of inequitable investments by governments in social services.
For children living in countries already affected by conflict and violence, the impact of this crisis will further increase the risk of instability and of households falling into poverty. The Middle East and North Africa region, home to the highest number of children in need due to conflict, has the highest unemployment rate among young people, while nearly half of all children in the region live in a multidimensional poverty.
Covid-19 has already begun to have a serious impact on children in Nepal and may derail the progress made recently. According to the World Bank, Nepal’s migrant workers sent home $8.1 billion in 2018 making the country 19th largest remittance receiver in the world, most of which is spent on supporting families and children’s education.
In Nepal, even prior to this crisis, children in Nepal faced serious obstacles in achieving their rights despite progress over the decades. More than 1 in 3 children are stunted. Under-five mortality though improving is still high at 39 per 10,000 live births. In Nepal, it can be surmised that nearly 10 million children are estimated to be poor and many more facing multidimensional poverty. The government has identified approximately 1.5 million households thus far as being vulnerable. The figure is already more than 1/5th of all households in Nepal suggesting that large numbers of children are also vulnerable. These risks are likely to be exacerbated as Nepal’s economy weakens from the impact of Covid-19. The education sector in Nepal already faces numerous challenges such as poor quality of education, inequity in access due to social exclusion, disability and geographical barriers. As schools are closed due to Covid-19 and classes move online, it puts thousands of children, usually the poorest, excluded and in rural areas, without access to internet or with poor connectivity at huge disadvantage, further exacerbating the digital divide.
To address and mitigate the impact of Covid-19 on children in poor households, Save the Children and UNICEF call for rapid and large-scale expansion of social protection systems and programmes including cash transfers, school feeding and child benefits – all critical investments that address immediate financial needs and lay the foundation for countries to prepare for future shocks.
Governments must also invest in other forms of social protection, fiscal policies, employment and labor market interventions to support families. This includes expanding universal access to quality healthcare and other services; and investing in family friendly policies, such as paid leave and childcare.

Unprecedented crisis could push up to 60 million into extreme poverty

Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and shutdown of advanced economies could push as many as 60 million people into extreme poverty, according to the World Bank.
“The pandemic and shutdown of advanced economies could push as many as 60 million people into extreme poverty, erasing much of the recent progress made in poverty alleviation,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass. “The World Bank Group has moved quickly and decisively to establish emergency response operations in 100 countries, with mechanisms that allow other development partners to rapidly expand the programmes,” he said, adding that to return to growth, the multilateral agency’s goal must be rapid, flexible responses to tackle the health emergency, provide cash and other expandable support to protect the poor, maintain the private sector, and strengthen economic resilience and recovery.
In line with its rapid response, the World Bank Group today announced its emergency operations to fight Covid-19 (coronavirus) have reached 100 developing countries, home to 70 per cent of the world’s population. Since March, the Group has rapidly delivered record levels of support in order to help countries protect the poor and vulnerable, reinforce health systems, maintain the private sector, and bolster economic recovery, according to a press note issued by the Bank Group.
This assistance, the largest and fastest crisis response in the Bank Group’s history, marks a milestone in implementing the Bank Group’s pledge to make available $160 billion in grants and financial support over a 15-month period to help developing countries respond to the health, social and economic impacts of Covid-19 and the economic shutdown in advanced countries, the press note reads.
Of the 100 countries, some 39 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly one-third of the total projects are in fragile and conflict-affected situations, such as Afghanistan, Chad, Haiti, and Niger. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) have also fast-tracked support to businesses in developing countries, including trade finance and working capital to maintain private sectors, jobs and livelihoods.
The Bank Group’s support through grants, loans and equity investments will be supplemented by the suspension of bilateral debt service, as endorsed by the Bank’s governors. IDA-eligible countries that request forbearance on their official bilateral debt payments will have more financial resources to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and fund critical, lifesaving emergency responses.
“The bilateral debt-service suspension being offered will free up crucial resources for IDA countries to fund emergency responses to Covid-19,” Malpass said, adding that nations should move quickly to substantially increase the transparency of all their governments’ financial commitments. “This will increase the confidence in the investment climate and encourage more beneficial debt and investment in the future.”
The Bank Group’s operational response will strengthen health systems, support the poorest households, and create supportive conditions to maintain livelihoods and jobs for those hit hardest. Country operations will deliver help to the poorest families through cash transfers and job support; maintain food security, nutrition and continuity of essential services such as clean water and education; target the most vulnerable groups, including women and forcibly displaced communities, who are most likely to be hit hard; and engage communities to support vulnerable households and foster social cohesion. The scale and speed of the Bank Group’s response is critical in helping countries mitigate the adverse impacts of this crisis and prioritise the human capital investments that can accelerate recovery.
The Bank Group’s operations in 100 countries aim to save lives, protect livelihoods, build resilience, and boost recovery by:
•       Strengthening health systems, monitoring, and prevention, particularly in low-income countries and in fragile and conflict-affected situations. The Bank Group’s health response addresses emergency containment and mitigation needs for Covid-19, including strengthening countries’ health systems to treat severe cases and save lives. Establishing and supporting efforts in fragile and conflict-affected situations is a priority, given the rapidly growing number of cases in some of these countries.
•       Scaling up social protection: The Bank Group is leveraging countries’ existing social protection systems to help families and businesses restore income, preserve livelihoods, and compensate for increasing prices and unexpected medical expenses. These safety nets will need to be augmented with safe, direct food distribution, accompanied by key information on nutrition, social distancing, and hygiene.
•       Supporting businesses and preserving jobs: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) continues to implement its $8 billion fast-track financing facility, which aims to keep companies in business and preserve jobs. Close to 300 clients have requested support, and the facility may be oversubscribed. Building on this effort and market demand, IFC aims to provide $47 billion in financing to developing countries over 15 months. Cumulative Covid-19 related commitments under IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program, which supports small and medium-sized enterprises involved in global supply chains, have totaled 1,200 transactions across 33 countries for $1.4 billion, with 51 per cent of this volume in low-income and fragile countries.
•       Procuring medical equipment and supplies: Many developing countries import most, and in some cases all, of the medical supplies critical for fighting Covid-19, leaving them extremely vulnerable to supply disruptions and export restrictions.

With ambitious growth rate projection, NPC endorses 15th periodic plan

 With 18 more added gamechanger projects worth Rs 190 billion, a full meeting of the National Planning Commission (NPC) – chaired by the commission’s chair Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli – today endorsed the 15th five-year periodic plan.

According ti the planning commission, the 15th periodic plan has been passed based on its approach paper that was unveiled in March last year. “Implementation of development plans envisioned in the periodic plan will contribute to boost Nepal’s production base and generation of employment,” PM Oli said chairing the meeting. “The periodic plan will prove crucial to materialise the ‘Happy Nepali, Prosperous Nepal’ slogan,” he claimed, directing the planning commission and government agencies to focus on implementation of provisions included in the periodic plan.

With ambitious development and growth targets, the periodic plan includes 22 ongoing national pride projects, some 18 new transformative projects and 177 high priority projects, though none of the ongoing national pride projects have satisfactory performance. 

Though, it seems impossible due to coronavirus pandemic, the 15th periodic plan has set a target to achieve a minimum average economic growth of 9.4 per cent per annum in the next five years. Though the draft of the 15th periodic plan has set a target to achieve a minimum average economic growth up to 10.1 per cent per annum in the next five years.

Likewise, it has set the target to raise the annual per capita income to $1,585 from the existing $1,047 within the next five years. Earlier, in the 14th five-year plan, the commission had expected the per capita income of $ 1,047 by the end of periodic plan. In the next 25 years, the government has set a target to raise per capita income to $12,100.

Likewise, the periodic plan also envisions agriculture sector growth of 5.6 per cent per annum in the next five years, while the industrial sector growth is estimated at 17.1 per cent per annum. “The services sector is expected to witness 9.9 per cent growth per annum in between fiscal years 2019-20 and 2023-24,” it reads, adding that the contribution of the services sector in the gross domestic product (GDP) can reach 57.6 per cent by fiscal 2023-24. “Likewise, the contribution of the agriculture sector and industrial sector in the national GDP can reach 22.1 per cent and 20.3 per cent, respectively.”

Likewise, the current poverty rate at present stands at 18.70 per cent and the 15ht five year plan has set a target to reduce the poverty rate to 9 per cent, whereas the literacy rate will be increased to 99 per cent from current around 70 per cent, the 15th periodic plan reads.

During the meeting, the government has also claimed that it is close to achieve the goals set in the 14th periodic plan. The meeting also discussed on developing human resources, create employment opportunities, decrease poverty rate, accelerate development in various works of infrastructure and focus on essential things like health, education, environment, food and social security.

Due to spread of global coronavirus cases across the globe, there is a doubt that the commission is able to complete all the targets on time. Bu the planning commission vice chair Pushpa Raj Kandel is more optimistic that the targets can be achieved on time with the support from all stakeholders.

Human development in Nepal stagnates

Nepal’s HDI value for 2018 is 0.579 – which put the country in the medium human development category – positioning it at 147 out of 189 countries and territories – one rank up from last year’s 148 position, revealing that the country's status in human development almost remained stagnant. The rank is shared with Kenya. The report also reveals that Nepal has just maintained its position in the medium human development with the threshold of 0.55-0.69 points.
Nepal’s 2018 HDI of 0.579 is below the average of 0.634 for countries in the medium human development group and below the average of 0.642 for countries in South Asia. From South Asia, countries which are close to Nepal in 2018 HDI rank and to some extent in population size are Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which have HDIs ranked 170 and 71 respectively .
Between 1990 and 2018, Nepal’s HDI value increased from 0.380 to 0.579, an increase of 52.6 per cent. Between 1990 and 2018, Nepal’s life expectancy at birth increased by 16.1 years, mean years of schooling increased by 2.8 years and expected years of schooling increased by 4.7 years. Likewise, Nepal’s GNI per capita increased by about 130.5 per cent between 1990 and 2018, according to the report that was launched simultaneously from Kathmandu and seven provinces in Nepal today.
Despite global progress in tackling poverty, hunger and disease, a ‘new generation of inequalities’ indicates that many societies are not working as they should and Nepal is not an exception, according to a new human development report. “The old inequalities were based on access to health services and education whereas the new generation of inequalities is based on technology, education and the climate, according to the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) report.
“Previously, we talked about wealth as a major driver for inequality but now, countries like Nepal are in another inequality trap and that concerns technology and education,” finance minister Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada said launching the report.
While South Asia was the fastest-growing region, with 46 per cent growth, in the 1990-2018 period, Nepal’s human development index (HDI) rose from 0.380 to 0.579, an increase of 52.6 per cent, the report reads, adding that people are living longer, on average, are more educated and have greater incomes. “For example, between 1990 and 2018, Nepal’s life expectancy at birth increased by 16.1 years to 70.5 years, mean years of schooling increased by 2.8 years and expected years of schooling increased by 4.7 years.”
Likewise, Nepal’s Gross National Income (GNI) per capita also increased by about 130.5 per cent between 1990 ($1,192) and 2018 ($2,748). Nepal, however, is still below the average value of 0.634 for countries in the medium human development group and below the average of 0.642 for countries in South Asia. “Nepal lags behind most South Asian countries, ranking above Pakistan (152) and Afghanistan (170). But the report, which ranks countries on their average achievement in key dimensions of human development, like life expectancy, education and per capita income, reveals that Nepal trails behind Sri Lanka (71), the Maldives (104), India (129), Bhutan (134) and Bangladesh (135).
Despite progress in most human development indicators, the report also shows that Nepal has a poor Gender Inequality Index (GII) with a value of 0.476 – a huge gap between the HDI for men and women in the country – ranking it 115 out of 162 countries. The HDI for men is 0.612 while that for women is 0.549.
“The gender equality gap is so huge that if we started working to reducing the gap now, it will take us 202 years,” resident representative of the UNDP Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe, said at the report launch. “There are also questions about whether the artificial intelligence era will further increase inequality,” she said, adding, “Yes, but the choice is in our hands.”
The report has also pointed out that prevailing inequality is threatening human development.
Likewise, some 33.5 per cent of parliamentary seats – in Nepal – are held by women, but just 29 per cent of adult women have reached at least a secondary level of education, compared to 44.2 per cent of males, according to the report. “For every 100,000 live births, 258 women die from pregnancy-related causes.”
But female participation in the labour market is 81.7 per cent, compared to 84.4 per cent for men.
Nepal’s HDI at 0.579 is a modest improvement but when the value is discounted for inequality, the index falls to 0.430, a loss of 25.8 per cent due to inequality in the distribution of the HDI dimension indices, the UNDP flagship report reads.
Likewise, in Nepal, some 34 per cent of the population – 9.96 million people – is multidimensionally poor while an additional 22.3 per cent is classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty (6.54 million people). Multidimensional poverty takes into account the various deprivations experienced by poor people in their daily lives like poor health and living standards, lack of education and living in areas that are environmentally hazardous.
The breadth of deprivation in Nepal – which is the average deprivation score experienced by people in multidimensional poverty – is 43.6 per cent. The Multidimensional Poverty Index, which is the share of the population that is multidimensionally poor, adjusted by the intensity of the deprivations, is 0.148, the report reads, adding that the multidimensional poverty with income poverty is measured by the percentage of the population living below $1.90 per day.
Norway, with HDI of 0.990, stands at first position, while Sri Lanka is ranked 71st among 189 countries.

Unequal distribution leaves poor and vulnerable countries behind

There is unequal distribution of the benefits of globalization leaving the poor and vulnerable countries behind, according to foreign minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.
Addressing the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the XVIII Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held in Baku, Republic of Azerbaija today, Gyawali said that there is unequal distribution of the benefits of globalisation, which left the poor and vulnerable countries behind. “In fact, these countries had become more vulnerable to the adverse impacts of financial and economic crises,” he said, adding that increasing incidents of terrorism, transnational organised crimes, violent extremism, and hate speeches, among others, have become everyday phenomena.
“The menace of climate change is outpacing our response,” Gyawali added. “Unfortunately, it is the poorest and most vulnerable who are hit hardest by the impacts of climate change despite their negligible emissions,” he said, adding that multilateralism has been under attack due to growing trends of populist nationalism and protectionism. “We must strengthen the multilateral system by upholding and defending the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law.
According to him, no peace and security can ever be sustained without achieving sustainable development. Similarly, no sustainable development can ever be achieved without sustaining peace and security. Therefore, NAM, as a group of 120 countries, has the special responsibility to use its numerical and moral strength to ensure adequate and predictable resources in preventing conflicts and helping its members achieve peace and stability.
The NAM is an epitome of collective pursuit of member countries for peaceful, just, fair and equitable world order. But he said that drawing its strength from the Bandung Principles, NAM has always led the path towards international solidarity and cooperation in the wake of ever-increasing challenges. “However, at present, our collective efforts to establish a peaceful and prosperous world are hindered by multiple challenges,” he said, adding that poverty and hunger still existed as blemishes on human dignity and achievements in scientific inventions, technological advances, and managerial innovations had not succeeded in soothing the pain of disease and deprivation. “Fair distribution of economic development and prosperity remains a far dream for millions of people trapped in abject poverty.”
The world economy has bounced back from the great recession and has been achieving global growth since 2010, but it has failed to raise the hope of the bottom billion for a better future,” he added.
The NAM membership, in the spirit of solidarity, should support each other in building domestic capacity by sharing their experiences, best practices and resources through the South-South Cooperation mechanism.
The Preparatory Ministerial Meeting is scheduled to make necessary substantive preparation for the XVIII NAM Summit to be held on October 25-26.

Cooperatives have Rs 302 billion saving

The cooperatives have collected savings of Rs 302 billion, according to the National Cooperative Federation of Nepal (NCFN). "A total 35,512 cooperatives operating across the country collected Rs 302 billion of savings," informed NCFN deputy manager Babul Khanal.
Addressing a two-day workshop on 'enhancing the cooperatives’ role in the national economy,' in the valley today, he said that of the total amount collected as savings, Rs 272 billion has been issued as loan investment. "The cooperative, which is one of the three pillars of the national economy, has been providing employment to more than 60,000 people," he said, adding that some 20 various types of cooperatives are affiliated to the federation and the cooperatives’ contribution to the GDP is four per cent and to the financial sector is 20 per cent. "The cooperatives have 6.3 million share-holders and of them 51 per cent are women."
Federation advisor Hari Krishna Upadhyaya, on the occasion, opined that since the cooperative is a social business it helps promote micro, medium-scale and big enterprises thereby creating employment.
Secretary at the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, Gopinath Mainali, presented a paper on 'existing legal framework for the promotion of cooperative entrepreneurship,' on the occasion, where more than 300 people associated with the cooperatives are taking part to learn on promotion of entrepreneurship through the cooperative. 

Half of the world’s poor live in just 5 countries

Of the world’s 736 million extreme poor in 2015, 368 million – half of the total – lived in just 5 countries. The 5 countries with the highest number of extreme poor are India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh, according to the World Bank (WB). They also happen to be the most populous countries of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the two regions that together account for 85 per cent – some 629 million – the world’s poor. Therefore, to make significant continued progress towards the global target of reducing extreme poverty – those living on less than $1.90 a day – to less than 3 per cent by 2030, large reductions in poverty in these five countries will be crucial.
However, we mustn’t lose sight of the numerous other countries with high poverty rates. As poverty projections to 2030 for these five countries reveal, uneven outcomes are likely. When projections are based on countries growing in line with past growth rates – the regional average over the last ten years – extreme poverty in India and Bangladesh approaches zero by 2030 but extreme poverty in Nigeria, DRC, and Ethiopia remains quite elevated.
As emphasised in the Poverty and Shared Prosperity Report 2018, we should go beyond the focus on reducing the global poverty rate to below 3 per cent and strive to ensure that all countries and all people can share in the benefits of economic development.
The uneven progress across these 5 countries is indicative of the broader uneven progress globally. An outcome where extreme poverty is nearly eliminated throughout the world except in one region, sub-Saharan Africa, certainly does not portray a picture of a world free of poverty. 

Government forms committee to rescue troubled cooperative

The Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation has formed a seven-member management committee – led by Gauri Bahadur Karki – to take over and manage the ‘troubled’ Oriental Cooperatives.
December 14 cabinet meeting had decided to form a committee.
Gauri Bahadur Karki led committee will have Kashi Nath Marasini, Gobinda Bahadur Malla, Dipak Prasad Poudel, Huma Kanta Panthi, Rewati Raman Pokharel and a representative recommended by the Federation of the National Cooperatives as members.
The committee – that has two-year tenure – will compensate the depositors, who lost their savings after the cooperatives went bankrupt around four years ago, said the ministry’s spokesperson Raghuram Bista.
The cooperatives went bankrupt after it disbursed haphazard loans and invested the deposits illegally in real-estate. The real-estate bubble bust sent the cooperatives into bankrupt.

Neraly 400K Nepalis are below poverty line

Nearly 400,000 people are reeling under the poverty line across 25 districts – covering regions including Himalayas, hills and Terai plains – in Nepal, according to a report prepared by the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
The report that includes the details of poor in Bhojpur, Khotang, Siraha, Sindhuli, Ramechhap, Rautahat, Gorkha, Tanahu, Baglung, Kapilvastu, Arghakhanchi, Pyuthan, Rolpa, Bardiya , Jajarkot, Dolpa, Jumla, Kalikot, Mugu, Humla, Bajura, Bajhang, Achham and Kailali and published on the occasion of the 25th International Day for the Eradication of Poverty today revealed that there are a total of 391,831 poor households. "Among them, it has classified 188,226 households as ‘extreme poor’, 119,761 as ‘mid-poor’ and 83,844 households as ‘general poor’.
According to the survey, out of the total 1.24 million households in those 25 districts, some 31.5 per cent are poor.
Unveiling the report, minister for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Ambika Basnet insisted on the need of economic transformation to reduce poverty.
Likewise, minister of State for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Champadevi Yadav said that the government is preparing to distribute poor identity cards to people of 25 districts where the Poor House Identification Programme is implemented shortly after the Tihar festival. Nepal has categorised the poor people into three categories extreme poor, medium poor and general poor. The government is distributing card according to the three categories – red for absolute poor, yellow for medium poor and blue for poor – according to the ministry. The poor households are eligible for government social security programmes including educational scholarship, health insurance and skill training towards food security and self-employment with the cards.
At the proclamation of the United Nations, October 17 every year is celebrated as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty since 1993. This year, the day was marked with the theme of 'Answering the Call of October 17 to end poverty: A path toward peaceful and inclusive societies'.
Of the total population in Nepal, some 23.38 per cent fall under the poverty line, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The UN has set a goal – popularly known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – of eradicating all sorts of poverty across from the world by 2030. The UN defines the poverty being based on 10 indicators of daily life including education and health, as per which an individual earning less than a dollar in a day as poor. The UN identifies individual earning less than a dollar in a day as poor.
The UN report indicates that some three billion people across the world are under the poverty line while 8 million people are deprived of sufficient food.
At the programme, National Planning Commission (NPC) former vice chair Dr Shankar Sharma, joint secretary at the Finance Ministry Kewal Prasad Bhandari and joint secretary at the Industry Ministry Pradeep Koirala presented working papers on different nature of poverty and NPC former vice chair Dr Jagdish Chandra Pokhrel and Nahakul KC commented on the papers.
With the latest report, Nepal aims at designing effective interventions to tackle poverty.
According to the report, about 71 per cent of the households in Bajura district are living below the poverty line and have low social indicators in areas such as health and education besides lacking market access.
The Poor Household Support Coordination Board Secretariat said that among the 13,619 households out of the 21,711 households in the district that have been classified as ‘poor’. Within that group, 6,393 households have been identified as ‘extreme poor’.
The board considered eight indicators including ownership of the house and its structure, types of cooking fuel, water and sanitation facilities, household size and ethnicity to calculate the poverty level.
According to a survey, some 4,228 households among the total poor households are ‘mid-poor’ while 2,998 are ‘general poor’. The study also revealed that 63.9 per cent of the total 21,989 households in Kalikot, or 12,433 in number, are living below the poverty line. Among them, 5,877 households are extreme poor.
In Humla and Bajhang, 63.2 per cent and 62.8 per cent respectively of the households are poor. Likewise, more than 50 per cent of the households in Jumla, Achham, Mugu and Dolpa districts are living under the poverty line.
Among the 25 districts, Tanahu has the lowest poverty rate with 21.1 per cent of the households being unable to manage their daily minimum requirements. "In terms of the number of households, Kailali district has 21,577 households under the poverty line, the largest among the districts surveyed."
"Nepal should focus on poverty alleviation programmes that are sustainable, inclusive and helpful to build up resilience among the poor people,” said UNDP country director Renaud Meyer on the occasion.

With 22 per cent population, South Asia has only 1.3 per cent of world’s income

While South Asia houses 22 per cent of the world’s population, the region, however, has only 1.3 per cent of the world’s income, according to a report.
Sharing some of the findings of the triennial report on the poverty scenario in South Asian countries – produced by the Nepal-based South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE) – released at the Institute for Development Communication (IDC), today regional coordinator of SAAPE Prof Netra Timsina, said that the idea that the market will correct imbalances through demand and supply has led to the gradual withdrawal of the state from publicly providing services such as education and health.
A Chandigarh-based study circle, ‘Dialogue Highway’, in collaboration with the IDC, facilitated the release of the report.
"The SAAPE report, in its essence, brings out the failure of South Asian countries to lift their masses out of poverty and withdrawal of the state from providing basic needs such as food, education, health and safety to the people at the margins,” Dialogue Highway managing trustee Devinder Sharma said.
SAAPE is a regional platform of civil society organisations, social movements and people’s network fighting against the structural causes of poverty and social injustice in the region and beyond.
While launching its fifth Poverty Report, SAAPE, which has been publishing the triennial South Asia Poverty Report since 2003, questioned the existing development paradigm. This report is a knowledge document that brings out the commonality of experiences of all South Asian countries.
Punjabi University vice chancellor Prof BS Ghuman said that the report should form the part of the policy planning. "A social audit of poverty alleviation programmes should also be included in the process to assess the results of poverty eradication," he said, adding that the policy should not be top down but participatory.
In a scholarly exposition, IDC director Dr Pramod Kumar said the state had been usurped by the market and the people at the margins do not have a voice.

प्रदेश–२ मा गरिबी अझै बढ्नसक्ने

दोश्रो चरणको स्थानीय तह निर्वाचनका लागि आइतबार प्रदेश १, ५ तथा ७ का ३५ जिल्लाका ३ सय ३४ स्थानीय तहमा मनोनयन भएको छ । यी ३ प्रदेशका १ महानगरपालिका, ७ उपमहानगरपालिका, १११ नगरपालिका र २१५ गाउँपालिकामा सरकारको नयाँ निर्वाचन तालिकाअनुसार असार १४ गते निर्वाचन हुँदा प्रदेश २ भने अझै आन्दोलनकै बाटोमा रहने देखिएको छ ।

जसका कारण प्रदेश २ का नागरिक विकास निर्माणका कामबाट बञ्चित भएर गरिबीको चपेटाबाट बाहिरीन झन् गाह्रो हुने अर्थविद्हरूको भनाइ छ । केन्द्रीकृत शासन प्रणाली भत्काएर अधिकारसम्पन्न स्थानीय सरकार बनाउने र आफ्नो विकास तथा निर्माण आफैले गर्ने संघीय संविधानको मर्म भए पनि यसमा प्रदेश २ छुट्दा आर्थिक सामाजिक विभेद अझै बढ्नसक्ने पूर्वअर्थसचिव रामेश्वर खनाल बताउँछन् ।

“निर्वाचनमा २ नम्बर प्रदेश छुट्दा यसले उक्त प्रदेशमा सामाजिक खाडल झन् बढने, गरिबीको दरमा बढोत्तरी हुने तथा उक्त प्रदेशका नागरिकमा आर्थिक, सामाजिक तथा राजनीतिक आक्रोश बढ्ने देखिन्छ,” खनाल भन्छन् । आइतबार स्थानीय तहको निर्वाचनको लागी मनोनयन नभएको प्रदेश २ मा रहेका पर्सा, बारा, रौतहट, सर्लाही, महोत्तरी, धनुषा, सिरहा र सप्तरी गरी ८ जिल्लामा १२७ स्थानीय तह छन् । निर्वाचन नहुँदा स्थानीय तहमा गएको बजेट खर्च नहुने भएकाले झनै समस्या बढ्ने अर्थविद् केशव आचार्य बताउँछन् । “यसरी सरकारी खर्च संकुचित हुँदा निजी क्षेत्रको लगानी पनि बढ्दैन, जसका कारण प्रदेश नं. २ को आर्थिक सामाजिक विकासमा मात्र होइन गरिबीको खाडल पनि बढ्दछ,” उनी भन्छन् ।  

२०५८ मा यी आठै जिल्ला उच्च समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लाको श्रेणीमा पर्दथे । तर, ती आठमध्ये तीन जिल्ला एक दशकमा नै मध्यम समृद्धि स्तरमा र बाँकी तीन न्यून समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लाको समूहमा झरेका छन् । महोत्तरी र सर्लाही भने अझै पनि उच्च समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लामा पर्दछन् । केन्द्रीय तथ्यांक विभागका अनुसार २१ प्रतिशतभन्दा कम गरिबीको दर भएका जिल्लाहरू उच्च समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लामा पर्दछन् भने ३१ प्रतिशतभन्दा बढी गरिबीको दर भएका जिल्लाहरू न्यून समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लामा पर्दछन्रा. जनीतिले देशलाई  आर्थिक उन्नति र प्रगतिको बाटोमा डो¥याउनुपर्नेमा हाल मुलुकमा यसको ठीक विपरीत अवस्था देखिएको छ । नेपालमा भने राजनीतिको सम्बन्ध जनताको जीवनस्तर, आर्थिक उन्नति र प्रगतिसँग नरहेको देखिन्छ ।

केन्द्रीय तथ्यांक विभागको नेपालमा गरिबीको लघुक्षेत्र अनुमान प्रतिवेदनले राजनीतिले मात्र समाजिक आर्थिक विकासलाई डो¥याउन नसक्ने देखाएको छ । प्रतिवेदनअनुसार २०५८ सालमा सप्तरी, सिरहा, रौतहट, बारा, पर्सा, धनुषा, सर्लाही र महोत्तरी उच्च समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लामा पर्दथे । केन्द्रीकृत शासन प्रणाली तथा कुनै विशेष जातिकोमात्र राज्य संयन्त्रमा बढी पकड भएकाले राज्यको स्रोतमा उनीहरूकै हालीमुहाली रहेको तथा यसविरुद्ध गरिएको आन्दोलनले नै तराई मधेसका नागरिकलाई झन् गरिबीको चपेटामा पारेको देखिन्छ । 

राज्य प्रणालीले तराई मधेसका मुद्दालाई सम्बोधन गर्न नसकेकोले तराई मधेस पछाडि प¥यो भन्दै २०६३ मा मधेस आन्दोलन भयो । तर, तराई मधेस आन्दोलनले सबैभन्दा बढी प्रभावित बनेका आठ जिल्लामा सर्लाही र महोत्तरीबाहेक बाँकी जिल्लाको स्तर खस्केको छ । झन् अहिलेका आन्दोलन तथा र्निाचनमा भाग नलिने तराइ मधेसकेन्द्रित दलको ढिपिले तराइ मधेसमा राजनीति खण्डित हुने देखिएको छ । खनालका अनुसार तराई मधेस आन्दोलनले पहिलो चरणमा पहाडियालाई विस्थापित गरे पनि दोस्रो चरणमा तराईका स्थानीय धनाढ्यसमेत विस्थापित भएका छन् । “व्यापारका लागि ठूला ग्राहक पहाडिया वर्ग विस्थापित भएपछि तराई मधेसका बजार संकुचित बने”, उनी भन्छन्, “चन्दा आतंक एवं सम्पत्तिको सुरक्षा नहुनुजस्ता कारण स्थानीय मधेसीमूलका व्यापारी पनि अन्य ससाना बजारतिर सरेर व्यापार गर्न थाले ।” तराईका बजार बिस्तारै खालि हुँदै गएको र पहाडतिर स्थानान्तरण भएको उनका अनुभव छ । “यसरी सम्पन्न एवं मध्यमवर्गीयको बसाइँसराइले औसत समाज झन् गरिब हुँदै गयो र तराई मधेसका जनताको जीवनस्तर बढ्नुको साटो झन् ओरालो लाग्यो,” खनालले भने ।

विभागका अनुसार पनि सबैभन्दा बढी गरिबी बढेको जिल्ला सप्तरी भएको छ । २०५८ सालमा १५औं स्थानमा रहेर उच्च समृद्धि स्तरको जिल्ला समूहमा परेको सप्तरी एक दशकमा न्यून समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लाको समूहमा झरेर ६२ औं स्थानमा ओर्लेको छ । सप्तरीमा एक दशकमा गरिबीको दर ११.५ प्रतिशतले बढेर ३९.५ प्रतिशत भएको छ । २०५८ सालमा सप्तरीमा गरिबीको दर २८ प्रतिशतमात्र थियो । राजनीतिक अस्थिरता र सुरक्षाको कमीले बजार सर्नु र आर्थिक गतिविधि घट्दै जानुको असर सिरहा र रौतहट जिल्लामा पनि परेको छ । यसका कारण सिरहा र रौतहट जिल्लामा पनि गरिबीको दर बढेर एक दशकमा दुवै जिल्ला उच्च समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्लाबाट न्यून समृद्धिस्तर भएका जिल्ला समूहमा झरेका छन् । प्रदेश नं. २मा भइरहेको राजनीतिक अस्थिरताले यस प्रदेशको स्थित झन् नाजुक हुने अर्थविद् डा. सुरेन्द्र लाभको भनाइ छ । “प्रदेश २ का जिल्लाहरूको मानव विकास सूचकांक गिर्दो अवस्थामा छ,” उनी भन्छन्, “झन् बढ्दो अस्थिरताले यस प्रदेशको अर्थतन्त्र थिलोथिलो पार्ने निश्चितप्रायः छ ।” राजनीतिक परिवर्तनको अनुभूति गराउन नसक्नु र जनताको जीवनस्तर बढाउने र सम्पन्न बनाउन नसक्नुमा आर्थिक मुद्दामा राजनीतिक दलले आँखा चिम्लने प्रवृत्ति नै प्रमुख कारण देखिएको छ ।

राजनीतिक परिवर्तनले नै सबै अभिष्ट पूरा गर्छ र जनतालाई राजनीतिक कार्यकर्तामात्र बनाएर आफ्नो राजनीतिक स्वार्थ पूरा गराउने माध्यममात्र बनाउनुपर्छ भन्ने राजनीतिक दलका नेताको सोच नै दोषी रहेको देखिन्छ । “राजनीति र आर्थिक मुद्दा सँगै जानुपर्नेमा राजनीतिक दल विकासभन्दा राजनीतिमा नै बढी केन्द्रित भएकोले पनि जनताको जीवनस्तर बढ्न नसकेको हो,” खनाल भन्छन् ।  तथ्यांक विभागले गरिबीसम्बन्धी सूचकको हिसाब गर्दा प्रतिव्यक्ति वार्षिक १९ हजार २ सय ६१ रुपैयाँभन्दा कम हुनेलाई गरिबीको रेखामुनी मानेको छ । यसअनुसार दैनिक ५३ रुपैयाँभन्दा कम आम्दानी हुने व्यक्ति गरिबीको रेखामुनी पर्छ । तर दैनिक ५३ रुपैयाँ आम्दानीले व्यक्ति बाँच्नका लागि मात्रै पुग्छ । 

गरिबीको दर 

• सप्तरी – ३९.५ प्रतिशत 
• सिरहा – ३४.६ प्रतिशत 
• रौतहट  – ३३.४  प्रतिशत 
• बारा – २९.९ प्रतिशत 
• पर्सा –  २९.२ प्रतिशत
• धनुषा – २३.१ प्रतिशत 
• महोत्तरी  – १६.२ प्रतिशत 
• सर्लाही –  १७.७ प्रतिशत 

Extreme poverty worldwide falls

A new World Bank study on poverty and shared prosperity says that extreme poverty worldwide continues to fall despite the lethargic state of the global economy.
But the study warns that given the projected growth trends, reducing high inequality may be a necessary component to reaching the world's goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.
According to the inaugural edition of 'Poverty and Shared Prosperity' - a new series that will report on the latest and most accurate estimates and trends in global poverty and shared prosperity annually, nearly 800 million people lived on less than $1.90-a-day in 2013. That is around 100 million fewer extremely poor people than in 2012. “Progress on extreme poverty was driven mainly by East Asia and Pacific, especially China and Indonesia, and by India,” the report reads, adding that half of the world's extreme poor now live in Sub-Saharan Africa, and another third live in South Asia.
In 60 out of the 83 countries covered by the new report, average incomes for people living in the bottom 40 per cent of their countries went up between 2008 and 2013 despite the financial crisis. Importantly, these countries represent 67 per cent of the world's population.
"It's remarkable that countries have continued to reduce poverty and boost shared prosperity at a time when the global economy is underperforming - but still far too many people live with far too little," said World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim. "Unless we can resume faster global growth and reduce inequality, we risk missing our World Bank target of ending extreme poverty by 2030," he said, adding that the message is clear: to end poverty, we must make growth work for the poorest, and one of the surest ways to do that is to reduce high inequality, especially in those countries where many poor people live.