What is a good HDI score?

Low HDI values manifest in several ways upon the conservation and management of Atlantic humpback dolphins. First, they often reflect low per capita income and high levels of human poverty. As a result, artisanal fishing, including widespread reliance on static monofilament gillnets, contributes significantly to food supply and livelihoods. Addressing dolphin bycatch and consumption in the numerous impoverished coastal communities that are heavily dependent on gillnet fishing is a daunting challenge.

Local capacity and expertise on Atlantic humpback dolphins are limited by poor educational opportunities linked to low HDI, resulting in a lack of local scientists, and exacerbated in some cases by the subsequent shift of trained scientists away from conservation and towards more lucrative employment provided by industry. Language barriers present a challenge for international information exchange. French, Portuguese, English, and numerous local languages are variously spoken in the countries where the species occurs. The lack of English language courses in some countries makes it difficult for local scientists to participate optimally in international conservation initiatives, or to contribute to, and benefit from, the scientific literature.

Work on Atlantic humpback dolphins is also restricted by poor infrastructure and low resource availability in many countries. For example, many coastal regions are relatively remote and problematic to access, electricity and fuel are not always reliably available, and resources such as sample freezer storage and field equipment are lacking. An added challenge for international experts conducting specialized dolphin work and training local biologists, is the frequent advice against travel to the region by foreign offices related to the risks associated with civil unrest and outbreaks of infectious diseases such as Ebola and COVID-19.

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Structuring the Sustainability Context

Gerald Jonker, Jan Harmsen, in Engineering for Sustainability, 2012

Basic Human Needs

The Human Development Index (HDI) of the United Nations exhibits four key aspects on the basics of human quality of living: infant mortality, population growth rate, longevity, and (il)literacy[49], p202. Every world citizen can be believed to strive to an HDI of close to one, implying a fulfilling of the basic needs. Figure 3.9, showing both the HDI and the ecological footprint, reveals the desired area to be in [69,70].

What is a good HDI score?

FIGURE 3.9. Meeting the dual goals of sustainability: high human development and low ecological impact, depicted for a snapshot of countries as the Global Footprint Network's Ecological footprint at the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). An HDI above 0.8 is defined by the United Nations Development Programme's as an high human development. In the box in the right corner an HDI above 0.8 can be achieved within the Earth's limits.

© Global Footprint Network (2009). Data from Global Footprint Network National Footprint Accounts, 2009 Edition; UNDP Human Development Report, 2009 [69].

As can be expected, the four key aspects also show a strong correlation with the gross national product (GNP), [21], however, to a certain point. Figure 3.10 gives another indication of welfare, in terms of subjective well-being. After a certain point, the increase in the percentage happy and satisfied with life does not substantially increase anymore [71]. As GNP is closely coupled to the carbon intensity, more goods, energy usage, and therefore increased carbon intensity do not imply to add a broader feeling of well-being.

What is a good HDI score?

FIGURE 3.10. Happy and satisfied with life as a whole at different levels of income.

Source: Worldwatch Institute, State of the World 2008 [71].

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Water and society

Alireza Rezaee, ... Vijay P. Singh, in Economical, Political, and Social Issues in Water Resources, 2021

11.4.5 Human development index (HDI)

The Human Development Index (HDI) is an indicator of social standards that consists of three areas: life expectancy, access to education and literacy, and living conditions and income. The index depends on a number of factors based on development, including the ability to perform tasks, such as access to proper nutrition, health, occupation, education, and community participation. The relationship between the HDI and the per capita water resources of Ukraine is shown in Fig. 11.8.

What is a good HDI score?

Figure 11.8. Correlation between water per capita and HDI.

According to research conducted in different countries, the results obtained in accordance with the data of Ukraine have an upward trend with per capita water resources. As a result, the availability of water increases the quality of life, improves the economic situation, and develops relevant indicators.

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Water, Human Development, Inclusive Growth, and Poverty Alleviation

M.D. Kumar, ... M.V.K. Sivamohan, in Rural Water Systems for Multiple Uses and Livelihood Security, 2016

2.4.1 Can Water Security Ensure Economic Growth?

International development discussions are often characterized by polarized contentions on whether money or policy reform is more crucial for progress in human development (various authors as cited in HDR, 2006, p. 66). Scholars have already discussed the two possible causal chains, one that runs between economic growth and human development, and the other that runs between human development and economic growth (Ranis, 2004). The causality in the first case occurs when resources from national income are allocated to activities that contribute to human development. Ranis (2004) argued that a low level of economic development would result in a vicious cycle of low levels of human development and a high level of economic development would result in the virtuous cycle of high levels of human development. Whereas in the second case, as indicated by several evidences, better health and nutrition lead to better productivity of the labor force (Behrman, 1993; Cornia and Stewart, 1995). Education opens up new economic opportunities in agriculture (Schultz, 1975; Rosenzweig, 1995), impacts on the nature and growth of exports (Wood, 1994), and results in greater income equality, which in itself results in economic growth (Bourguignon and Morrison, 1990; Psacharopolous et al., 1992; Bourguignon, 1995; Ranis, 2004).

If the stage of economic development determines a country’s water situation rather than the reverse, the variation of human development index, should be explained by variation in per capita GDP, rather than water situation in orders of magnitude. We have used data for 145 countries to examine this closely. The regression shows that per capita GDP explains HDI variations to an extent of 90%. The regression equation was Y = 0.129ln (X)-0.398. But, it is important to remember that HDI already includes per capita income, as one of the subindices.

Therefore, analysis was carried out using decomposed values of HDI, after subtracting the per capita income index, the graphical representation of which is presented in Fig. 2.2. The regression value came down to 0.75 (R2 = 0.75) when the decomposed index, which comprises education index and life expectancy index, was run against per capita GDP. What is more striking is the fact that 21 countries having per capita income below 2000 dollars per annum have medium levels of decomposed index. Again 50 countries having per capita GDP (ppp adjusted) less than 5000 dollars per annum have medium levels of decomposed HDI. Significant improvements in HDI values (0.30–0.9) occur within the small range in per capita GDP. The remarkable improvement in HDI values with minor improvements in economic conditions, and then “plateauing” means that improvement in HDI is determined more by factors other than economic growth. Our contention is that the remarkable variation in HDI of countries belonging to the low-income group can be explained by the quality of governance in these countries, ie, whether good or poor.

What is a good HDI score?

Figure 2.2. Decomposed HDI versus per capita GDP (ppp adjusted) for 2007.

Many countries that show high HDI also have good governance systems and practices, and institutional structures to ensure good literacy and public health. For instance, Hungary in eastern Europe; some countries of Latin America, namely, Uruguay, Guatemala, Paraguay, Nicaragua, and Bolivia; and countries of the erstwhile Soviet Union, namely, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia have welfare-oriented policies. They make substantial investments in water, health, and educational infrastructure.2

Incidentally, many countries, which have extremely low HDI, have highly volatile political systems, and ineffective governance and corruption. The investments in building and maintenance of water infrastructure are consequently very poor in these countries (Shah and Kumar, 2008) in spite of huge external aid. Sub-Saharan African countries, namely, Angola, Benin, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Burundi, Niger, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe; and Yemen in the Middle East belong to this category. Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest irrigated to rain-fed area ratio of less than 3% (FAO, 2006, Figure 5.2, p. 177), whereas Ethiopia has the lowest water storage of 20 m3/capita in dams (World Bank, 2005). How water security decoupled human development and economic growth in many regions of the world was illustrated in the human development report (HDR, 2006, pp. 30–31).

The public expenditure on health and education is extremely low in these African countries and Yemen when compared to the many other countries which fall under the same economic category (below US $ 5000 per capita per annum). Over and above, the pattern of public spending is more skewed toward the military (source: HDR, 2006, Table 19, pp. 348–351). Besides, access to water supply and sanitation is much higher in the countries which have higher HDI, as compared to those countries which have very low HDI (based on data in HDR, 2006, Table 7, pp. 306–309).

Some of the striking features of these regions are the high incidence of water-related diseases such as malaria and diarrhea, high infant mortality, and high school dropout rate mainly due to lack of access to safe drinking water; and scarcity of irrigation water in rural areas, poor agricultural growth, high food insecurity and malnutrition (source: based on HDR, 2006). Consequently, their HDI is very low.

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Development and Energy, Overview

José Goldemberg, in Encyclopedia of Energy, 2004

6 Conclusions

Energy has a determinant influence on the HDI, particularly in the early stages of development, in which the vast majority of the world's people, particularly women and children, are classified. The influence of per capita energy consumption on the HDI begins to decline between 1000 and 3000 kg of oil equivalent (koe) per inhabitant. Thereafter, even with a tripling of energy consumption, the HDI does not increase. Thus, from approximately 1000 koe per capita, the strong positive covariance of energy consumption with HDI starts to diminish. The efficiency of energy use is also important in influencing the relationship between energy and development.

Another aspect of the problem is the mix of supply-side resources that dominate the world's energy scene today. Fossil fuels have a dominating role (81% of supply in OECD countries and 70% in developing countries), although, as a rule, renewables are more significant for low-income populations. However, there are significant advantages to increasing the role of renewable sources since they enhance diversity in energy supply markets, secure long-term sustainable energy supplies, reduce atmospheric emissions (local, regional, and global), create new employment opportunities in rural communities offering possibilities for local manufacturing, and enhance security of supply since they do not require imports that characterize the supply of fossil fuels.

More generally, development, including the generation of jobs, depends on a number of factors in addition to GNP per capita. Furthermore, although an essential ingredient of development, energy is more important with regard to low rather than high incomes.

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(Em)powering People: Reconciling Energy Security and Land-Use Management in the Sudano-Sahelian Region

Stela Nenova, Hartmut Behrend, in Land Restoration, 2016

Appendix Development Indicators

Table 1.3.3. Development Indicators(1)

CountryHuman Development Index**Fragile States Index***Population Growth****Fertility Rate****
2013Rank 2014% per Year (2000–2012)Birth per Woman (2000–2015)Benin165743.14.9Burkina Faso181392.95.7Chad18463.46.3Cote d'Ivoire171141.74.9Gambia172593.15.8Ghana1381182.53.9Guinea179122.25Guinea-Bissau177162.25Mali176363.16.9Mauritania161282.84.7Niger187193.77.6Nigeria152172.66Senegal163622.85Sierra-Leone183353.14.8Sudan*16652.44.5Togo166412.64.7Entire region2.7

*In its borders before 2011, South Sudan was ranking first in the Fragile States Index 2014**Source: UNDP (2014).***Source: Haken et al. (2014).****Source: World Bank (2015).

Table 1.3.4. Development Indicators (2)

CountryUndernourished
People**Cereal Import Dependency Ratio***Population Living on Degraded Land****Gross National Product per Capita*****
% of Total Population
2012–20142009–2011% of Total Population 2010In Purchase Power Parities, 2012Benin9.736.21.61570Burkina Faso20.710.473.21510Chad34.89.545.41320Cote d'Ivoire14.761.31.31960Gambia643.817.9510Ghana< 526.41.41940Guinea18.114.30.8980Guinea-Bissau17.731.41550Mali< 54.759.51160Mauritania6.57423.82520Niger11.37.925650Nigeria6.421.711.52420Senegal16.751.216.21920Sierra-Leone25.519.7N/A1360Sudan*24.3******26.639.92030Togo15.315.85.1920Entire region18.4

*In its borders before 2011.**Source: FAO (2014b). Note: most recent data from the Sahel Strategy are differing considerably especially in Mali and Niger at rates above 20% of the population in 2014.***FAOSTAT (2015).****Source: UNDP (2014).*****World Bank (2015).******Data for the average from 2008–2010.

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Volume 4

Md. W. Murad, J.J. Pereira, in Encyclopedia of Environmental Health (Second Edition), 2019

A Brief Scenario of Environmental Health

Malaysia is ranked 59 out of 175 countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), with a medium level HDI of 0.79. Based on 2001 data from the MOH, almost 97% of the Malaysian population has access to safe water with approximately 98.5% in urban areas and 93.94% in the rural areas having such access. However, the estimated number of water pollution sources in Malaysia for 2002 were 13,540, where the major sources are sewage treatment plants, agro-based industries, manufacturing industries, and animal farms. Domestic sewage facilities comprised approximately 53% of all sources (7126 sources), followed by manufacturing industries (5, 137, or 38%), pig farms (807 sources or 6%), and other agro-based industries (470 sources or 3%). Of the total number of effluent sources identified, Johor State had the highest number (1675 or 29.9%), followed by Selangor State (1485 or 26.5%). Perak (573 or 10.2%) and Perlis states had the least number (14 or 0.25%). The presence of adequate excreta facilities among households is also high at 93.60%. Almost everyone in the urban areas is connected to piped water, electricity, and waste collection. There is an emergency response system in Malaysia to deal with emergencies such as natural disasters, fire, chemical emergencies, and oil spills. There are building regulations in place and inspections are being conducted to ensure public safety. The number of informal settlements is decreasing significantly due to government resettlement programs throughout the country. The government has the capacity for monitoring environmental quality parameters for drinking water, noise, and radiation, whereas the private sector has also been monitoring the quality of water resources and ambient air (Table 1).

Table 1. Malaysia’s environmental health data sheet

Serial no.IndicatorsData1Development, environment, and health1.1.1–1.1.14Area (1000 km2)330.25Estimated population (‘000) Total25048.30 Male12751.90 Female12296.40Annual population growth rate (%)2.20Percentage of population 0–14 years33.18 65 + years4.12Urban population (%)62Adult literacy rate (%) Both sexes91.0 Male92.7 Female87.6Infant mortality rate (per 1000 live births)6.2Under-five mortality rate (per 1000 live births)0.5Newborn infants weighing at least 2500 g at birth (%)86.90General economy: narrative report (separate sheet)Per capita GNP at current market prices (US$)4010Total health expenditure on health as % of GNP1.70Development priorities: narrative report (separate sheet)Land area for agriculture (as percentage of total land area)24Human development index (Highest = 1)0.79Human development index rank (out of 177 countries)591.2.1–1.2.8Population with access to safe water (%) Total96.90 Urban98.50 Rural93.94Population with adequate excreta disposal facilities (%) Total93.60 Urban91.20 Rural98.10Poison center service (Y/N list, year)YChemical emergency preparedness (Y/N list, year)YPresence of building regulations and inspection (Y/N list, year)YNumber of registered vehicles120,12,939Rate (number per 100,000 population)47,000Number of registered motorcycles5842,618Rate (number per 100,000 population)22,000Presence of government/private laboratories and equipment for monitoringDrinking water (Y/N; G/P)Y:GWater resources (Y/N; G/P)Y:GAmbient air (Y/N; G/P)Y:GNoise (Y/N; G/P)Y:GRadiation (Y/N; G/P)Y:GPresence of government/private system for data collection and processing (Y/N; G/P)Y:G1.3.1–1.3.5Proportion of population using solid/biomass fuels for cooking or heating (%)29Proportion of vehicles using diesel (%)11Proportion of vehicles using unleaded gasoline (%)89Solid waste generated (tonnes per year)6.378 millionToxic and hazardous wastes generated (tonnes/year)42,0198Health care waste generation (tonnes per year)5864Cases of pesticide poisoning (number)2121.4.1Prevalence of underweight children under 5 years of age (%)181.5.1–1.5.2Motor and other vehicle injuries (number)78,406Road traffic crashesNumber of accidents (within a year)279,256Rate (accident per 100,000 population)1093Rate (accident per 10,000 vehicle registration)230Rate (injuries per 10,000 vehicle registration)35.9Rate (deaths per 100,000 population)23.01.6.1–1.6.10Ten leading causes of morbidityNumberRate per 100,000 population1.

Normal delivery (single spontaneous delivery)

300,7711226.142.

Complication of pregnancy, childbirth, and the puerperium

195,318796.243.

Accident (accidental injury)

149,332608.774.

Diseases of the circulatory system

118,262482.115.

Diseases of the respiratory system

107,869439.746.

Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period

94,776386.377.

Diseases of the digestive system

82,836337.698.

Ill-defined conditions (symptoms and signs)

63,001256.839.

Diseases of the urinary system

60,340245.9810.

Malignant neoplasms

44,833182.771.7.1–1.7.10Ten leading causes of mortalityNumberRate per 100,000 population1.

Septicemia

554322.602.

Heart diseases and diseases of pulmonary circulation

520921.243.

Malignant neoplasms

331313.514.

Cerebrovascular diseases

293611.975.

Accident

22709.256.

Pneumonia

18347.487.

Diseases of the digestive system

16746.828.

Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period

16406.699.

Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis

12675.1710.

Ill-defined conditions

11344.62Number of casesNumber of deaths1.8.1–1.8.8Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseases321192Hepatitis viral36010Cholera3657Typhoid fever (and paratyphoid fever)8532Encephalitis372Plague00Malaria12780Not availableDengue/DHF16368Not available2Legal, policy, and institutional structureData2.1.1–2.1.9National environmental health policy (Y/N list, year)National environmental policy (Y/N list, year)YThe guiding principles for environmental policy objectives that form the basis for development planning are to:

maintain a clean and healthy environment;

minimize the quality of the environment relative to the needs of the growing population;

minimize the impact of the growing population and human activities relating to mineral exploration, deforestation, agriculture, urbanization, tourism, and development of other resources, on the environment;

balance the goals of socioeconomic development and the need to bring the benefits of development to a wide spectrum of population against the maintenance of sound environmental constitution;

place more emphasis on prevention through conservation rather than through curative measures;

incorporate an environmental dimension in project planning and implementation through the conduct of environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies; and

promote greater cooperation and increased coordination among relevant federal and state authorities as well as among the ASEAN governments.

Policies/legislation to reduce exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Y/N list, year)YFood Act 1993 with provision for smoke-free placesNational policies for healthy settings (such as healthy cities) (Y/N list, year)YStart with urban health policyEnvironmental/health acts promulgated: (Y/N list, year)
a.

Water

b.

Air

c.

Solid waste

d.

Toxic chemicals/hazardous waste

e.

Others

YEnvironmental Quality Act 1974Environmental Quality Act (Amendment) 1985, 1986National Forestry Act 1984National Park Act 1980Pesticides Act 1974Land Conservation Act 1960EIA as an official requirement (Y/N list, year)YEIA procedures were introduced in 1988. Some EIA reports are open for public scrutiny.Health impact assessment as part of EIA (Y/N list, year)YPolicies for decentralization such as for environmental health and monitoring (Y/N list, year)NPolicies for privatization such as for environmental health and monitoring (Y/N list, year)Y2.2.1–2.2.3Organizational structure for environmental health (separate sheet)YList of agencies and partners for environmental health other than government (separate sheet)Ya.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)

b.

International Organization of Consumer Unions

c.

Malayan Nature Society

d.

Golden Hope Plantations Berhad

List of relevant government agencies and their functions (separate sheet as a table matrix)Y•

Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department

Department of Environment

2.3Relevant International Conventions/Agreements (List, year signed/ratified)YMalaysia is a party to○

the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (accession 20 October 1977)

the 1985 Vienna Convention on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (accession 29 August 1989);

the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (accession 29 August 1989);

It has ratified the 1990 London Amendment to the Montreal ProtocolMalaysia has acceded to○

the 1989 Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-Boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal;

Malaysia is signatory to○

the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (signature 12 June 1992)

Malaysia should be encouraged to sign and ratify/or accede to:

the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;

the 1979 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals

the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (being administered by UNESCO)

Malaysia has been actively participating in the implementation of the amended London Guidelines for the Exchange of Information on Chemicals in International Trade3Human resources development programs3.1–3.7Environmental health workforce (Y/N list)○

environmental health officers

Y○

health/sanitary inspectors

Y○

assistant sanitarians

Y○

environmental engineers

Y○

sanitary engineers

Y○

pollution control officers

Y○

others

YTertiary degrees related to environmental health (Y/N list)YShort courses and duration related to environmental health (Y/N list)YGovernment certification for environmental workforce (Y/N list)YProfessional associations related to environmental health (Y/N list, memberships)YInternational associations’ local affiliates (Y/N list, memberships)Y4Priority environmental health issues4.1–4.4Fertilizer consumption (metric tonnes per year)1230,000Irrigated agricultural area (1000ha)365Carbon dioxide emissions (per capita metric tonnes)5.4Consumption of ozone-depleting CFCs (ODP metric tonnes)1947

WHO (2005) Malaysia: Environmental Health Country Profile. Geneva: World Health Organization.

According to 2000 Department of Statistics data, approximately 29% of the Malaysian population used solid or biomass fuels for their cooking and heating needs. Only 11% of the vehicles use diesel, whereas 89% have been using unleaded gasoline. Emissions from mobile and stationary sources are the most significant sources of pollution. Emissions from mobile sources contribute 80.4% of the total load, followed by emissions from stationary sources such as industrial fuel consumption (9%), industrial processes (1.2%), power stations (8.8%), domestic fuel (0.2%), and open burning at solid waste dumping sites (0.4%). In 2001, approximately 6.378 million tons of solid wastes were generated. There are 170 recycling centers throughout the country. In 2003, wastes from hospitals and health care institutions amounted to 5864 tons. The amount of hazardous waste is not available, but there is a large facility in Malaysia for treatment and disposal. Almost half of the hazardous waste comes from the electronics industry.

The top 10 leading causes of mortality are septicemia, heart diseases and diseases of pulmonary circulation, malignant neoplasms, cerebrovascular diseases, accidents, pneumonia, diseases of the digestive system, certain conditions originating in the perinatal period, nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis, and ill-defined conditions. The top 10 leading causes of morbidity are normal delivery (single spontaneous delivery), complication of pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, accident (accidental injury), diseases of the circulatory system, diseases of the respiratory system, certain conditions originating in the perinatal period, diseases of the digestive system, ill-defined conditions (symptoms and signs), diseases of the urinary system, and malignant neoplasms. Approximately 212 cases of pesticide poisoning were reported in 2003. In 1999, the prevalence of underweight preschool children (under the age of 5) was 18%. There were approximately 279,256 reported cases of road traffic accidents in 2002. This is approximately 1093 accidents per 100,000 population and 230 accidents per 10,000 vehicle registration. Injuries reported were 35.9 per 10,000 vehicle registration and resulting deaths were 23.0 per 100,000 population. Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseases (3211 cases in 2002), especially among children, have been associated also with environmental factors such as poor living conditions and overcrowding. In 2002, waterborne diseases had been reported: 3601 cases of hepatitis, 365 cases of cholera, and 853 cases of typhoid fever. These are associated with poor drinking water quality and inadequate sanitation. Vector-borne diseases, mainly malaria and dengue fever, have declined through the years but there are still significant cases. In 2001, there were 12,780 cases of malaria and 16,368 cases of dengue.

Malaysia provides leadership in the Southeast Asian region for the healthy cities and healthy settings programs, especially in Kuching, Sarawak. The country initiated and implemented policies for tobacco control as early as 1993 under the Food Act with provision for smoke-free places. Among the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, Malaysia had the best sustainability index with an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) score of 54.0 and the Philippines and Vietnam the lowest with scores of 42.3. This ESI was developed by Yale University and Columbia University of the United States of America. The ESI aims to concretize the concept of environmental sustainability, which is defined as “the long-term maintenance of valued environmental resources in an evolving human context.” It builds on 76 datasets and 21 key indicators classified into five components: state of environmental systems, anthropogenic stresses on the environment, aspects of human vulnerability to environmental stresses, social and institutional capacity to affect environmental change, and global leadership toward greater environmental sustainability. Malaysia scored well in three of the five ESI components, namely, environmental systems, human vulnerability to environmental stresses, and social and institutional capacity to respond to environmental stresses. Related to environmental sustainability is the concept of an ecological footprint, which is “a resource management tool that measures how much land and water area a human population requires to produce the resources it consumes and to absorb its wastes under prevailing technology.” The ecological footprint supports environmental sustainability by advocating that society’s demand on nature should be in balance with nature’s capacity to meet that demand. Malaysia’s ecological footprint (including food, fiber, timber, and energy footprints) was the highest among the eight countries in the Southeast Asian region where data were available. Malaysia needed 2.4 global hectares per person of itself per year to meet its resource requirements. Its footprint in 2002 was higher than the average of the whole world, middle-income countries, and Asia-Pacific countries. Malaysia’s total biocapacity (or resource supply), however, was higher than its ecological footprint (or resource demand) resulting in a reserve of 0.9 global hectares per person.

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Canada, Health System of

G.P. Marchildon, in International Encyclopedia of Public Health (Second Edition), 2017

Introduction

Canada is a high-income country that enjoys one of the world's highest Human Development Index rankings. The burden of disease is among the lowest in the world even though Canada's ranking, based on health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE), slipped from second place in 1990 to fifth position by 2010 (Murray et al., 2013). The Canadian health system reflects the inherent complexity and diversity of a country covering the second largest landmass in the world (Figure 1). In addition to its original Aboriginal inhabitants and official language communities of French and English, the population is made up of immigrants, many recent, from virtually every part of the globe. Most live in large urban centers that hug the southern border with the United States but vibrant communities, some predating European colonization, are sprinkled throughout the 10 provinces in the south and three territories in the far north.

What is a good HDI score?

Figure 1. Atlas of Canada.

Source: Atlas of Canada, Natural Resources Canada.

Canada is a constitutional monarchy based on a parliamentary system in the British tradition and, similar to Australia, it is a federation with two constitutionally recognized orders of government. The federal government is responsible for certain aspects of health and pharmaceutical regulation and safety, data collection, biomedical, clinical and other research funding, and some health services and coverage for designated First Nation and Inuit populations. The second order of government consists of 10 provincial governments mainly responsible for a broad range of health programs and services including the provision of universal coverage for medically necessary hospital and physician services known as Medicare in Canada. In most provinces, health services are organized and delivered by public bodies known as regional health authorities that have been legislatively delegated to provide hospital, long-term and community care as well as improve population health within defined geographical areas.

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The Northern Mozambique Channel

OburaD.O. , ... TernonJ-F. , in World Seas: an Environmental Evaluation (Second Edition), 2019

4.3.2 Income and Welfare

Income and welfare levels are low in Mozambique Channel countries (Fig. 4.6), with a Human Development Index (HDI) less than 0.5 and Gross National Income (GNI) per capita less than $1700. In Madagascar, 92% of the population lives on less than $2 per day, with remote coastal regions being among the poorest. Similarly, education levels and access to health services are likely lower than national averages.

What is a good HDI score?

Fig. 4.6. A selection of income and welfare statistics for countries of the WIO ordered by Human Development Index (HDI) from left to right: HDI and Gross National Income (GNI, in $) per capita on the left, and life expectancy at birth, mean and expected years of schooling on the right.

Source: UNDESA. (2017). Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm.

Table 4.3 summarizes family planning indicators in coastal provinces and regions within the NMC. Fertility rates are higher than desired by women, by about one child. One in three to one in five women who would like to space or limit their births are not currently using any contraceptive method, and use of contraceptives varies over an extreme range from as few as 2.9% to almost 40% of women. To steer population growth toward the median to low trends projected by the UN, intensive outreach and increases in access to family planning tools by women, and improved education outcomes in girls and boys, will be necessary.

Table 4.3. Family Planning Indicators—National Averages and Coastal Provinces and Regions in the NMC (USAID, 2016)

Province/RegionTotal Fertility RateWanted Fertility RateContraceptive prev. RateUnmet Family Planning NeedsMozambique5.95.111.3%28.5%Nampula6.15.15.0%25.0%Cabo Delgado6.66.32.9%12.1%Tanzania5.44.727.4%25.3%Mtwara4.44.036.8%23.9%Lindi38.5%23.7%Comoros4.33.214.2%31.6%Madagascar4.84.229.2%18.9%Diana3.73.229.1%19.7%Sofia4.43.417.9%17.2%Boeny4.53.934.4%17.0%

What is a good level of HDI?

The geometric mean of the three indices—that is, the cube root of the product of the indices—is the human development index. A value above 0.800 is classified as very high, between 0.700 and 0.799 as high, 0.550 to 0.699 as medium, and below 0.550 as low.

What does a HDI of 1 mean?

2. The health aspect of the HDI is measured by the life expectancy, as calculated at the time of birth, in each country, and normalized so that this component is equal to 0 when life expectancy is 20 and equal to 1 when life expectancy is 85.

What is a bad HDI score?

The cutoff-points are HDI of less than 0.550 for low human development, 0.550–0.699 for medium human development, 0.700–0.799 for high human development and 0.800 or greater for very high human development.

What does a HDI of 0.5 mean?

How Countries are Classified Using the HDI. The UNDP classifies each country into one of three development groups: Low human development for HDI scores between 0.0 and 0.5, Medium human development for HDI scores between 0.5 and 0.8 High human development for HDI scores between 0.8 and 1.0.