COVID-19, poverty and inclusive development

The COVID-19 epidemic provides yet another reason to prioritize inclusive development. Currentresponse strategies of the global community and countries expose a low level of solidarity with poorernations and poorer people in all nations. Against this background, this paper addresses the question:What are the development challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic lays bare and what lessons can belearnt for the way recovery processes are designed? Using an inclusive development and DPSIR lens toassess the literature, our study finds that, first, the current response prioritises the ‘state’ and ‘impact’concerns of wealthier classes at the expense of the remainder of the world population. Second, responseshave ignored underlying ‘drivers’ and ‘pressures’, instead aiming at a quick recovery of the economy.Third, a return to business-as-usual using government funding will lead to a vicious cycle of further eco-logical degradation, socio-economic inequality and domestic abuse that assist in exacerbating the driversof the pandemic. We argue instead for an inclusive development approach that leads to a virtuous cycleby emphasizing human health, well-being and ecosystem regeneration. We conclude that the lost yearsfor development did not commence in 2020 with the onset of COVID-19; the downward trend has actu-ally been waxing over the past three decades. From this perspective, COVID-19 may be the shock neededto put the last first and transform vicious into virtuous cycles of inclusive development