School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and other related organizations launched the 2020 Human Development Report “The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene” at Sri Burapa Auditorium, Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus.
Assoc.Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, Rector of Thammasat University, and representatives from the private and public sector, academic institutions, and private organizations attended the event.
Ms. Lovita Ramguttee, Deputy Country Director of UNDP, presented the main points from the 2020 Human Development Report “The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene”.
The exchange of opinion and discourse concerning different issues in the report was led by Mr. Renaud Meyer, Resident Representative for UNDP Thailand. Asst.Prof.Dr. Prapaporn Tivayanond, Dean of School of Global Studies, Thammasat University, was present in the discourse.”
The discourse explored various issues, including the biodiversity impact of human action in the Anthropocene, how humans played an important role in climate change, and environmental recovery during the COVID-19 outbreak in the context of Thailand. There was also an exchange of ideas between the public, private, and academic sectors.
The 2020 Human Development Report “The Next Frontier: Human Development and the Anthropocene” created a new way to conceive human development index. It is called planetary pressures-adjusted HDI (PHDI) or human development index concerning environmental impact based on 2 more indicators which are carbon footprint and material footprint.
The PHDI index creates a clearer new perspective of the world by evaluating human progress. For example, this index indicates that more than 50 countries are excluded from high to very high human development regarding fossil energy dependence and material footprint creation in the country.
The new frontier of human development has to work together with nature not destroying it along with the change of social norms, the government’s motivation, and financial measures.