Recent trends of human wellbeing in the Bangladesh delta

Although recent studies show that human wellbeing on global and national scales is improving, it is important to monitor the regional progress of human wellbeing and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Here we provide an assessment of human wellbeing in the south-west coastal part of Bangladesh by analysing Household Expenditure Survey (HIES) and Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data from 1995 to 2010. Indicators have been selected based on the five dimensions of human wellbeing, including health, material condition, personal security and freedom of choice and actions. This study shows that the south-west coastal region has made commendable progress in meeting the target MGDs goal for 'child and maternal health'. However, the areas of 'personal security' and 'freedom of choice and action' have not achieved the target MDGs despite showing substantial progress for 'poverty alleviation' (17%), 'sanitation coverage' (40%) and 'education' (23%). Incomes from fishery and 'non-ecosystem' based livelihood have increased 76% and 8% respectively, whereas income from shrimp and agriculture show declining trends. Production costs have increased substantially since 1995 in response to a rise in GDP. At a household level, proxy indicators of provisioning services, such as crop production, are positively correlated with poverty alleviation. Overall, greater attention on education and sustainable land use is required if Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are to be achieved by 2030.