UN-SDG 13: Climate Action

The Evolving Story of Freshwater Thinking The recognition of freshwater as a finite and vulnerable resource with planetary boundaries has evolved significantly over recent decades. Historically, water was primarily viewed through a resource extraction lens, with little consideration for sustainability limits or equitable access. The emergence of environmental consciousness in the 1960s and 1970s began shifting this perspective, highlighting connections between water quality, ecosystem health, and human wellbeing. ...

Unmasking Maritime Pollution’s Depths The global shipping industry, while vital for international trade and economic growth, significantly contributes to chemical pollution in our oceans and atmosphere. This pollution extends far beyond the visible oil spills that often capture headlines. It encompasses a complex mixture of air pollutants, greenhouse gases, and water contaminants, with far-reaching consequences for both environmental and human health. ...

Health Equity: A Foundation for Sustainable Societies Health equity is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity for sustainable human development. It refers to the absence of avoidable or remediable differences in health among groups of people, regardless of their social, economic, demographic, or geographic background1. The global community has recognized this by incorporating it into the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, with universal health coverage as a crucial target2. ...

To truly understand the complexities of ocean acidification, it’s essential to delve into its underlying chemical mechanisms. When seawater absorbs atmospheric CO2, a gas that is being emitted at alarming rates due to human activities, it triggers a cascade of chemical reactions that ultimately increase hydrogen ion concentration and subsequently lower the water’s pH, making it more acidic.12 This intricate chemical process simultaneously reduces carbonate ion availability, a critical building block. This reduction proves particularly devastating for shell-building organisms such as oysters, clams, and mussels, which rely on these carbonate ions for survival and the development of their protective shells.34 ...

Introduction Food security is a fundamental requirement for human well-being and societal stability. The 1996 World Food Summit defined it as the state where “all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.1 This definition underscores the importance of not just having enough food, but also having access to the right kinds of food to support health and well-being. Indeed, food and nutrition security are indispensable for both physical and mental well-being, playing a crucial role in overall human development.2 Furthermore, food security is intricately linked to social stability, as its absence can exacerbate social unrest and conflict.3 ...