The ABCs of Sustainable Development Goals and Sudan’s situation XIV

Goal 13: Climate Action

By Dr. Hassan Humeida
Kiel, Germany:

KIEL, GERMANY: The importance of the 13^th goal, “Climate Action” of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals related to the state of the planet and its future, comes at a time when global climate change is considered the greatest challenge of our time.

Therefore, climate change and global warming must be considered in several areas, such as air, land, and water. This is not only a present problem, but also a future crisis that the whole world should take the necessary measures to address.

This requires necessary and urgent measures, at a time when global climate change is rapidly reaching its peak. The most dangerous thing of all is that it is proceeding on its course at a steady pace, not deviating from it, and with utter calmness and destructive power.

Among the 17 UN sustainable development goals that must be achieved within the next six years on a global scale, seven are directly and closely related to global climate change and worsening global warming.

They include: Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, Goal 7: Clean and Affordable Energy, Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, Goal 13: Climate Protection and Adaptation, Goal 14: Life Below Water, and Goal 15: Life on Earth.

Based on this, the vision becomes clear about the importance of these seven goals for optimal life on planet Earth. It hints that Earth is increasingly warming, and become impacted by inexorable destruction one day if we do not take the necessary steps to extinguish its burning fire and increasing glow.

We have noticed, since 2015 with the beginning of the implementation of these goals, that time is passing quickly and there is only almost half a decade left until the end of the 2030 Agenda.

This raises several questions about the reality, possibility, and method of achieving sustainable development goals on a global scale, in times of war, displacement, and migration.

Considering all this, climate change occurs daily and over a longer period, with an average of not less than thirty years. This climate change is characterized by unusual coldness in some regions of the world and extreme warming in other regions.

The climate crisis, accompanied by global warming and rising temperatures of the world’s air, land, lakes, rivers, seas and oceans, remains the most important problem on the planet at the present time and a concern for people in the future.

Since this climate crisis is an influence that affects the entire Earth system, its far-reaching impact has been noticed but not recognized for decades.

Here, for example, is the role of major industrialized nations and fossil fuel producing countries in the development of the global climate crisis. This is regardless of developing or poor countries that use fossil fuels as energy to run their productive lives to keep pace with development and progress.

In this regard, only a few necessary measures have been taken by the countries that produce or consume fossil energy industrially and productively, to address this global climate crisis, or to solve it radically by the countries that represent the reason for the rise in the proportion of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Without optimal solutions, this leads to the destruction of nature from the surface of the Earth.

Although this topic has recently received great attention around the world, the Coronavirus pandemic has temporarily halted it and removed it completely from the stage of events.

However, it will inevitably and forcefully return to the forefront of the world stage, especially by scientists and researchers in science and technology and activists in the environment, nature, and climate change and its effects.

There is also the significant role of new generations in their awareness and assessment of events, and who see the worsening level of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere as a major obstacle facing them and preventing them from achieving their future dreams.

This is because there is no ideal world for these generations to live in, due to climate change, driven by the negative impact of man-made carbon dioxide on nature.

Now, as the climate change and global warming crisis continues, it is time to focus on this important global problem and consider possible solutions related to its origins and long-term consequences.

The issue of “climate change” requires, firstly, recognition as a daily problem, secondly, awareness that it is an existing problem, and thirdly, responsible action towards it to reduce it on the surface of the Earth.

What is most important here is the contribution of every person on Earth, regardless of where they are, and in different forms, such as housing, transportation, lifestyle, and other daily consumer behaviors.

This may pave the way one day to reduce the impact of this crisis, and transform it from a catastrophic course into a reasonable, manageable one, with the aim of reducing its long-term effects.

The main cause of the climate crisis is the direct impact of the Earth’s human population on nature in several ways. For instance, the anthropogenic pollution of the Earth’s atmosphere is due to greenhouse gases, primarily man-made carbon dioxide emissions.

It has now become a heavy burden that humans think of storing in the depths of the seas and oceans. The important issue is whether the possibility of storage impacts the oceans, their organisms, and their biodiversity in the long term.

All people on earth must also realize that nature will not exist as they wish it to, especially if that desire is accompanied by destructive intentions for it.

If people continue to deliberately ignore nature and if responsible measures are not taken as soon as possible, sooner or later there will be serious consequences for the Earth’s ecosystem.

If the metaphor here is correct, global climate change is currently doing to the planet what a microbial infection can do to a patient. Climate change results in global temperatures rising in an exercise sequence, just like the body temperatures of a patient with a fever rise gradually.

A patient with a fever may die if those around him from his family who interact positively with him do not think of treating him with a medicine or moisturizer that reduces the fever.

When the family thinks that if the patient dies, he will die alone, they will be wrong in their assessment, as they forget that they themselves will be among the first victims without doing anything about the feverish patient who is now lying in front of them.

In order to better implement SDG 13 “Climate Action” on a comprehensive scale, it is necessary to consider the three fundamental pillars on which all 17 SDGs are based: the economic pillar, the environmental pillar, and the social pillar.

This does not only require consideration of the general means of implementing this goal, but also fulfilling the binding framework conditions for good implementation of the sustainability goal locally and regionally.

Efforts to provide adequate funding for modern, regionally adapted technology must also continue, and therefore complete transparency and full responsibility in implementation are necessary.

From an economic perspective, optimal implementation of this goal includes identifying locations that are severely affected by climate change, selecting sustainable climate-related projects, and managing available financing resources for sustainable implementation and positive change.

Here, the effects of the challenges of recent years due to the Coronavirus pandemic and its economic consequences for poor countries must be resolved.

Moreover, peaceful solutions should be found to address current challenges related to security, conflicts, wars, displacement and migration, and global restrictions on food and energy supplies.

The importance of access to knowledge, technology and purchasing legal systems also comes in relation to transparency in financing sustainable development goals, supporting fair trade for all social forces, strengthening public financial systems and encouraging sustainable investments in countries in full transparency.

This is followed by implementation from a social perspective, to support people in areas affected by climate change. These include supporting and strengthening conditions in vulnerable areas, and equitable distribution of resources and wealth in them in order to achieve a better societal balance in human development in the areas in which they live.

It also means modernizing living areas and fields, building dams and protective walls against torrents, floods and water disasters after comprehensive and careful studies, sustainable use of available local resources and wealth, rationalizing investments, and friendly development subsidies to support sustainable development.

There is also a need to put an end to the threats in productive and important sectors, such as traditional agriculture, livestock raising, and fishing, in addition to educational and media work on the topics of climate change and global warming, and ways to prevent them locally.

From an environmental perspective, in addition to the shift to renewable and clean energies, the long-term consequences of climate change must be reduced by putting in place specific measures that positively affect the lifestyles of people in modern society, both rural and urban.

An example of this is reducing the environmental footprint (personal impact on the environment) through an appropriate and compatible lifestyle in the areas of consumption, living, transportation, waste, and carbon dioxide emissions.

There is also the need for developing early warning systems to avoid catastrophic weather events and reduce natural disasters resulting from climate change, especially in coastal areas.

At this sensitive construction stage, we must also keep in mind that the environmental footprint of every person, regardless of their age or location, is of utmost importance to reducing climate impacts.

It is also important to understand that climate change measures are also meant to secure that future generations can live in peace, justice and comfort.

On Sudan’s status on “climate action”: At the forefront is the condemnation of this ongoing war in the country as a primary obstacle to sustainable development.

This brutal war has a major environmental impact on humans, animals and plants in their original habitats.

Due to this war, a person was first displaced from his home in his country and from his country, making him displaced at home and a stranger abroad. This forces citizens to leave their homes due to the endless barrage of bullets and bombs everywhere.

This war has affected animals in their homes, and birds in their nests. This war has affected the available trees, which have lost their greenness, their branches have dried up, while gunpowder ash has been scattered on them, hiding their beauty and revealing their frowning faces instead.

The impact of this war has affected every human, animal and tree in horrific, complex and intertwined ways, and an entire book is not enough to enumerate them all.

In summary, this war is a crime against the peaceful people of Sudan, and it must be ended internationally after all efforts, attempts and initiatives have failed to find solutions that satisfy personal ambitions, keeping the people of Sudan as the helpless victims.

The noise of planes, the sounds of bombs and the crack of gunshots are affecting humans, animals, and plants, which generates negative impacts.

This war has destroyed everything that had been built from scratch, including factories, institutions, and infrastructure to achieve sustainability in development and catch up with the countries of the civilized world in terms of pace and progress.

If we look here only at the displacement of people, young and old, weak and strong, from their homes, at the limited drinking water and food, at the lack of treatment and education, and at the absence of production, work and monthly salaries or daily wages, we find that we are currently very far from reaching this sought-after goal. The savage war and the brutal fighting are the main culprits.

This war primarily means the loss of lives that represent the human force that drives production, development and progress that are urgently needed in a developing and poor country like Sudan.

The areas abandoned after the war, including villages and urban areas, have all become garbage dumps, with streets covered with stray dogs that gnaw at the bodies of the dead throughout the day, while the international community is watching, accepting the situation and not leaping into action. People’s private and invaluable property, including furniture and vehicles are strewn on the streets after homes were mercilessly assaulted.

Even women’s jewelry has been infringed upon in the name of democracy. The jewelry represents for these women savings for ugly days and a security for life basics such as food, water, medical treatment and education.

Like women in poor countries across the world, these women in Sudan who do not have a bank account, use their ring, chain, or other modest jewelry that adorns a finger, but without great value as their security for bleak days.

These items, regardless of their worth, remain an individual right and property. All of them were plundered with systematic professionalism, greed, and deceit, as if there was nothing wrong with such despicable acts. Women’s dignity and honor were also violated in the most horrific rapes.

All of this is happening daily in Sudan in the name of democratic rule, in which the peaceful citizens are led through the injustice, ignorance, arrogance and pride of warmongers.

The basis for achieving this goal, as mentioned previously, remains to end this war as quickly as possible. That all the looted property be returned to the afflicted Sudanese, and that their homes and shelters be re-built for him after their destruction by the countries that helped the belligerents in kindling the fire of war, fueling it and exhilarating fighting and destruction among the people of one nation.

The international community should be thoroughly informed that climate action in Sudan requires that the citizens be fully compensated for every harm they suffered. These citizens have aspired for positive change in their country.

The is a need to pay blood money (in dollars) to the families of those who were killed, if they accept it. The compensation money should come from the unjust countries that targeted Sudan’s security and stability and stalled its legitimate aspirations and planned development by looting the country’s wealth and resources.

Such actions are urgently needed to ensure that similar tragedies never happen again in other countries.

Should this happen, “climate action” will inevitably be achieved, of which the people of Sudan, as a “significant human resource,” are an integral part.