“No poverty,” according to Sustainable Development Goal 1 is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations in 2015. “To end poverty in all its forms, everywhere,” says the official statement of sustainable development goal 1.

Member nations have agreed to “Leave No One Behind,” with the objective of “leaving no one behind and reaching those who are furthest behind first.” Sustainable development goal 1 aspires to eliminate all forms of severe poverty, including hunger, lack of safe drinking water, and sanitary conditions. Finding answers to new risks posed by climate change and war are all part of achieving this aim. Sustainable development goal 1 focuses not just on poor individuals but also on the services they rely on.

To track progress of sustainable development goal1, the objective contains seven targets and thirteen indicators. The five “outcome objectives” are: ending extreme poverty, halving poverty, putting in place social safety mechanisms, guaranteeing equitable access to ownership, basic services, technology, and economic resources, and developing resilience to environmental, economic, and social catastrophes.

Background in terms of Sustainable Development

In 2013, 385 million children were living on less than $1.90 a day. Due to massive gaps in data on the condition of children across the world, these numbers are inaccurate. In order to evaluate the condition of impoverished children and develop forecasts toward Sustainable development goal 1, 97%  of nations have insufficient data, and 63% of countries have no data on child poverty at all. 

Since 1990, extreme poverty has been reduced by more than half. People are still poor, with the World Bank predicting that 40 million to 60 million people will be living in extreme poverty by 2020. The necessity for an extremely low poverty threshold is justified by emphasising the needs of those who are in the most precarious situation. That objective may not be sufficient for human sustenance and basic requirements, which is why variations relative to higher poverty levels are frequently monitored.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, worldwide poverty reduction was slowing, and it was predicted that the 2030 global goal of eliminating poverty would be missed. The epidemic, on the other hand, is driving tens of millions of people back into poverty, erasing years of progress. The worldwide extreme poverty rate is expected to be between 8.4 and 8.8% in 2020, which is similar to the rate in 2017. As a result, an estimated 40 to 60 million people would be driven back into extreme poverty, the first such increase in over 20 years.

Few of the Targets and Indicators

Target 1.1: Eradicate extreme poverty

By 2030, abolish severe poverty for all people everywhere, presently defined as individuals living on less than $1.90 per day is Target 1.1.

One indication is included in Target 1.1 and that is proportion of people living below the international poverty line aggregated by sex, age, work status, and geographical location (urban/rural). 

Target 1.2: Diminish poverty by at least 50

By 2030, lowering the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all of its aspects according to national criteria by at least half is target 1.2.

The indicators are:

• Indicator 1.2.1: The percentage of the population living in poverty on a national level.
• Indicator 1.2.2: The percentage of men, women, and children of all ages who live in poverty in all of its aspects, as defined by national criteria.

Target 1.3: Implement social protection programmes that are suited for each country

The proportion of the population who participates in programmes that offer old age contributing pensions is shown in the coverage of social insurance schemes. 

Implement nationally adequate social protection systems and measures for everyone, achieving considerable coverage of the poor and vulnerable by 2030 is Target 1.3.

Proportion of population covered by social protection systems, by sex, differentiating children, jobless people, elderly people, people with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable is indicator 1.3.1. 

Target 1.4 Equal access to ownership, fundamental services, technology, and economic resources

By 2030, ensure that all men and women, particularly the poor and vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology, and financial services, including microfinance says Target 1.4.

The following are its two indicators:

• Indicator 1.4.1: The percentage of the population who lives in a home with basic services.
• Indicator 1.4.2: By sex and type of tenure, the proportion of the total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, (a) with legally recognised paperwork, and (b) who consider their rights to land as secure.

Target 1.5: Build resilience to environmental, economic, and social disasters

By 2030, improve the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations, and minimise their exposure and susceptibility to climate-related severe events and other economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters, says Target 1.5. 

There are four indications in total:

• Indicator 1.5.1: The number of deaths, missing people, and people who have been directly impacted by catastrophes.
• Indicator 1.5.2: Direct economic loss ascribed to catastrophes as a percentage of global GDP.
• Number of countries that develop and implement national disaster risk reduction plans in accordance with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, as is indicator 1.5.3.
• Indicator 1.5.4: Proportion of local governments adopting and implementing local disaster risk reduction plans that are consistent with national disaster risk reduction policies.

Challenges

COVID-19 has resulted in the first increase in global poverty in 20 years thus reversing the progress of sustainable development. In 2020, over 37 million additional people will be living in severe poverty, and they will be living below the US$1.90 per day extreme poverty level as a result of COVID-19. 24 According to another prediction, 71 million people would be living in extreme poverty by 2020. The lockdown has resulted in a collapse of economic activity, resulting in lower income and hastened impoverishment. According to reports, young employees appear to be two times more likely than their elders to be unemployed.

The problems of attaining zero poverty and other Sustainable development goal targets by 2030 have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Despite the fact that many different measures are being used to obtain important data, the current tools and methodologies have not been able to adequately handle the ever-changing climate.

Our worldwide population is expected to exceed 9 billion people by 2050, according to estimates. The challenge of sustainable development is to go forward in such a manner that every one of these people will be able to live a high-quality life while without depleting our natural resources.