Health-EDRM in International Policy Agenda III: 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and New Urban Agenda (Habitat III)

Abstract

In September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit. The ambitious Agenda includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 targets to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. The SDGs have been built on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in 2000, but are broader in scope and go further than the MDGs by addressing the root causes of poverty and calling for action by all countries. The new goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection, where health is a prominent cross-cutting theme. Other than the goals directly related to health, the SDGs recognize that tackling climate change is essential for sustainable development and poverty eradication. Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, held in Quito of Ecuador in October 2016 reinforces the global commitment to sustainable urbanization and the implementation of a “New Urban Agenda”. The conference opened discussions on important urban challenges and questions, such as how to plan and manage cities, towns, and villages for sustainable development. The discussion of these questions, in turn, shapes the implementation of new global development and climate change goals. This chapter will explore how SDGs and New Urban Agenda fit into the framework of Health-EDRM, particularly the cross-cutting goals that coincide with a holistic approach to health in disaster risk reduction.