The Coronavirus Pandemic and Sustainable Development. Case Study: Romania

Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic has affected all states in the world and the measures taken by governments to limit the spread of coronavirus have also left their mark on sustainable development goals, slowing their implementation or even regressing to some of these goals. In the context in which the pandemic affected the Romanian economy and all segments of the population in all areas of the country, especially vulnerable groups, leading to an increase in existing disparities, the rapid implementation of sustainable development goals is the core of a sustainable and equitable recovery. This paper presents effects of coronavirus pandemic on the sustainable development in Romania, especially on the objectives like no poverty, "zero" hunger, health and well-being, quality education, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure and low inequalities, but also the solutions identified by various international bodies to reduce this impact. Thus, the first part of the paper is a theoretical one, which presents the concept of "sustainable development" and analyses specialized studies that have presented the objectives of sustainable development, including studies that have shown the negative or positive effects of the coronavirus pandemic on these objectives. The second part of the paper presents a descriptive analysis of the stage of sustainable development in Romania, after one year of coronavirus pandemic. In carrying out this paper, qualitative research was used, based on methods such as descriptive analysis, analysis of official statistical data, study of reports and reference papers and synthesis of conclusions.