Sustainable Development Goals, Essays (university) of History

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Sustainable Development Goals Student's Name Institutional Affiliation

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Development is a significant concept that is utilized around the contemporary world to ensure better living conditions are obtained. Albeit, SDGs are defined as blueprints that are required to ensure that a future that can sustain all the population in the globe is achieved (Raikes, 2017). SDGs were adopted after the unsuccessful application of Millennial Development Goals (MDGs). The latter experienced failure since the goals were not spread and applicable to all countries across the globe, hence, lacking equity which is one of the goals that SDG proposes (Jariwala, 2017). Post the establishment of MDGs, gender inequality persisted, and this was a major challenge to many nations. Additionally, some nations were unaware of the existence of MDGs, which rendered the accomplishment of the goals impossible and difficult. Several challenges that are addressed by sustainable development goals include inequality, poverty, environmental degradation, climatic change, justice, and peace. All the seventeen goals were established in a Conference in Rio De Janeiro by the United Nations, in the year 2012 (Ladan, 2016). The goals are as follows: i. No poverty- aims at eliminating poverty everywhere ii. Zero hunger- achieving improved nutrition and food security iii. Wellbeing and good health-promoting healthy lives and wellbeing of all ages involved iv. Quality education- equitable and inclusive education to all (Ladan, 2016) v. Gender equality- empowering girls and women and ensuring gender equity vi. Sanitization and clean water-ensuring proper hygiene and sanitization for all. Availability of water for all is as well covered in this goal vii. Clean and affordable energy- ensuring reliable, affordable and sustainable energy for all societal members

Figure 1. A visual representation of UN SDGs. Retrieved 11 May 11, 2020, from https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-news/2017-02-28-contributions-to- agenda-2030.html. Copyright 2020 by Eva Brattander. Reprinted with permission. Three SDGs have been found to correlate, from the three main layers, that is, the social layers, economic and biosphere layers (Horton, 2014). They include no hunger, economic growth & decent work, and life below water. The spread of information regarding food nutrition has been advantageous in the elimination of hunger worldwide. Even though a significant number of countries have achieved the latter, nearly 800 million people globally still suffer from undernourishment (Ladan, 2016). This, therefore, shows the importance of food quantity and quality and how both can be addressed to ensure that food security is greatly improved. As a result, by 2030, it is expected that people should have access to food in the bid to eliminate hunger, especially by poor people (World Bank Group, 2020). A majority of the malnourished people depend on

agriculture and fishing for food. As such, the agricultural sector needs to be boosted to ensure that this goal is accomplished within the stipulated time frame. Life below water is an SDG that aims at the conservation and effective use of seas and oceans, and the efficient utilization of marine resources to achieve sustainable development. Several human-made activities have posed a significant threat to oceans through acidification, pollution, and the increased disposal of plastics into seas (United Nations, 2020). Reducing this kind of activity would ensure that marine life is supported, which contributes positively to the growing human population, in terms of food. As such, this SDG aims at sustainably managing coastal and marine ecosystems by the year 2020. Finally, the economic growth and decent work SDG sheds light on the promotion of sustained economic growth, which will foster decent work for all the parties involved. Currently, over 200 million young people globally suffer unemployment, which leads to poverty and undernourishment (Nhamo, 2018). Modern slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking are the key issues that are aimed at by this SDG to end by the year 2030. However, economic growth should not be dependent on environmental degradation, but rather an exploitation of the natural resources in an effective manner. Sustained economic growth leads to poverty eradication and promotes the consumption of healthy food and good nutrition habits, as will be seen. It is vivid that the previously discussed SDGs are strongly correlated with each other. For instance, when the biodiversity found in nations is exploited by people successfully, employment can be created in the process as the fisheries would hire men for fishing. In doing so, unemployment would be solved, which would eradicate poverty and lead to a sustained economic growth pattern (USAID, 2019). As such, societies would be able to provide jobs to the previously mentioned unemployed young people, leading to increased

Though it has seemed that the goals which have been set by SDGs will not be met by 2030, there has been a significant impact on the establishment of SDGs. For illustrations, since their adoption, the developments of a couple of nations have been witnessed. Most, if not all, nations have started to implement the SDGs in government strategies and plans. Statics reveals that at least 35 nations have mentioned the link on SDGs on their future growth on budgets (Tandon, 2013). In addition, it has been noted that big changes have been made regarding the environment, ocean, and climate, which have significantly protected these areas. By 2030, the wellbeing of transforming societal health, economy, and environment is considered to be the main objective. These transformations can be enhanced via finance, governance, sciences, and technology (World Bank Group, 2020). Global, regional and local considerations have been applied in transforming the behavior of people towards the accomplishment of sustainable goals. Globally, for instance, several initiatives have been used to ensure that the future of the goals to transform lives is achieved. For example, in mitigating the financial impact brought about by COVID-19, the UN Social and Economic council called its FfD forum, which discussed how to ensure financial security was ensured despite many countries losing their grip on financial markets (Iezzoni, 2009). This changes the behavior of lending institutions where loan reliefs would be provided in the bid to avoid the disruption of the sustainable goals set by the United Nations for economic stability and financial freedom prior to 2030. Regionally, food security has been a common issue in the United States. The latter is so because of the fervently increasing population, as a result of immigration and irregular climatic patterns. However, the country is bent on ensuring that pollution is significantly minimized to ensure that solid are fertilized through regeneration and hence sustainable agriculture obtained (USAID, 2019). Teaching local communities of the shifted rainfall

patterns and the various soil regeneration methods changes their behavior by motivating them to perform agriculture on a large scale and provide ample food for the ever-increasing population. Reaching as many people as possible means that the future of the SDGs to ensure food security would be intensely increased. Locally, people in America have been given the responsibility to protect marine life through the reduction of pollution. People usually dump waste materials in water, which threaten the lives of aquatic organisms, which we depend on for food (Sustainia, 2017). As such, passing information to people of the potential hazards of polluting the water bodies would primarily improve their behavior and align them with the sustainable goals' accomplishment. Laws have been stipulated in the United States, which prohibit industries discharging their refuse into water steams (Ladan, 2016). In doing this, the marine life would be protected, which would provide adequate food to the population dependent on aquatic organisms. Moreover, I believe that the SDGs are good since they are aimed at improving the conditions people are exposed to in modern society. However, this cannot be attained without effective leadership. The above outlined 17 goals can be achieved through human settlements and cities through the leadership of local governments. Local governments need to transform power and influence the citizen's behavior and attitudes. As such, it is the responsibility of local governments to offer equal opportunities, boost education, and create employment opportunities. By doing so, hunger and poverty will be significantly eradicated.

United Nations. (2020). Retrieved 9 May 2020, from https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/youth/ USAID. (2019, September). Agriculture and Food Security. Retrieved from https://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/agriculture-and-food-security World Bank Group. (2020). Retrieved 9 May 2020, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/sdgs-2030-agenda