The 2011 Human Development Report—‘Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All’—argues that environmental sustainability can be most fairly and effectively achieved by addressing health, education, income, and gender disparities together with the need for global action on energy production and ecosystem protection. As the world community prepares for the landmark UN Conference on Sustainable Development in June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, the Report argues that sustainability must be approached as a matter of basic social justice, for current and future generations alike.

The 2011 HDR highlights the importance of sustainability and equity and these factors’ influence on future achievement in human development. Though significant progress in HDI values has been achieved across the world and in particular among the countries in the lowest 25% of the HDI ranking, this progress is increasingly under threat. The HDR 2011 raises concerns that the development progress in the world’s poorest countries could be halted or even reversed by mid-century unless decisive steps are taken to slow climate change, prevent further environmental damage and reduce deep inequalities within and among nations.

The authors forecast that unchecked environmental deterioration—from drought in sub-Saharan Africa to rising sea levels that could swamp low-lying countries—could cause food prices to soar by up to 50% and reverse efforts to expand water, sanitation and energy access to billions of people, notably in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Using different scenarios it is estimated that the average HDI would decrease between 12 to 15% with the deepest losses in the poorest regions. The 2011 HDR argues that environmental deterioration could undermine decades of efforts to expand water, sanitation and electricity access to the world’s poorest communities.

Sustainability and equity are wide reaching and often complex issues. The 2011 HDR examines factors which are not always associated with environmental sustainability, including reproductive health care to help fight gender inequality and poverty. Sustainability is not exclusively or even primarily an environmental issue. Rather sustainability must be approached as a matter of basic social justice for current and future generations alike. Understanding the links between environmental sustainability and equity is critical in order to expand human freedoms for current and future generations. The 2011 HDR argues that the remarkable progress in human development over recent decades cannot continue without bold global steps to reduce both environmental risks and inequality.

The HDI value for Mozambique has increased to 0.322 from 0.317 last year following the trend of the past two decades. Since 2000 to 2011, Mozambique has achieved an impressive average annual increase in HDI value of 2.49 %. Compared to other countries, Mozambique’s performance from 2000 to 20111 with regards to annual increase in HDI value is among the top 5 in the world. Regardless, Mozambique currently ranks 184 of a total of 187 countries in the HDI in comparison to 2010 where the country ranked 165 of 169. The change in ranking is almost exclusively a result of the introduction of 18 countries not included last year. The HDI has traditionally consisted of components which only respond slowly to policy changes. This means that changes, including in ranking, will only take place in the long term.