The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio...
The
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference
on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The objective was to
produce a set of universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political
and economic challenges facing our world.
The
SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which started a global
effort in 2000 to tackle the indignity of poverty. The MDGs established
measurable, universally-agreed objectives for tackling extreme poverty and
hunger, preventing deadly diseases, and expanding primary education to all
children, among other development priorities.
The
Sustainable Development Goals set out to achieve 17 goals of
which the 11th
goal (SDG11) is toward attainment
of Sustainable Cities and Communities. Millennium Development Goal 7 (MDG7) is likened to SDG11 as they have the same theme. Sekeena
(2012), during the African Local Summit
held in Kumasi, Ghana, observed that
environmental degradation in communities all over the world continued unabated
even as the dire consequences from it stare us in the face. The impact of course
is worse in underdeveloped and developing countries due to high levels of poverty, sheer apathy and
ignorance due to illiteracy. This
is in contrast to the yesteryears when the levels of degradation was slowed down by the active team work
involvement of the community members in environmental protection through
compliance with the various rules and regulations pertaining in the community.
There were strict environmental rules and regulations which every member of the
community is compelled to obey or face ostracisation.
Sekeena
(2012), in a paper presented at the African Local Summit in Ghana used an Ghana as a case study. Invariably,
this is what obtains in most African
countries and beyond. Traditionally, in these countries , environmental protection was everybody’s business. Consciously or
unconsciously, community members observed “taboos” pertaining to the protection
of the environment such as forests, rivers, streams, lakes, rocks, hills,
mountains, caves and valleys. These
environments designated as sacred grooves were untouchable, revered and seen as
objects of deity habitation and traditional religion worship. For example,
some rivers could not be visited for any purpose on any particular
time or day of the week, fishes were forbidden
from being killed in certain rivers, while farming activities were strictly
prohibited around river bodies. Also certain household utensils such
as iron buckets were not allowed to be used for fetching water in some sacred
streams for fear of disturbing the tranquility of wild animals and fish within.
Some wild animals such as crocodiles were not killed.
While
the reasons for these taboos were shrouded in secrecy, the overwhelming
evidence from the state of the environment suggest that many of the taboos were instituted to ensure environmental
sustainability.
With
the advent of colonialism, modern religion, science and technology, many of
these taboos have given way to new forms of institutional management of
the environment. One may ask how
effective are the new institutional arrangements in ensuring compliance for sustainability of the
environment.
In most of the countries, especially West African countries, a foreign or local businessman can be given
official permit to go to a rural
community to prospect for mineral resources such as gold, diamond, lead, limestone and so on. With the collaboration of some community
members, usually the youth, and the overt or covert support of a chief and
elders of the community, severe damages
are caused the natural and built environment, including the
destruction of natural forests, rivers, mountains and bridges through illegal
mining. Such private businesses are
encouraged by the community
members because they promise to
bring employment and income
to them. One may ask again, have
these communities been able
to eliminate poverty or
even raise income
levels in the
midst of environmental
degradation? The answer is in the
negative because what is being witnessed is a vicious cycle of poverty and deprivation
in these communities.
The
transition from the use of paper and non- plastic materials
to the use of
plastic was a
welcoming innovation because the
latter presented a neater
appearance and was
more convenient to
use. However, with time, plastics
such as water sachets, are becoming
a serious menace
to both rural and urban
communities. Littered all
over the place, they choke the drainage
causing floods, displacing
and killing people
during torrential rains. This problem
is likely to
degenerate overtime unless
portable water delivery
to rural areas
improves, waste management in urban areas improves, waste management by
local government is
modernized and intensified and
individual attitudes change
with regard to
littering. Meanwhile, the plastic
industries keep expanding as
demand for the
products continue to
grow.
From the foregoing , there
seems to be
conflict between the
immediate needs of
communities, economic
activities and environmental / cities sustainability. There is therefore the need
to find ways of
bridging gaps by
raising the following vital issues:
-
How do we raise the
value of the river above the
mineral resources they are
prospecting?
-
Are there any other options for livelihood during and after COVID19
pandemic? and
-
What have been some
of the past
initiatives used for sustaining cities and communities which
have worked or not
worked for the
people?
Working
within policies and institutional frameworks, there is need to:
-
revisit the
wisdom of the
past and bring
the relevant information
to bear on
modern ways of sustaining
cities and communities;
-
identify and support
programs that reflect
the practical version
of environmental
sustainability in the post- COVID19 era; and
-
have tangible and timely awareness
programs for the youths on sustainability of cities and communities.
The
latter is very important especially where the youth is concerned because of the
cultural changes they are experiencing. Finally, it cannot be overemphasized that
effective collaboration between
institutions and communities, working towards a common goal, through
advocacy, synergy and participation
will eliminate or at least
reduce the endangering of cities and communities for the attainment of
sustainable cities and communities.
Cited Works:
Sekeena,
K.. B. ( 2012). Towards the attainment
of MDG7-
The need for public education
and community participation. A paper
presented at the
First African Local
Summit “ Empowering Africa To Achieve the MDGs” held at
Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology- Kumasi, Ghana, West Africa.
