THE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

COURSE CODE: KCS 203

FOUNDAMENTALS OF DEVELOPMENT
FACULTY OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA STUDIES
Group Assignment
Group Members are as follows;
1. Shantel Praise Andenyi >> K59/5193/2021
2. Maureen Ndungwa Kyalo>> K59/136050/2019
3. Kalui Catherine Mwende>> K59/5162/2021
4. Brian Davis>> K59/5133/2021
5. Isaiah Ochieng>> K59/5184/2021
Assignment topic: Discuss the main challenges to development including challenges
faced in the achievement of SDGs.
INTRODUCTION
The United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development defines development as “a
comprehensive economic, social, cultural and political process, which aims at the constant
improvement of the well-being of the entire population and of all individuals on the basis of
their active, free and meaningful participation in development and in the fair distribution of
the benefits resulting therefrom”. Development and Sustainable Development Goals have
brought much to the table, but it is hard to say whether they will be successful because of a
lack of information how they take place. There is plenty of innovation and advancement
happening in development, but there is also an aspect that is difficult for outsiders to see and
understand: the challenges faced by the practitioners themselves. This article will focus on
two main subjects; 1. challenges faced by the development practitioners within a country and
2. Challenges faced in the achievement of SDGs in assuring a better future for both the
present generation and the future generations.

a) Main Challenges to Development within a Country

 Barriers to development can be categorised into two kinds: one, those that can be
attributed to factors within the geographical borders of countries concerned; and two,
those that might be traced to their external environments.
● The factors within the borders of a concerned country are as follows;
1. Brain-drain
The intellectual citizens of a particular country emigrate to oversea countries where they
invest and work thus depriving their own countries of the necessary manpower.
2. High rates of unemployment or underemployment.
The ever growing human population tend to reduce the employment opportunities and in turn
development growth is affect since the purchasing power of the country’s citizen is greatly
reduced and the unemployed lead low standards of livelihood.
The large number of college and university graduates tend to compete for the limited spaces
in the job market which cannot accommodate every individual.
3. High rates of poverty levels.
The World Bank defines Poverty as living below the income of $ 1 per day. However, this
poverty line was elevated to $ 2.15 per day in September, 2022 from $ 1.90.
Poverty is a great impediment to developmental growth of a country since the income
realised either by exportation of goods or collection of taxes is used largely to cater for the
needs of the majority who live below the poverty line thus development agenda is given less
importance. In such a scenario, development may not take place or may take place at a very
negligible rate. The rise in poverty levels is greatly attributed to the ever growing human
population with limited slots in the job market and limited land for agricultural activities.
 4. Corruption and poor governance
According to the World Bank, Governance is defined as the manner I which power is
exercised in the management of a country’s resources for development while Corruption is a
form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by an individual or organisation
which is entrusted in positions of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power
for one’s personal gain and it primarily involves such activities as bribery and
embezzlement.
Most developing countries in the world lack financial stability to fully cater for their
developmental needs and borrow from financial institutions like the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank but ironically, these tend to be embezzlement by individuals with
questionable integrity in the concerned institutions thus the money that was intended for
development end up on the pocket of a few individuals leaving the countries to finance their
debts. Even the little income that is raised by a country is used in financing the debts whose
full purpose was not realised.
5. Conflict and Political Intolerance
In war torn countries or areas, achieving meaning and sustainable development is hard since
the citizens who are to champion development are not settled and some of them may opt to
flee to neighbouring countries that experience some sense of political stability and peaceful
coexistence where they are settled as refugees. The country or countries that they fled from
experience little development growth. When peace is restored, a lot of money is channelled
into catering for the effects of war rather than being spent for development.

b) (i). Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs)

 As per the United Nations,2015 definition; SDGs are the blueprints to achieve a better
and more sustainable future for all generations without compromising the future of
next generations to come. They address the global challenges and setbacks we face
today, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation,
peace and justice. (UN 2015).
 The United Nations 2015 managed to consolidate all the blueprints for a better
sustainable future into 17 Goals some of which are highlighted below;

1. No poverty
2. Zero hunger
3. Good health and Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
13. Climate Action
17. Partnership to Achieve the Goals
 ii). Challenges faced in the achievement of SDGs
Global Warming
This comes from the emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon (IV) oxide and sulphur
(IV) oxide gases which deplete the ozone layer putting the earth and its inhabitants at risk.
This gases come from industries that have not implemented gaseous emissions control.
Global warming has adverse effects on the climate change which include the following; leads
to the increase in sea water levels leading to the loss of coastal lands, increased risks of
drought and floods brought about by change in the precipitation patterns, hotter temperatures
due to the rise in concentration of greenhouse gases, threats to biodiversity since some
species are lost.
Global warming threatens the achievement of sustainable goal 13 which calls for Climate
Action.
Inadequate Funding
Shortage of funds to finance certain sustainable goals pose a challenge to their achievement.
Such goals include the likes of Quality Education(4), Sustainable Cities and
Communities(11), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure(9) and Responsible Production and
Consumption(12). Sustainable Development Goal 6 which talks about Good Health and
Well-being is also affected by inadequate funding since medicines and health institutions will
be underfunded.
Over-reliance on Non-renewable sources of Energy
The ever growing dependence on coal, gas, oil, nuclear energy, fuel, methane and gasoline
pose a challenge to the accomplishment of goal 7 which advocates for Affordable and Clean
Energy.
Countries are advised to invest in alternative sources of energy which are renewable like
wind and solar that reduce wastage of resources and environmental pollution.
Conflict between countries
Political intolerance between or among countries threaten the achievement of goals 7, 13 and
17 which call for Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action and Partnership to Achieve
the Goals respectively. All the aforementioned goals need working together of states and
governments to be fully catered realised. An example of conflict is the Russia-Ukraine war
that has altered the economies of many world countries and also the gaseous emissions as a
result of the war will definitely have an impact on the climate of the countries involves and
those neighbouring them.
High rates of growth in population
The annual world population growth rate is estimated to be 0.83% translating to
approximately 65 million persons as per the United Nations projection.
The ever growing human population tend to be an impediment to the realisation of some
sustainable goals for development, such goals may include and not limited to; No Poverty(1),
Zero Hunger(2), Decent Work and Economic Growth(8). Countries are therefore advised to
come up with measures of controlling population growth so that the aforementioned goals
can be achieved.

Growing Water Scarcity

Increase in the shortage of water of in the world that is attributed to the ever changing climate
patterns and prolonged drought and floods. This in turn affects accomplishment of SDG 6
which calls for Clean Water and Sanitation to all humanity.

Ways of Overcoming SDGs Challenges

1. Technological advancement in the achievement of Industry, Innovation and
Infrastructure which SDG 9
2. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to reduce environmental pollution and reducing wastage
aiding in Climate Action(13) achievement.
3. Promoting environmental education and awareness for Climate Action(13).
4. Encouraging Gender Equality and reduction in inequality which are SDGs 5 and 10
respectively.

CONCLUSION

There are many development challenges, both seen and unseen. These challenges are hard
to resolve without a voice that is heard, mass awareness and international cooperation in the
achievement of SDGs. Perhaps, the most challenging part of development is admitting that
something is wrong first; perhaps it is more comfortable to say everything is fine. I believe that with
the aforementioned challenges and a few ways of curbing SDGs challenges, we can begin to move
towards better solutions and a prosperous future for all societies involved in development for all
generations to come.