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A look to the future without a pandemic: What will the world be like in 2030?

2021-03-02T15:55:32.284Z


What changes can we expect in poverty, hunger, health or quality of life when the pandemic ruined the advances that had been taking place.


The vanguard

03/02/2021 12:42 PM

  • Clarín.com

  • World

Updated 03/02/2021 12:42 PM

Seventeen are the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations (UN) in which it is known as the

2030 Agenda.

 From their analysis one by one we obtain an X-ray of the current world, of the changes that we can expect in nine years and whether or not we are going in the right direction.

An advance: Covid-19 is conditioning many of the goals and

not for the better.

End of poverty

Worldwide, the number of people living in extreme poverty has gone from representing 36% of the total world population in 1990 to 10% in 2015 (about 700 million people).

However, the pace at which this change

is taking

place

is slowing

, and the Covid-19 crisis puts decades of progress at risk, the UN warns.

It is estimated that if nothing is done, the economic consequences of the pandemic could increase poverty

around the world,

affecting an additional 500 million people.

Poverty throughout the world to the point of affecting 500 million more people.

Photo: AFP

Zero hunger

After decades of steady decline, the number of hungry people began to slowly rise again in 2015 and will do so more as a result of the pandemic.

The world is not on track to reach the goal of zero hunger by 2030. If recent trends continue, the number of people affected by hunger will exceed 840 million people by that year.

Health & Wellness

Before the pandemic, great strides had been made in improving the health of millions of people: increasing life expectancy, reducing some of the common causes of death associated with infant and maternal mortality ...

Before the pandemic, great strides had been made in improving the health of millions of people.

Photo: archive

Now the center of attention is Covid-19, which has taught us that health emergencies pose a global risk and has shown that preparedness is vital.

More efforts are needed to completely eradicate

a wide variety of diseases

, tackle a large number of health problems, and prevent another epidemic like this one.

Quality education

During the last decade, great strides have been made in expanding access to education and school enrollment rates at all levels, especially for girls.

To school with a chinstrap.

Photo: AFP

However, the pandemic has forced

temporary closures of schools

, which has altered student learning and jeopardized the progress made.

Covid-19 is a setback for this key social elevator to get out of poverty, which is education.

Gender equality

Some progress has been made in recent decades: but there are still many difficulties and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic could reverse the limited gains that have been made in terms of gender equality and women's rights.

In addition, the coronavirus outbreak exacerbates existing inequalities for women and girls globally;

from health and the economy, to security and social protection.

Clean water and sanitation

The coronavirus has highlighted the vital importance of sanitation, hygiene and adequate access to clean water to prevent and contain disease.

While substantial progress has been made in expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation, there are still billions of people (mainly in rural areas) who still lack these basic services.

Funds

are insufficient

to achieve this goal by 2030.

A young man washes his hands in San Francisco, California.

Photo: Bloomberg

Affordable and clean energy

The world is moving towards more sustainable and widely available energy.

Access to electricity in the poorest countries has started to accelerate, energy efficiency continues to improve, and renewable energy is achieving

excellent results

in the electricity sector.

Naturgy is one of the main renewable investors in Spain.

The company closed last year with a renewable capacity in operation of 4.6 GW at a global level and plans to invest this year at least 1 billion in renewables, of which about 30% will be in Spain.

There is still a long way to go, but

we are heading in the right direction

.

Electric cars, what's next.

Photo: AFP

Decent work and economic growth

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) foresees a

global recession

as bad or worse than that of 2009 due to Covid-19.

The economic and financial shocks stemming from the pandemic are disrupting already tepid economic growth and worsening the accentuated risks of other factors.

It will be difficult to

achieve inclusive and sustained economic growth by 2030

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

There is still a long way to go before the world can take full advantage of the potential of inclusive and sustainable industrialization, innovation and infrastructure.

if they want to achieve the 2030 goal and increase investment in scientific research and innovation.

The growth of the manufacturing sector globally has been declining steadily and more now as a result of the pandemic.

The least developed countries need to accelerate the development of their manufacturing sectors.

Photo: Bloomberg

Reduction of inequalities

Despite some positive signs towards reducing inequality in some dimensions, such as reducing income inequality in some countries and preferential trading status that benefits low-income countries, inequality still continues.

In addition, Covid-19 has exposed and intensified existing inequalities by affecting the poorest and most vulnerable communities to a greater extent.

It is necessary to redouble efforts.

Sustainable cities and communities

Rapid urbanization is resulting in increasing numbers of people living in

slums

, inadequate and overloaded infrastructure and services, which is worsening air pollution and uncontrolled urban growth.

It is a reality that is increasing: since 2007, more than half of the world's population has been living in cities and that number is expected

to

increase

to 60%

by 2030.

View of the city of Bangkok (Thailand) covered with pollution.

Photo: EFE

Responsible consumption and production

The economic and social progress achieved over the last century has been accompanied by environmental degradation that is endangering the very systems on which our future development (and our survival) depends.

The pandemic offers countries the opportunity to develop recovery plans that reverse current trends and shift our consumption and production patterns towards a more sustainable future.

It's about doing more and better

with less

.

With this objective in mind, Naturgy has managed to reduce its water consumption by 30% and the waste generated by 81%, between 2019 and 2018.

Climate action

Climate change is a reality with dire consequences and urgent measures are needed to address it.

Businesses have a great responsibility in the fight against climate change.

Submarine life

There is a continuous deterioration of coastal waters due to pollution and ocean acidification.

Photo: Reuters

There is a continuous deterioration of coastal waters due to pollution and acidification of the oceans, which is having an adverse effect on the functioning of ecosystems and biodiversity.

It is also having a detrimental impact on small-scale fisheries

.

Protecting the oceans

must remain a priority if we want to preserve marine biodiversity, for the good of the health of people and our planet.

Life of terrestrial ecosystems

To prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems around the world, the United Nations has declared the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).

This globally coordinated response to habitat loss and degradation will focus on developing the political will and capacity to restore human relationships with nature.

Flying over the Amazon to monitor deforestation and forest fires.

Photo: Christian Braga / Greenpeace

Peace, justice and strong institutions

The number of people fleeing war, persecution and conflict surpassed 70 million in 2018, the highest number on record in nearly 70 years.

In 2019, the United Nations recorded 357 murders and 30 enforced disappearances of human rights defenders, journalists and trade unionists in 47 countries.

On the other hand, the births of around one in four children worldwide under the age of 5 are never officially registered, depriving them of legal proof of identity, which is crucial for the protection of their rights. and for access to justice and social services.

Much remains to be done towards

this goal and time is short.

Partnerships to achieve the objectives

The SDGs can only be achieved with

strong

global partnerships

and cooperation.

However, aid levels are declining and donor countries have not honored their commitment to increase financing for development.

The UN warns that strong international cooperation is needed now, more than ever, to ensure that countries with the means to recover from the pandemic better rebuild and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

By Lorena Farràs Pérez, La Vanguardia

Source: clarin

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