At the halfway mark of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation timeline, the world finds itself lagging behind in achieving these ambitious targets. Critical areas such as poverty eradication and food security have seen setbacks, with progress reversed due to a series of severe and overlapping crises.
Governments worldwide are now being urged to reaffirm their commitment to the SDGs, particularly the pledge to leave no one behind. The challenge is immense: reaching those who are furthest behind requires understanding and addressing the complex web of constraints that keep people trapped in extreme poverty.
The multidimensional nature of poverty means that individuals often face simultaneous deprivations in nutrition, sanitation, healthcare, education, and more. Factors such as gender, disability, and displacement further exacerbate their situation. Recent research from rural Bangladesh indicates that households below a certain income or asset threshold struggle to access resources that could improve their livelihoods. However, substantial resource transfers and support to create better employment opportunities have proven effective in helping these households escape poverty in the long term.
Identifying and targeting those in extreme poverty is a significant hurdle. Many of the poorest individuals live in isolation, lacking adequate documentation or awareness of available assistance programs. They may not appear in social registries or other government mechanisms designed to determine eligibility for support. Consequently, they often miss out on programs intended to help them or are unable to claim benefits for which they qualify.
In low-income countries, this exclusion is stark. A report from June 2020 found that 79% of the poorest fifth of the population receive no social assistance. To address this gap, governments can take proactive steps to enhance program targeting and outreach.
One approach is to leverage existing poverty-focused registries. Tunisia provides a compelling example: the government utilizes registries from its national cash-transfer program to identify households intersecting climate and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Criteria such as monthly income, productive labor capacity, access to water, land degradation, and whether a household is headed by a woman are all considered in the targeting process.
By adopting such strategies, governments can better identify those most in need and tailor interventions accordingly. This not only moves countries closer to achieving SDG1—ending poverty in all its forms—but also upholds the fundamental SDG promise to leave no one behind.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
