Geography in the News: The Millennium Development Goals

Geography in the News: The Millennium Development Goals Useful for students studying poverty, development, conflicts and challenges. Also useful for those studying development economics! The 8 MDGs were set by the United Nations with a deadline of 2015. These 8 goals all aim to reduce global poverty in poorer nations of the world. As the 2015 deadline looms closer, there is much discussion over their achievement, the future beyond 2015, their successes and failures. Have a read of the information on this website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/millennium-development-goals There is a lot of information here. Have a good read through some of it to get an overview of what is going on. It highlights the importance of 2013 as a year when recommendations for the post 2015 agenda will be made. This month (February 2013) there have been meetings involving David Cameron and other leaders. Quiz:

What was the February 2013 meeting about? Which country and city was the meeting in? What percentage of our GDP does the UK pledge to give as aid to poorer countries? Have we achieved this target? How much money does this work out as per year? (GDP = $2.434 trillion 2012 est. CIA World Factbook website) Have all the G8 countries achieved this target? Think about the other major government spending: healthcare, education, defence, welfare, transport and protection (fire, police, prisons). Put them in order, starting with the one you think we spend the most on per year. The first goal (to eradicate poverty – by halving the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day) has been achieved. What is it suggested this is down to? What does David Cameron highlight as being important for the future goals? (there is more than one recommendation) Answers: 1. The progress of the Millennium Development Goals which are the 8 goals that have been set by the United Nations to reduce global poverty by 2015. The meeting was to look at what should be done beyond 2015 when the goal deadlines expires. 2. Monrovia in Liberia (Africa) 3. 0.7% 4. Yes the UK has achieved this target. 5. $17 billion in pounds that would be around £11 billion. 6. No, not all the G8 wealthy nations that pledged the money have achieved this target. 7. Healthcare - £126 billion per year Welfare – £62 billion per year Defence - £46 billion per year Education - £36 billion per year Protection - £15 billion per year Aid to LEDCs - £11 billion per year Transport - £10 billion per year Interesting and possibly surprising. Don’t forget these are very dynamic – with the withdrawal of troops proposed from Afghanistan in 2014, our defence spending looks set to decrease. Also despite a lack of hospital nurses and too many patients for them to cope with efficiently (in the news yesterday!) the spending on health is highest. We have an NHS of course which cost the government a lot of money, rather than private health services like in the USA. 8. The development of China and India over the last few years. 9. Reducing absolute (extreme) poverty, improving quality of education in poorer nations and improving security. Also inequalities between the incomes of the rich and poor needs addressing. This has not been considered in the current MDGs.