DAY 11 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities | Preparations for COP 28

 

Goal 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Our children's Art Challenge to accelerate the SDGs is ongoing!

Welcome to the 11th day of our challenge!

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our sustainable platform!

Our children are unlocking one sdg per day. They are sharing their inspirational creations about how to limit climate change. What do you UNITE for? Join us and millions of others UNITING to #ACT4SDGs for a more just, equitable, peaceful, sustainable, and green future.

SDG 11 - VIDEO

Our heroine today is Alice, she is not at all satisfied with the unsustainable state of her city which has been negatively affected by natural disasters and the consequences of past wars. She dreams of living in a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable city by 2030.

Our work targets children, youth and women around the world - the next generation of consumers and change-makers to show that sustainable living is easy, cool and fun!

We invite school-aged children to unleash their creativity and envision a sustainable future through their art. Together, let's paint a brighter tomorrow for our planet.”

Goal 11 is about making cities and human settlements

 inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Cities represent the future of global living. The world’s population reached 8 billion on 2022 over half living in urban areas. This figure is only expected to rise, with 70 per cent of people expected to live in cities by 2050. Approximately 1.1 billion people currently live in slums or slum-like conditions in cities, with 2 billion more expected in the next 30 years.

However many of these cities are not ready for this rapid urbanisation, and it outpaces the development of housing, infrastructure and services, which led to a rise in slums or slum-like conditions.

Urban sprawl, air pollution and limited open public spaces persist in cities.

Good progress has been made since the implementation of the SDGs in 2015, and now the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies has doubled. But issues still remain and in 2022, only half of the urban population had convenient access to public transport.

Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way urban spaces are built and managed.

Why are cities not future proof yet?

Most of the urban growth is taking place in small cities and intermediate towns, exacerbating inequalities and urban poverty.

In 2020, an estimated 1.1 billion urban residents lived in slums or slum-like conditions, and over the next 30 years, an additional 2 billion people are expected to live in such settlements, mostly in developing countries.

What are some of the most pressing challenges cities are facing?

Inequality and the levels of urban energy consumption and pollution are some of the challenges. Cities occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 per cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions.

Many cities are also more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters due to their high concentration of people and location so building urban resilience is crucial to avoid human, social and economic losses.

How does it affect me?

All these issues will eventually affect every citizen. Inequality can lead to unrest and insecurity, pollution deteriorates everyone’s health and affects workers’ productivity and therefore the economy, and natural disasters have the potential to disrupt everyone’s lifestyles. Air pollution caused affecting the health of millions is not only an urban problem, but is also affecting towns and rural areas.

What happens if cities are just left to grow organically?

The cost of poorly planned urbanization can be seen in some of the huge slums, tangled traffic, greenhouse gas emissions and sprawling suburbs all over the world.

By choosing to act sustainably we choose to build cities where all citizens live a decent quality of life, and form a part of the city’s productive dynamic, creating shared prosperity and social stability without harming the environment.

Is it expensive to put sustainable practices in place?

The cost is minimal in comparison with the benefits. For example, there is a cost to creating a functional public transport network, but the benefits are huge in terms of economic activity, quality of life, the environment, and the overall success of a networked city.

What can I do to help achieve this goal?

Take an active interest in the governance and management of your city. Advocate for the kind of city you believe you need.

Develop a vision for your building, street, and neighbourhood, and act on that vision. Are there enough jobs? Can your children walk to school safely? Can you walk with your family at night? How far is the nearest public transport? What’s the air quality like? What are your shared public spaces like? The better the conditions you create in your community, the greater the effect on quality of life.

Good progress has been made since the implementation of the SDGs in 2015, and now the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies has doubled. But issues still remain and in 2022, only half of the urban population had convenient access to public transport.

Sustainable development cannot be achieved without significantly transforming the way urban spaces are built and managed.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable:

There is a strong link between the quality of life in cities and how cities draw on and manage the natural resources available to them.  To date, the trend towards urbanization has been accompanied by increased pressure on the environment and accelerated demand for basic services, infrastructure, jobs, land, and affordable housing, particularly for the nearly 1 billion urban poor who live in informal settlements.

Due to their high concentration of people, infrastructures, housing and economic activities, cities are particularly vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters impacts. Building urban resilience is crucial to avoid human, social and economic losses while improving the sustainability of urbanization processes is needed to protect the environment and mitigate disaster risk and climate change.

Resource efficient cities combine greater productivity and innovation with lower costs and reduced environmental impacts, while providing increased opportunities for consumer choices and sustainable lifestyles.

Data and Statistics / Facts and Figures:

• The world’s cities occupy just 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, but account for 60-80 per cent of energy consumption and 75 per cent of carbon emissions.

Targets linked to the environment:

• Target 11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety, notably by expanding public transport, with special attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and older persons
• Target 11.3: By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
• Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management
• Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities
• Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning
• Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion, resource efficiency, mitigation and adaptation to climate change, resilience to disasters, and develop and implement, in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, holistic disaster risk management at all levels

 

INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR DISASTER RISK REDUCTION, 13 OCTOBER | HEAVY TORRENTIAL RAINS CAUSES DEATHS, DESTROYS SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND HOSPITALS IN ANGOLA

https://sustainablelifestyle-angola.blogspot.com/2023/10/international-day-for-disaster-risk.html

If you missed previous webisodes click here:

1. Webisode 1 - Preparation for COP 28| Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 1 - 

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/11/preparation-for-cop-28-childrens-art.html

2. DAY 2 - Preparation for COP 28| Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 2 - Webisode 2

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/11/day-2-preparation-for-cop-28-childrens.html

3. DAY 3-  Preparation for COP 28| Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 3 

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/preparation-for-cop-28-childrens-art.html

4. DAY 4 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 4 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-4-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

5. DAY 5 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 5 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-5-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

6. DAY 6 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 6 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-6-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

7. DAY 7 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 7 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-7-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

8. DAY 8 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 8 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-8-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

9. DAY 9 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 9 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-9-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

10. DAY 10 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 10 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-10-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

11. DAY 11 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 11 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-11-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

12. DAY 12 - Children's Art Challenge to drive the SDGs | SDG 12 - Preparation for COP 28

https://sofoniedala.blogspot.com/2023/12/day-12-childrens-art-challenge-to-drive.html

COP28 UAE | Deforestation in Angola | Keeping 1.5 degrees in reach is essential to protecting vulnerable nations from rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and desertification

 

Forest destruction is a crisis for the whole planet

Deforestation is a common practice all over the world and is directly related to the need we have for wood-based resources. But the leading cause of drastic and sometimes irreversible climate change is the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Video on demand 

Hello friends!

My name is Sofonie Dala, I'm from Angola.

Today I'm going to talk about deforestation in my community due to human activities.

Every day I see people cutting down trees around their homes. These practices have become increasingly common among citizens, who cut down trees without any conscience about the damage this will cause to the environment and society.

The most common excuses are expressions such as, this tree is generating a lot of trash, we are tired of sweeping the sidewalks.

But I don't condemn these people, they are simply not informed about the importance of tree conservation, and about climate change.

Not everyone learns about these concepts in educational institutions.

There are also few public awareness campaigns about global warming, climate change and environmental preservation. People are uninformed and poorly educated.

This is where the importance of non-formal education comes in, word of mouth education, on the streets, in communities and knocking on doors to talk about it.

Non-formal training is free and can be carried out in any type of environment and at any time.

Trees are cut down for many reasons, including building houses and furniture, opening up land for new use, and creating other wood-based resources. This process can damage environments, but the negative effects can be prevented when it is done mindfully with efforts to help restore the environment. 

Negative: Deforestation Degrades Soil

One impact that deforestation has is that it degrades the soil in the area. How, you may ask?

When there are no longer trees to help maintain a life cycle of growth (seeds falling, animals eating them, insects in the soil below them), the soil itself has less opportunity to maintain a good, healthy, balance of nutrients. 

Deforestation & Greenhouse Gases: Why Do Forests Matter

The leading cause of drastic and sometimes irreversible climate change is the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Trees have an exceptional ability to trap and accumulate greenhouse gases, saving the planet from overheating.

However, large-scale and uncontrolled deforestation increases greenhouse gases and adds substantially to the rise in temperature and the escalation of climate change. Thus, reducing the loss of forests and greenhouse gas emissions, along with focusing on forest cover restoration, are necessary. These actions can be accomplished by relying on modern technologies to analyze the situation from various angles and make informed decisions about saving forests and reducing greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

Deforestation Effects On Greenhouse Gases Emissions and Climate Change

The two main processes of tree participation in the gas formation and exchange cycle are directly related to the impact of deforestation on climate change. The first process is the absorption of CO2 emissions from manufacturing and other human activities. The second is the release of carbon stored in trees into the atmosphere, primarily as carbon dioxide, caused by deforestation. Forest preservation is advantageous in terms of both of these processes.

Does deforestation increase greenhouse gases?

Deforestation contributes up to 11% of total GHG emissions yearly 

 — nearly as much as all of the world’s vehicles combined.

Increased greenhouse gases due to deforestation provoke climate change. It results in storms, abnormal heat, droughts, and fires. Such climate changes devastate already-vulnerable forests, resulting in a dangerous cycle of shifts for the entire planet’s future.

Reducing deforestation, preserving existing forests, and planting new ones will help mitigate climate change and keep atmospheric and land temperatures within acceptable limits. As a result, it is critical to monitor the dynamics of greenhouse gas emissions, slow down deforestation, and implement other measures that will have an immediate and long-term positive impact.

WHY FORESTS MATTER

As well as being stunningly beautiful, forests are vital for the health of our planet. They provide food and shelter for so much of life on Earth – from fungi and insects to tigers and elephants.  

More than half the world's land-based plants and animals, and three-quarters of all birds, live in and around forests. 

Forests have a big influence on rainfall patterns, water and soil quality and flood prevention too. Millions of people rely directly on forests as their home or for making a living. 

But the risks from deforestation go even wider. Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide. If forests are cleared, or even disturbed, they release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.  

Forest loss and damage is the cause of around 10% of global warming. There’s simply no way we can fight the climate crisis if we don’t stop deforestation.   

We need to protect forests now more than ever. 

The most incredible thing about all this is that while in other countries people use the cut trees for the common benefit, in Angola people don't use the trunks, they throw them in the trash. This is a total waste of the trees.

Goal 15 is about conserving life on land. It is to protect and restore terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and stop biodiversity loss.

Earth’s ecosystems are vital for sustaining human life, they contribute to over half of global GDP and encompass diverse cultural, spiritual, and economic values.

However, the world is facing a triple crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

Between 2015 and 2019, at least 100 million hectares of healthy and productive land were degraded every year, impacting the lives of 1.3 billion people.

Agricultural expansion is the direct driver of almost 90 per cent of deforestation. This is in direct relation to our food systems, and oil palm harvesting accounted for 7 per cent of global deforestation from 2000 to 2018.

Global and regional efforts to sustain forest ecosystems as well as their social, economic and environmental functions are essential, in particular for developing countries and the tropics.

We need to shift humanity’s relationship with nature to achieve Goal 15, and realise that nature is the root of our life of earth. The recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides renewed impetus for Goal 15, outlining four outcome- oriented goals to be achieved by 2050 and 23 targets to be achieved by 2030.

SDG 15.2: End Deforestation and Restore Degraded Forests

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

OUR COLLECTIONS MATTER INDICATORS

• Proportion of forests in a good ecological condition.
• Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to forests drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and effective functioning.