Resilient Human Development: Advancing Human Development amidst Shocks and Crises

This paper introduces the concept of Resilient Human Development, a framework that adapts the human development approach to today’s reality of recurring, overlapping crises and interlinked stressors—climate, economic, political, and social shocks. It is the first background paper of the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional Human Development Report 2025. Building on Amartya Sen and Mahbub ul Haq’s vision of human development, the paper argues that resilience is essential for safeguarding and expanding people’s capabilities and agency in uncertain times. It emphasizes that development must now explicitly account for shocks and crises, ensuring that individuals and communities can not only withstand disruptions but also rebuild and flourish afterward. Resilient Human Development integrates three complementary ideas: the forward-looking vision of human development, the protective dimension of human security, and the active role of human agency. It recognizes that resilience is not only about absorbing shocks but also about adaptation, recovery, and transformation. The paper calls for proactive investments in prevention—such as disaster-resistant infrastructure, stronger health systems, and empowered local communities—while balancing trade-offs in resource allocation. Ultimately, it provides a conceptual and practical framework for advancing human progress in turbulent times, offering a pathway for people and institutions to rebound from adversity and sustain long-term flourishing.

This paper was first published in 2025 as UNDP LAC Working Paper No. 41.

Citation: Alkire, S. (2025). ‘Resilient human development: Advancing human development amidst shocks and crises’, OPHI Research in Progress 68a, Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford.