Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
One of the main objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal is to eradicate severe poverty for everyone, everywhere, by the year 2030. Over few past decades, there has been a notable decrease in extreme poverty that is defined as living on less than $2.15 per person per day at 2017 purchasing power parity.
But the advent of COVID-19 was one game-changer, undoing these advances as the number of people living in extreme poverty rose by about 90 million over earlier projections for the first time in a decade. The pace of poverty reduction was slowing down even before the pandemic. Forecasts indicated that up to 670 million people, or 8.4% of the world’s population, may still be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2022.
Almost three years of progress in reducing poverty were essentially undone by this setback. An estimated 575 million people, or 7% of the world’s population, could still be living in severe poverty by 2030 if current trends continue, with sub-Saharan Africa bearing a disproportionate share of this burden. The return of hunger levels to those last recorded in 2005 is a startling discovery. The ongoing rise in food costs in a greater number of nations in comparison to the 2015–2019 timeframe is equally alarming. Food security and poverty are two major issues that affect the entire world.

Why is poverty so prevalent?

Although poverty has numerous facets, some of its causes include social isolation, unemployment, and the high susceptibility of some groups to illnesses, disasters, and other events that limit their ability to be productive.

Why should I give a damn about the financial circumstances of others?

There are a lot of reasons, but in essence, it’s because human beings are interdependent. In addition to undermining social cohesiveness and economic growth, rising inequality also exacerbates social and political tensions and, in certain cases, fuels instability and violence.
What is the significance of social protection? To lessen the effects and save many people from becoming impoverished, robust social safety measures are necessary. Despite the extension of social protection during the COVID-19 crisis, 55% of the world’s population, or roughly 4 billion people, are completely unprotected. The COVID-19 pandemic had both immediate and long-term economic effects on people worldwide. Between February 2022 and February 2023, 105 nations and territories announced about 350 social protection measures in response to the cost-of-living problem. However, 80% of these were only temporary, and in order to meet the Goals, nations must put in place universal, sustainable social protection systems that are suitable for their own national contexts.

What am I able to do?

Addressing poverty can be impacted by your active participation in policymaking. In order to facilitate revolutionary change in people’s lives and communities, it guarantees that your rights are upheld, that your voice is heard, that information is shared across generations, and that creativity and critical thinking are fostered at all ages. The impoverished and disenfranchised can benefit from job possibilities and pro-productive employment created by governments. In order to ascertain whether the growth it generates is inclusive and helps to combat poverty, the private sector must play a significant role. It can help the impoverished get access to economic opportunities. Science has played a vital role in eradicating poverty. For instance, it has made clean drinking water more accessible, decreased the number of fatalities from water-borne illnesses, and enhanced hygiene to lower the health risks associated with contaminated water and poor sanitation.

Goal 1 Targets

1.1 End extreme poverty, which is presently defined as living on less than $2.15 per day, for all people worldwide by 2030.

1.2 According to national standards, cut the percentage of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its forms by at least half by 2030.

1.3 Put in place nationally suitable social protection programs and policies for everyone, including floors, and by 2030, significantly increase the number of the poor and vulnerable.

1.4 By 2030, make sure that all men and women, especially the poor and vulnerable, have equal access to economic resources, basic services, inheritance, land and other property, financial services, including microfinance, and appropriate new technology.

1.5 Reduce exposure and susceptibility to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters by 2030 by strengthening the resilience of the poor and others in vulnerable situations.

1.6 In order to give developing nations, especially the least developed ones, sufficient and reliable means to carry out programs and policies aimed at eradicating poverty in all of its forms, it is imperative that substantial resources be mobilized from a range of sources, including through improved development cooperation.

1.7  Establish strong policy frameworks based on gender-sensitive and pro-poor development policies at the national, regional, and global levels to encourage increased funding for initiatives aimed at ending poverty.