Defining thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of Living€¦ · 1 Defining Thresholds to Achieve...

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Defining Thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of Living Defining Thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of Living

Definingthresholds to

AchieveDecentStandardsof LivingAn Analysis of Approaches and Identification of Indicators

About Vasudha Foundation

Vasudha Foundation was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with a belief ofconserving Vasudha (which in Sanskrit means the Earth), the giver of wealth and sustains alllife forms, and with the objective of promoting sustainable consumption of its resources.

With this in mind the organization engages in policy advocacy and research activities.

Definingthresholds to

AchieveDecentStandardsof LivingAn Analysis of Approaches and Identification of Indicators

Content

The Study & Methodology

What is Decent Standard of Living ?

What is India’s current level of development vis-a-vis Countries with HDI above 0.8?

How long will it take for India to reach there?

What is the Global Scenario versus India vis-a-vis Different Development Indicators ?

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06

08

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The Study & Methodology

This report is the outcome of the research to explore India’s development imperatives and indicators for equitable and inclusive growth, which is part of a larger project undertaken by Vasudha Foundation, titled “Generating new knowledge and evidence relevant for India, on development thresholds that can address contentious issues of operationalization of Equity at the UNFCCC”. The overall purpose of the project is to contribute in creating an enabling environment that could possibly resolve the contentious issues of operationalization “equity” and the principle of “Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities” at the UNFCCC by changing the Indian political and policy narrative from a “carbon space entitlement approach” to a “development need based approach”. In short, the project is primarily about defining the following:

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The study identified aspects of Decent Standard of

Living under various categories such as food and nutrition, health, education, personal housing, household assets, infrastructure, water and sanitation and energy access, for the assessment of living standards in India, and how far away Indians are from attaining decent standards of living.

What decent standard of living for India would look cutting across key demand side sectors, while identifying the gaps between the current levels of development and thresholds for decent standard of living;

Arriving at supply side requirements to meet the decent standard of living thresholds and also exploring package of options available for India to meet the development thresholds and emission pathways and;

Finally, draw on the linkages between development indicators and emission pathways to not only influence the way climate change is discussed within India, but also to use the Indian case study to arrive at a package of options that could help to resolve some of the contentious issues in the operationalization of the principles of equity at the UN Climate Negotiations.

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Defining Thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of Living

In order to be able to do so, a total of 105 indicators cutting across the above mentioned aspects of decent living were identified and, the data and information from across the 29 states of India was gathered for all these indicators for 2 points in time viz. 2001 and 2011.

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These countries were further classified as those having a very high or low high HDI score above 8.5 based upon whether they fell below or above a median score in the band of scores above 8.5. The list of these very high or low high countries from among the above listed 26 countries is given below:

Austria

Belgium

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Greece

Italy

Luxembourg

Slovenia

Spain

United

Kingdom

Australia

Canada

Germany

Iceland

Ireland

Japan

Liechtenstein

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

South Korea

Sweden

Switzerland

United States

of America

List of low-high HDI countries List of very-high HDI countries

The countries that we included for the purpose of our analysis in this report were:

Australia

Austria

Belgium

Canada

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Iceland

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Netherlands

New Zealand

Norway

Slovenia

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United

Kingdom

United States of

America

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LIVING ROOM

BEDROOM

BATHROOM

KITCHEN

What is Decent Standard of Living ?

HOUSEHOLD

10 m2/cap floor space

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100 Lumens/m2 | Comfort: 18-27°C | Television | Balanced Nutrition: 2,200 to | 3319 K/Cals per day (Low HDI Figure) | Gas/Biogasifier/Stove | Refrigerator | Cellphone Per Adult | In house Sanitation Space heating / Cooling | Residence space : 10 Sq Mtr per person

Community Centre

BIO GAS

COMMUNITY CENTRE

Primary/Secondary Schooling Low HDI Life Expectancy - 70 years

TEMPLE

BUS STOP

PAVED ROAD

COMMUNITY SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

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Comparison between

Composite Index of India and High

HDI countries

2011

2001

What is India’s current level of development vis-a-vis Countries with HDI above 0.8?The following graphs give an overview of the current levels of development of India cutting across the various aspects of decent living with that of the high HDI countries.

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Very High Human Development

High Human Development

Medium Development

Low Human Development

0.22 0.75 0.76

INDIA LOW HIGH HDI VERY HIGH HDI

0.29 0.84 0.84

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Comparison between Composite Index of India and Other Regions In the World

Our assumption of making this comparison is that India, as any other developing country would have an aspiration to attain these high levels of decent living standards. Further, the comparison also shows how far behind, in terms of attainment of decent living standards India is, when compared to high HDI countries of the world. In the backdrop of the above, India’s position prioritize to meet its development needs/aspirations is justifiable. However, in today’s world there are sustainable and low carbon development options that countries could adopt to meet its development goals. Therefore, the next phase of this research project will be to assess the various options that India could opt for in meeting its development goals comprehensively, and in a sustainable manner while meeting the global target of keeping temperature rise to below 2 degrees.

2011

2011

2011

2001

2011

2001 2011 2001

2011

2001

2011

EUROPE AVERAGE SCANDINAVIA AVERAGENORTH AMERICA AVERAGEOCEANIA AVERAGEASIA AVERAGEINDIA

0.29

0.72

0.82

0.75

0.84

0.77 0.83 0.77

0.83

0.75

0.84

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What is the Global Scenario versus India vis-a-vis Different Development Indicators ?We give below comparative charts for the representative indicators and the respective attainments of these two country groups with India’s achievements, in order to allow for a comparative picture to emerge:

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Latrine at home

2001

2011

Water

Per Capita Electricity Consumption

Life Expectancy

Under 5 Mortality Rate

Infact Mortality Rate

Dietary energy supply

Pucca Roof

India Very High HDI Low High HDI


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Defining Thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of Living Defining Thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of LivingGross Enrollment Ratio at Secodary Level

Pupil Teacher Ratio

Percent of Paved Roads over total roads (%)

Cars per 1000 population

Telephone mainline per 100 population

Refrigerators per 100

Space heating and cooling per 100

Room space

Comparison between Dietary Energy Supply of Indiaand High HDI Country (Kcal/day)

Comparison between Infant MortalityRate of India and High HDI Country(Per 1000 Live Birth)

3473 3476

3319

44

33

5

5

66

3293



2390

20112011

2011

2001

2001

2260

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Comparison between Under-5 Mortality Rate of India and High HDI Country (Per 1000 Live Birth)

Comparison between Life Expectancy of India and High HDI Country (Years)

59

95

6568 7982 7881

4

6 6

4



2011

2001

2011 2001


2011

2001

2011

106

10965

50

107

109

Comparison between Gross Enrolment Ratio (Secondary Level) of India and High HDI Country (%)

Comparison between Pupil Teacher Ratio (from class 1 to 10) of India and High HDI Country

2001

37

1513

351312




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Comparison between Room Space (living space of 10 sq meters/ person) of India and High HDI Country (%)

2011

2011

2001

2001

100

100 100

100

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13

30

100

100

20

100

100

Comparison between Pucca / Concrete Roof of India and High HDI Country (%)




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Comparison between Paved Road of India and High HDI Country (as a % of total road)

Comparison between per capita Electricity Consumption of India and High HDI Country (kWh)

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73

6954

94

861

13732 337

11905

78618049

80

2011

2001

2011 2001



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Comparison between Tap Water Availability (Supply at Home) of India and High HDI Country (%)

Comparison between Latrine Facility at homes of India and High HDI Country (%)

44100100

100

100

100100

10047

36

37

100

2011 2001

2011

2001



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Comparison between Motor Car of India and High HDI Country (Per 1000 population)

Comparison between Telephone (fixed lines) of India and High HDI Country (% of households)

47 32510 463

500

4

46

43

3

59

52

449

2001

20012011

2011



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25

2

3

2

100

100

100

100

1100 100100 100

2011

2011

2001

2001

Comparison between Refrigerator of India and High HDI Country (% of households)

Comparison of Space Heating and Cooling of India and High HDI Country (% of households)

Even a cursory glance at the charts presented above shows how wide a gap there is between India and the rest of the countries that have a high HDI rank or score. Especially alarming is the gap on indicators such as infant mortality and under 5 mortality, and shows how much more needs to be done to ensure that as many children as elsewhere are able to not just survive but also lead productive and healthy lives. Further, even basic amenities that would otherwise be taken for granted such as availability of tap water supply or latrines at home are still beyond the reach of a majority of Indian households. A glance at the charts presented above also shows that despite being among the fastest growing economies in the world, many of the aspects of decent living that may be taken for granted by people living in high HDI ranked countries, are far beyond the reach of most Indians. Thus, more than 95% Indian households still do not have access to appliances such as refrigerators or air conditioners (taken as a proxy for the ability to regulate extreme temperatures at their homes by people).



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How long will it take for India to reach there?

Due to a relatively good economic growth performance over the past 2 decades, India has captured the imagination of rest of the world. However, as our results show, India is also a country with large development deficits in the form of very high infant and under 5 mortality rates as well as very low levels of access to decent living standards, with the majority of people being deprived of even basic amenities such as safe water supply or in-home latrines, amenities that people living in high-HDI countries have complete access to.


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An added perspective is that India has a lot of catching up to do. A comparison of India’s composite index shows that at the pace at which India has improved its index value, it will take 30 years for it to reach a threshold at which the worst among all the high HDI countries stand. Another way of looking at it is to say that India would perhaps legitimately aspire towards a threshold of 0.76 score of its composite index. Anything below that would not ensure decent standard of living to all its people. A chart that depicts this gap between India and other countries having a high HDI is shown below.

It is in this context, the next phase of this research would dwell deep into what is required from a supply side to meet the decent standard of living thresholds in India, and in doing so, we will develop a qualitative map of the links between development indicators and characteristics of low-carbon pathways. The out come of the final research phase would be to develop a basket of options on how the development thresholds and the knowledge on linkages between development indicators and emissions pathways can influence the way climate change is discussed within India. This activity would provide the technical basis for advocacy work with the goal to inform the position India is taking at the UNFCCC negotiations by clearly articulating the benefits for the country in adopting such a stance both from a domestic perspective as well as from a global perspective.

INDIA 2001 INDIA 2011 COUNTRY X 2011

0.22 0.29 0.76

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Defining thresholds to Achieve Decent Standards of Living€¦ · 1 Defining Thresholds to Achieve...

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