Bridging the Development Gap

Bridging the Development Gap

• The causes of the development gap• The consequences of the development gap• Reducing the development gap

BUT FIRST• Identify the evidence that there is a

development gap• Determine the extent to which this is shrinking or

widening

Is there a development gap?• Almost half the world (>3 billion) live on < $2.50 a day.• The GDP of the 41 ‘Heavily Indebted Poor Countries’ (567

million people) is less than the wealth of the world’s 7 richest people combined.

• Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names.

• Less than one per cent of what the world spent every year on weapons was needed to put every child into school by the year 2000 and yet it didn’t happen.

• 1 billion children live in poverty (1 in 2 in the world)• 640 million people live without adequate shelter• 400 million have no access to safe water• 270 million have no access to health services• 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5

(or roughly 29,000 children per day).

This is the world as seen by Brandt in 1981. His team’s research showed a disparity between the rich north and the poor south. To what extent is this still an accurate portrayal of the state of the world today?

And now …

• Use pages 178-183 to identify the development gap - looks at the various indicators

• Also use ‘worldmapper’ and ‘gapminder’• See handouts of ‘worldmapper’ selections