With an election on the horizon and issues such as job creation, the national debt, immigration reform, and an energy and climate bill sucking up all the air in the current policy debate, the extensive debate over foreign assistance reform has been overshadowed. It is occurring, though, albeit under the radar. Soon enough we chart a new direction, but will it be the right one? Throughout the summer, I will passionately explore the issue and potential solutions. This is an issue that I plan to explore fully, thoughtfully and probably beat to death. That said, my first task is to convince you why global poverty and extreme underdevelopment are grave threats to our national interest. If you are already on our side, then consider this a call to action.
There are so many places I could start, but let’s focus in for a second on sub-Saharan Africa. This is the heart of the problem and the most befuddling region to policymakers. Today, I will focus on painting a very brief, but clear picture of just how bad the situation is there.
After several years of modest improvement, sub-Saharan Africa recently experienced significant setbacks in its progress toward good governance economic growth and human development. While many nations experienced rapid development during the second half of the twentieth century, sub-Saharan Africa was left behind due to debilitating conflict, disease, poverty, and corruption. With an average per capita income of roughly US$1 a day, Africa remains the poorest region in the world. Africa’s real per capita income today is lower than in the 1970’s, leaving many African countries at least as poor as they were forty years ago. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of poor people in the world – some fifty percent of the world’s poor.
Not surprisingly, human development is also significantly lagging behind. Africa is the only continent where life expectancy is less than sixty years; today it hovers around fifty years, and in some countries it has fallen back to what it was in the 1950’s. The decrease in life expectancy is mainly attributed to the rise of the HIV-AIDS pandemic and ongoing conflict. Adult literacy across most African countries has plummeted below pre-1980 levels. On the political side some fifty percent of the continent remains under non-democratic rule. Similarly, according to a recent survey, seven out of the top ten “failed states” hail from the continent.
As if this was not enough to overcome, a new challenge to African development is arising: climate disruption. Even if emissions are relatively modest, climate impacts on Africa will still occur. Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to global climate change and climate vulnerability. Without effective adaptation to climate change, Africa will only see the contributors to hunger, disease, and conflict increase. Because of Africa’s heavy dependence on natural resources and agriculture, and because of limited capacity for action in many African communities, the repercussions of climate change are particularly ominous. This is a dire situation. Without swift action, the results could be catastrophic.
Stay tuned for future interations of this series. There will be many.
