Assist Prof Dr. Ghazwan Abdulhussein Al-Wahid
University of Kerbala/College of Nursing
Sustainable development is the development that takes into account the social and environmental dimensions as well as the economic for the proper use of available resources to meet the needs of individuals while preserving the rights of future generations. The Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, which took place from June 5 to 16, 1972, was a turning point in the history of global environmental activism. The conference resulted in the formulation of a common basic vision on how to meet the challenge of preserving and enhancing the environment. It is the first UN-sponsored conference to include the word “environment” in its title. It also signalled the start of a conversation between developed and developing nations on the relationship between global well-being, air and water pollution, and economic development. The process of developing land, cities, communities, enterprises, and other entities while maintaining the ability of future generations to satisfy their own needs is known as sustainable development (1).
On December 15 of the same year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring June 5 of each year as World Environment Day, in which governments and organizations carry out activities through which they affirm their keenness to protect the environment and increase environmental awareness. The Assembly also adopted another resolution, one of the results of which was the establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme. World Environment Day is a vital platform for promoting progress in the environmental dimensions of development goals. It has been celebrated on this day annually, and more than 150 countries participate in its activities (2). In the Arab region, Beirut hosted World Environment Day activities in 2003 under the slogan “Water, two billion people die for it.” Algiers also hosted World Environment Day activities in 2006 under the slogan “Deserts and Desertification, Do Not Abandon Arid Lands.” (3).
Iraq faces great challenges and difficulties towards achieving sustainable development, as economic crises constitute an obstacle to achieving development, which has led to increased damage to the environment and work to destabilize the country. Therefore, creating an appropriate environment at the regional and national levels to support the current efforts to achieve peace and stability on a just basis is one of the most important requirements for achieving sustainable development (4). The most significant obstacles to sustainable development in Iraq include reducing poverty and unemployment as well as raising educational and health standards in light of the country’s limited financial resources. The current deteriorating environmental situation resulted from the deliberate destruction by the terrorist organizations in Iraq, which included the destruction of the infrastructure of the environment sector, including the burial of hazardous and toxic waste in Iraqi territory as a result of repeated military operations inside Iraqi territory, and the destruction of sewage networks. Especially water, which led to a decrease in the average per capita share of water to (374 litters / day) for the year 2015, and it increased in 2016 to (379 litters / day). The provision of water has implications for public health and biodiversity in Iraq (5). Thus, the choice of the slogan “We only have one Earth” represents existential challenges for humans and the planet, once again confirming that the planet on which we live is still the only home available to humans, so it is imperative for them to protect it (2).Economic sustainability attempts to enhance health, reduce illness, and promote worker safety while also increasing production. While social sustainability strives to set standards for air, water, and noise to safeguard human health and provide access to basic healthcare for the majority of the poor. Regarding environmental sustainability, it seeks to guarantee that biological resources, ecosystems, and life-supporting systems are adequately protected, as in the figure (1). The “Covid-19” pandemic also painfully demonstrated the interdependence between humans and biodiversity, and emphasized the need to rethink our relationship with neighbourhoods and ecosystems (6). Wang and Huang, (2021).
Besides rationalizing consumption patterns, ecosystem restoration is one of the most important nature-based approaches to the problems of food insecurity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and biodiversity loss. It requires profound changes in everything from the way we measure economic progress to how crops are grown and what we eat. Sustainable lifestyles not only restore ecosystems but also reduce human-caused carbon emissions by 40 to 70 percent by 2050 (4).
Addressing these existential challenges requires urgent action involving all people, businesses and governments. The average person always has the ability to change, and some simple changes can achieve impressive results, for example, applying the slogan “reduce consumption, recycling and reuse” in the life cycle of products and reducing waste. Individuals can also contribute to a healthy planet, by conserving energy and natural resources and adopting more sustainable lifestyles. Events such as “World Environment Day” prove the importance of awareness in urging prevention of pollution and protection of resources by educating individuals as a proactive step rather than searching for solutions to treatment (3).
The earth is what we all share, and it is impossible to move forward without change, but this change must be positive for the benefit of man and nature. And every person can contribute to preserving this unique and beautiful planet, a comfortable home for humanity. After all, “We only have one Earth for good living” (7).
References:
1. Agbedahin, A. V. (2019). Sustainable development, Education for Sustainable Development, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Emergence, efficacy, eminence, and future. Sustainable Development, 27(4), 669-680.
2. Scott, G., & Rajabifard, A. (2017). Sustainable development and geospatial information: a strategic framework for integrating a global policy agenda into national geospatial capabilities. Geo-spatial information science, 20(2), 59-76.
3. Schneider, F., Kläy, A., Zimmermann, A. B., Buser, T., Ingalls, M., & Messerli, P. (2019). How can science support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development? Four tasks to tackle the normative dimension of sustainability. Sustainability science, 14, 1593-1604.
4. Thabit, T. H., Aldabbagh, L. M., & Ibrahim, L. K. (2019). The auditing of sustainable development practices in developing countries: Case of Iraq. Revista AUS, 26(3), 12-19.
5. Falih Chichan, H., & Alabdullah, T. T. Y. (2021). Does environmental management accounting matter in promoting sustainable development? A study in Iraq. Journal of Accounting Science, 5(2), 110-122.
6. Wang, Q., & Huang, R. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on sustainable development goals–a survey. Environmental Research, 202, 111637.
7. Sachs, J. D., Schmidt-Traub, G., Mazzucato, M., Messner, D., Nakicenovic, N., & Rockström, J. (2019). Six transformations to achieve the sustainable development goals. Nature sustainability, 2(9), 805-814.
