The  2020 Human Development Report (HDR) the next frontier: Human development and the Anthropocene was launched locally by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 16 December at Flic en Flac. The event was hosted by the Minister of Environment, Waste Management and Climate Change Hon. Kavydass Ramano, with the participation of a broad range of stakeholders from the environment sector including civil society, government and others. The launch took place at the kick-off of the Consultative Workshop on National Environmental Policy co-hosted by the Ministry and UNDP Mauritius.

The HDR began its successful journey 30 years ago with a simple, yet powerful idea: that “people are the real wealth of nations". The UNDP Human Development Report proposed a new way to conceive and measure development progress. Beyond GDP as the sole measure of growth, the HDR places the human aspect at the centre of development and assesses the performance of countries according to their human development index, including freedoms and the opportunity to make one’s own choices, as the ultimate criteria for assessing development results. 

The Age of Humans

The HDR 2020 is about the ‘Anthropocene’ – the Age of Humans, the current geological age whereby human activity is shaping the planet to a greater extent than the planet shapes human activity. The report acknowledges that human development has embarked on an unsustainable path, causing climate change, biodiversity loss to pollution, ocean acidification and land degradation. The report also provides understandings on the necessity for countries to expand human development in balance with the planet. Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator stated: “This report shows that no country in the world has yet achieved very high human development without putting immense strain on the planet. But we could be the first generation to right this wrong. That is the next frontier for human development.”

Overhauling how human development is measured and defined in the current age, the 2020 HDR emphasizes that human societies must move beyond seeking to solve discreet problems with singular solutions; and, instead, equip themselves to understand complex, interconnected social and ecological systems. The 2020 HDR introduces two new metrics to the existing Human Development Index (HDI), which for the last 30 years has measured countries’ health, education, and standard of living. The new Planetary Pressures-Adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI) considers carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint, which will henceforth be taken into consideration when measuring human development. This index explores how the global development landscape changes when the wellbeing of people is considered alongside planetary pressures. When taking this new and consolidated index into account, it has been found that more advanced countries would lose 15.4% of their human development, compared to countries in the low human development category at 1% on account of their lesser exertion of pressure on the planet.

Mauritius: the only country of the African Continent to attain the Very High Development category

During his presentation of the report, the UNDP Senior Economist, Dr. Tony Muhumuza, noted that for the first time since the maiden report in 1990, Mauritius joined the very high human development category - the highest category in the human development ranking. With an index of 0.804 out of a maximum of 1, Mauritius joined the 65 best performing nations. He also noted that Mauritius is the only country on the African continent to achieve this ranking in 2019, having made steady progress over the last decade.

Dr. Muhumuza stated that to improve its performance in the future, Mauritius should address gender inequalities which accounted for a loss of 34.7% of human development locally. He stressed that this can only be achieved if women participate more actively in the labour market and in leadership positions. Mauritius will also have to accelerate and sustain its current efforts in reducing the impact of human activity on the planet. Indeed, when discounted for planetary pressures, the Mauritian HDI declines to 0.727, accounting for a 9.6% drop in human development in 2020. However, it should be noted that the island performed well among countries in the very high development category, some of which lost more than 30% on account of exerting significant pressure on the planet.

Rethinking the whole concept of human development

Amanda Serumaga, UNDP Resident Representative for Mauritius and Seychelles, explained that human development is at a precipice. She said that “The term Anthropocene - the Age of Humans is used to emphasize that it is us who must act. This report suggests there are at least two choices. We can continue with business as usual; and in so doing, endanger the future for several generations to come. Or we can act with the necessary urgency and determination to ensure that we strive to expand our choices while preserving the planet that nurtures and feeds us.” According to Ms. Amanda Serumaga, this report should be used to engage in a deeper national debate, which would be beneficial to all Mauritians.

The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, the Honorable Kavydass Ramano, also echoed that human societies are at a crossroad: “The future of the planet is in our hands. We need to work alongside nature, and not against it. We decide whatever happens next.” He highlighted that the Report urges everyone to take a step further, and to rethink the whole concept of human development. According to the minister, the theme of the Anthropocene is fully in line with Mauritius’ vision of sustainable and inclusive development.