Sustainable Development Goals Targets Research Articles

Monitoring Sustainable Development Goal Indicator 15.3.1 on Land Degradation Using SEPAL: Examples, Challenges and Prospects

A third of the world’s ecosystems are considered degraded, and there is an urgent need for protection and restoration to make the planet healthier. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target 15.3 aims at protecting and restoring the terrestrial ecosystem to achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030. Land restoration through inclusive and productive growth is indispensable to promote sustainable development by fostering climate change-resistant, poverty-alleviating, and environmentally protective economic growth. The SDG Indicator 15.3.1 is used to measure progress towards a land degradation-neutral world. Earth observation datasets are the primary data sources for deriving the three sub-indicators of indicator 15.3.1. It requires selecting, querying, and processing a substantial historical archive of data. To reduce the complexities, make the calculation user-friendly, and adapt it to in-country applications, a module on the FAO’s SEPAL platform has been developed in compliance with the UNCCD Good Practice Guidance (GPG v2) to derive the necessary statistics and maps for monitoring and reporting land degradation. The module uses satellite data from Landsat, Sentinel 2, and MODIS sensors for primary productivity assessment, along with other datasets enabling high-resolution to large-scale assessment of land degradation. The use of an in-country land cover transition matrix along with in-country land cover data enables a more accurate assessment of land cover changes over time. Four different case studies from Bangladesh, Nigeria, Uruguay, and Angola are presented to highlight the prospect and challenges of monitoring land degradation using various datasets, including LCML-based national land cover legend and land cover data.

Indicators to complement global monitoring of safely managed on-site sanitation to understand health risks

Halfway through the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) period, there has been little research on the criteria for monitoring safely managed sanitation under SDG target 6.2. For reporting against SDGs, global indicators are necessarily limited and exclude many safety aspects from a public health perspective. Primary survey data from 31,784 households in seven countries in Asia and Africa were analysed, comparing estimates of safely managed on-site sanitation based on global indicators with five complementary indicators of safety: animal access to excreta, groundwater contamination, overdue emptying, entering containments to empty and inadequate protection during emptying. Application of additional criteria reduced the population with safely managed sanitation by 0.4–35% for specific indicators, with the largest impact due to the risk of groundwater contamination, animal access, and containments overdue for emptying. Combining these indicators across the service chain, excluding transport and treatment, found almost three-quarters of on-site systems currently assessed as safely managed with global indicators were considered unsafe based on complementary indicators. A more comprehensive assessment of safety of on-site sanitation can be achieved through these indicators, which could be integrated into national monitoring systems and used to inform sanitation investments that address local health-related risks.

Mapswipe for SDGs 3 & 13: take urgent cartographic action to combat heat vulnerability of manufactured and mobile home communities

ABSTRACT Our research has established the extent to which extreme heat disproportionately impacts manufactured and mobile home communities (MMHC), posing challenges in achieving both targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 of ‘good health and wellbeing’ and SDG 13 of ‘urgent action to combat climate change impacts’. In Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, an alarming statistic of annually 30–40% indoor heat-related mortality occurs within a mere 5% of local housing stock dedicated to MMHC. Effectively addressing the multifaceted nexus of heat vulnerability and housing precarity necessitates the availability of geospatial microdata. Yet, given the idiosyncratic nature of ownership tenure within MMHC communities, sufficient microdata at the household unit level remain notably elusive through conventional tax records or other publicly available sources. In this paper, we assess how employing MapSwipe, a crowdsourcing application affiliated with the Missing Maps initiative, improves the completeness and precision of existing MMHC cartographic data inventory. Our approach harnesses MapSwipe’s micro-tasking methodology to identify absent MMHC locations within the state of Arizona. The contribution of this research is to present a viable methodology that organizes geospatial microdata around SDG initiatives and web-based volunteer mapping to effectively target the resources required to address the heat vulnerability of MMHC.

Assessing access to safe drinking water in flood-affected areas of District Nowshera, Pakistan: A case study towards achieving sustainable development goal 6.1

Access to safe drinking water is one of the most vital targets of sustainable development goal (6.1). However, climate change has become a significant challenge to safe water access. Climate-induced changes in rainfall patterns create many hydro-meteorological hazards such as drought, floods, and desertification. These hazards pose a major risk to the water supply system, particularly in areas vulnerable to climate change's impacts. The onset of these hazards may damage the hydro-ecological system and water supply infrastructure, cause an interruption in water supply, and pollute water resources. Therefore, assessing access to safe potable water after the onset of any hazard is crucial to ensure sustainable management. For this purpose, the current investigation aims to assess access to safe, potable water in flood-affected neighborhood councils of district Nowshera. The sample sites were purposively selected based on specific criteria, and 2 % (564) of households were surveyed using the Kobo collect tool. The six parameters, accessibility, availability, affordability, acceptability, water quality, and equity, were assessed for access to safe potable water using WHO and UNICEF standard procedures. The estimated results classified the study area access into safely managed (49.5 % to 51.77 %), primary (17.59 % to 47.92 %), limited (3 % to 94.67 %), unimproved (1.82 % to 41.46 %) water facilities. The current results provide the status of access to safe potable water and visualize the deprived households for priority action. This study indicates that recent flooding has significantly affected access to safe potable water. The methods and techniques utilized in current research can be used to monitor sustainable development goals. The present study highlights the need for a climate change perspective in addressing access to clean water in flood-prone areas. It identifies key factors for future research and policy action.

Social sustainability in Bangladesh marine fisheries management: A case from Hatiya fishing community

Social sustainability in fisheries focuses on retaining or improving societal welfare in the fishery system without threatening its long-term financial benefits and socio-cultural welfare. However, often social sustainability issues are ignored while implementing any fisheries management actions rather than only focusing on economic and environmental sustainability issues. This study assesses the social sustainability in Bangladesh marine fisheries management gaining insights from the coastal and marine fisheries-dependent communities of Hatiya Upazila in 2021–2022 using a mixed method approach especially focusing on the social issues during the marine fishing ban. Results have shown positive effects on fish production but negative implications on the socio-economic circumstances of the reliant households after the implementation of the marine fishing ban. During the ban, the ability of around 33 % of fisher households to have 3 meals a day has drastically reduced to 2 or 1 meal per day. Households' average fish intake has reduced from 7 kg to 4 kg per week during the ban. Similarly, there have been detrimental effects on family relationships, healthcare access and children's education during the ban. Moreover, pregnant women and children have suffered greatly from protein deficiencies as fishers could not buy protein-rich foods for their families during the ban. Due to the shortage of alternate income-generating activities (AIGAs), almost 71 % of fishers became indebted during the ban. To assist the fishers during the ban, the government has implemented several measures, such as offering incentives (40 kg of rice per registered fisherman per month) and/or AIGA but those are too scant to recompense for the loss that is incurred due to the fishing ban. Finally, this study provides some way forward to bring social sustainability that is affected due to the marine fishing ban as well as to partly meet the targets of Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 14 and 15.

Cancer Care Gap: Examining Cancer Mortality-Incidence Rate Ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa

PURPOSE The 2022 global burden of cancer estimate released by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) showed a huge burden of 20million new cancer cases and 9.7 million cancer deaths, a threat to the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals target on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Africa accounts for only 5.9% of new global cases and 7.8% of cancer mortalities; however, these figures belie the enormous premature death that has made cancer a death sentence in Africa. A five-year survival rate measures cancer survival. However, due to the scarcity of follow-up data in Africa, the Mortality-Incidence Rate Ratio (MIR) which has an inverse relationship with survival has become a useful substitute for making comparisons on a global scale. The study's purpose is to compare the cancer MIR in Africa with other continents and disaggregate MIR in Sub-Saharan Africa across gender and major cancer sites. METHODS Data on Age Standardized Incidence Rate (World)-ASIR and Age Standardized Mortality Rate (World)-ASMR for six continents and the top five cancer sites in Africa (Breast, Prostrate, Cervix, Liver, and Colorectal) were extracted from the IARC Global Cancer Observatory (Cancer Today). MIR (calculated as the ratio of ASIR/ASMR) comparisons were done using Microsoft Excel 2021. RESULTS The average global cancer MIR is0.47. Africa has an estimated MIR of 0.67, which is more than double those of North America (0.23) and Oceania (0.23), and far above those of Europe (0.38), Latin America and the Caribbean (0.46). The high figure of Asia, 0.54, is well below the African Cancer MIR. Among the top five cancer sites in Sub-Sahara Africa, the liver has the highest MIR (0.95 compared to global MIR of 0.86) followed by the cervix (0.75 compared to global MIR of 0.50), Colorectal (0.73 compared to global MIR 0.44), prostrate (0.60 compare global MIR 0.38) and Breast (0.52 compare global MIR0.25). Disaggregated by gender, cancer MIR is higher in Sub-Saharan Africa for both sexes above the global average (Male 0.72 compared global MIR0.52; Female 0.67 compared global MIR 0.41). CONCLUSION The Mortality-Incidence rate ratio in Sub-Sahara Africa is alarmingly high compared to the global figure, reflecting a huge disparity in cancer care outcomes. A concerted effort to bridge the care gap in Sub-Sahara Africa is required to achieve the SDGs' NCD target, which aims to reduce premature death by a third.

Substance Use among School-Going Adolescents and Young Adults in Rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.

The ongoing public health crisis of substance use among school adolescents and young adults (AYAs) in South Africa is not new in research parlance, amidst the national policy of drug abuse management in schools. In view of no tangible progress to reduce substance use in high schools in the country, we conducted a cross-sectional quantitative study aimed at investigating substance use among adolescents and young adults in the four public high schools selected through multi-stage sampling in rural Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Data on substance use, demographics, household socio-demographics, and related factors were collected via a validated self-administered questionnaire. Hierarchical logistic regression was performed using STATA 18. The study included 402 AYAs aged between 14 and 23 years (18 ± 1 years), and 45% reported substance use in the last twelve months. Alcohol was the most used substance (74%), followed by cigarettes (12%) and cannabis (11%). AYAs used substances out of social influence, curiosity, to find joy, and to eliminate stress, especially in social events, on the streets, and at home, and reported negative physical health outcomes, mainly hallucinations, sleeping disorders, body weakness, and dry mouths. Hierarchical logistic regression showed that the likelihood of substance use was three times in a particular high school (S4) (AOR = 3.93, 95%CI: 1.72-8.99), twice among the grade 12s (AOR = 2.73, 95%CI: 1.46-5.11), over twenty times in the communities with substance availability (AOR = 22.45, 95%CI: 2.75-183.56), almost ten times among AYAs participating in recreational/sports activities (AOR = 9.74, 95%CI: 4.21-22.52), and twice likely to happen in larger households (AOR = 2.96, 95%CI: 1.57-5.58). Prevention and intervention efforts should consider these specific health concerns to develop targeted strategies for mitigating substance use and its adverse consequences in this vulnerable population towards achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal Target 3.5, which aims to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and the harmful use of alcohol.

The 2023 Gerard W. Ostheimer Lecture. A Contemporary Narrative Review of Maternal Mortality and Morbidity: Opportunities to Improve Peripartum Outcomes.

The Gerard W. Ostheimer lecture is given annually to members of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology. This lecture summarizes new and emerging literature that informs the clinical practice of obstetric anesthesiology. This is a narrative review of 2022 literature pertinent to maternal morbidity and mortality in all income settings globally. Themes associated with worse maternal mortality rate (MMR), challenges health care workers face, public health priority areas, and initiatives to help countries achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal targets for MMR are discussed. MMRs are higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries (HICs). Cesarean delivery rates are rising most rapidly in LMICs, warranting urgent maternal health care workforce planning efforts in these settings. Globally racial, ethnic, and geographical disparities in maternal mortality continue to be evident in global health care settings. In the United States, the MMR is rising. The evolving changes in abortion legislation in the United States may further negatively impact maternal morbidity and mortality. The need to implement American Society of Anesthesiologists-recommended obstetric anesthesia quality metrics to facilitate benchmarking and to improve patient experience and outcomes is discussed as well as the need for professional society guidance on minimum staffing levels in American labor and delivery units.

Localized Sustainable Development Goals Changes and Their Response to Ecosystem Services—A Case of Typical Southern Hilly Regions in China

Sustainability has become an indispensable core consideration when nations formulate their development policies. This study delves into the dynamic correlations between ecosystem services (ESs) and localized Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a typical hilly region in southern China. Various ESs were computed using the InVEST model, while spatial econometric models were employed to assess ES responses to SDG targets at the county, sectoral, and overall spatial levels. The findings revealed the following. (1) From 2005 to 2020, there were differences in the development rates of various SDG targets in Ganzhou. Except for SDG 15, which declined, the development of the other targets showed an overall increasing trend. The development of the various SDG targets was relatively balanced, but SDG 9 and SDG 7 had the highest growth rates, ranging from 9.4% to 10.7% and 9.4% to 10.3%, respectively. The comprehensive SDG assessment index exhibited significant spatiotemporal variation, with a general trend of higher values in the north and lower values in the south. (2) The local ES showed a delayed response to SDG 1 and SDG 2, but there was a significant positive response to SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 6, SDG 8, and SDG 9. However, responses to SDG 7, SDG 11, SDG 13, and SDG 15 showed regional differences. This study not only provides valuable insights for sustainable development in Ganzhou and other regions of China but also offers Chinese perspectives and experiences that may inform global efforts towards SDG implementation. This study fills the gap in existing research by constructing a localized SDG indicator system and quantifying each SDG indicator, further exploring the response of the ES to each SDG in the region. Looking ahead, we anticipate further research to deepen the understanding of the relationship between ESs and SDG targets on a broader geographical scale and over longer timeframes, aiming to provide a more robust scientific foundation for building a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature in the future.

Mapping pedagogies of education for sustainable development in Scottish higher education institutions

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 4.7 promotes education for sustainable development (ESD), urging higher education institutions (HEIs) to prepare students to address global sustainability challenges. Currently, the target indicators do not assess how ESD is enacted in HEIs, making ESD provision a black box in achieving SDG 4.7. This article proposes an analytical tool based on actor–network theory (ANT) to ‘unpack’ the black box of ESD pedagogies in HEIs. ANT allows a closer look at the web of human and non-human actors and their interrelations, visually mapping how ESD pedagogical practices are enacted. Drawing on public sustainability reports and ESD-related web pages of eight Scottish HEIs, we employed a hybrid data analysis approach to produce such a map. The aggregated actor–network map reveals clusters such as university sustainability bodies, ESD-related programs, curriculum elements, co-curricular training, and sustainability awards. Also, Scottish HEI reports and web pages tend to emphasise and quantify what is taught regarding sustainability issues and not elaborate on how ESD is taught. This way, ESD pedagogical practices, connecting students, educators, and curriculum to produce transformative learning, are missing in university reporting. Making those practices visible would provide further solid evidence of Scottish HEIs’ contribution to SDG 4.7.

Pioneering a sustainable development goals monitoring framework for European regions

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations General Assembly, encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established a universal framework for addressing global challenges. Within the European Union (EU), the commitment to these goals has prompted the integration of the SDGs into a strategic framework for sustainable and inclusive growth. Recognizing the need for localized and detailed monitoring to capture the nuanced progress and challenges across Europe’s diverse regions, this paper proposes a comprehensive set of regional indicators specifically designed for the European context. Through a systematic review of existing SDG monitoring frameworks at different territorial levels and an extensive methodological process, the paper identifies 116 indicators that address 75 SDG targets. This tailored set is derived from a combination of national, regional, and supranational sources. The paper discusses the critical balance between standardization for comparability and customization to accommodate unique regional characteristics. The proposed indicator set is evaluated for its capacity to reflect the holistic vision of the SDGs while allowing for effective regional benchmarking. The research emphasizes the need for robust regional data infrastructure, the importance of aligning policies with broader sustainability objectives, and the dynamic nature of indicators that can adapt to societal changes such as demographic shifts. Finally, the paper highlights the significance of a pragmatic and adaptive regional approach to SDG monitoring. The proposed indicator set is a strategic tool for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners, guiding Europe’s regions towards a sustainable future and contributing to the global effort to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

PERINEUM MASSAGE EDUCATION TO EMPOWER PREGNANT WOMEN IN PREVENTING PERINEAL RUPTURE AT PENELEH PUBLICH HEALTH CENTER SURABAYA 2023

The three highest causes of maternal death in Indonesia, which is bleeding. Severe perineal rupture or what is called OASIS can cause bleeding that can lead to death. This community service activity aims to provide education about perineal massage to empower pregnant women to prevent perineal rupture at the Peneleh Public Health Center, Surabaya in 2023. Partnership programs are needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets. The problem faced by partners is that even though pregnancy classes are running, they do not yet provide material on preventing perineal rupture and practicing perineal massage so mothers do not have an understanding of techniques for preventing perineal rupture. Apart from that, health workers have not mastered perineal massage techniques so they cannot provide their knowledge to pregnant women. Activities are carried out in the form of providing material and practice. The evaluation was carried out by administering a pretest and posttest for knowledge and assessment of perineal massage skills for pregnant women and health workers. The evaluation method used was the ability of pregnant women to perform phantom perineal massage exercises. Pregnant women are said to be able to do this if they can do it correctly. Providing education related to perineal massage can increase the knowledge and skills of pregnant women thereby supporting the prevention of bleeding. Suggestions for community health centers to improve education so that pregnant women are ready to do it independently at home and provide support to health workers to provide education to pregnant women.

Evaluation of an alternative process for the production of hydrocarbons from CO2: Techno-economic and environmental analysis

This study aims to evaluate and compare two integrated processes (Plant A and B) for hydrocarbon production from CO2. They involve proton exchange membrane water electrolysis for H2 production, reverse water-gas shift reaction for syngas production, pressure swing adsorption for syngas purification, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for diesel-range hydrocarbons from CO2, and atmospheric distillation for product separation. Plant B additionally integrates a hydrocracking-based upgrading section. The simulations were performed using Aspen Plus® v10, Aspen Adsorption® v10, and Aspen Custom Modeler® v10. The evaluation covers technical, economic, environmental, and multi-criteria assessment (GREENSCOPE). The proposed processes demonstrate the potential to convert CO2 to hydrocarbons, with carbon conversion rates of 75% and 71% for Plants A and B, respectively. Process energy intensity is 155 and 170 MJ/kgLP for Plants A and B, respectively. Environmental assessment reveals CO2 reduction, resulting in negative global warming potentials of −2.20 and −0.84 kgCO2-eq/kgLP for Plants A and B, respectively. The sustainability degree indices for Plants A and B are 1.00 and 0.06, respectively, indicating Plant A as the more sustainable process alternative based on both quantitative and qualitative metrics. Economic analysis shows project unviability in the Brazilian context due to reliance on H2 production and prevailing pricing conditions. Economic viability requires a price increase of liquid products by 266% and 302% or CO2-eq abatement costs ranging from 2.05 to 3.43 US$/kgCO2-eq for Plants A and B, respectively. GREENSCOPE methodology indicates better performance for Plant A across all scores, highlighting a clear connection between the hydrocracking unit and performance indicators. The findings show that these processes align with sustainable development goals (SDGs) targets for climate action (SDG 13), clean energy (SDG 7), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), and responsible consumption and production (SDG 12). Overall, the research moves forward SDGs by offering solutions to cut carbon emissions and promote sustainable industrial practices.

The impact of the new space economy on sustainability: an overview

The first overarching objective of the Space Agenda 2030 is to strengthen the role of the space sector as a major driver of sustainable development. To achieve this objective, the European Space Agency launched already 10+ years ago the ESA Business Applications Programme to foster the adoption of space technologies in non-space sectors, promoting the development of commercial satellite-based projects (i.e., projects developing business applications based on Earth Observation, Satcom and Navigation satellite technologies and data) and contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).While space technologies undeniably offer substantial societal benefits, there exists an opportunity to provide professionals and academics with a comprehensive perspective on the ongoing progress of commercial satellite-based projects in their vital role in advancing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tackling Grand Challenges. Our research aims to clarify commercial satellite-based applications' direct and indirect impacts on SDGs and their features contributing to achieving them.We develop a taxonomy of the ESA Business Applications programme portfolio, analysing 603 commercial satellite-based applications developed between 2014 and 2022 across 34 variables (including SDGs directly or indirectly impacted), sourced from the program's web pages. We perform descriptive statistics and exploratory data analysis to present commercial satellite-based applications' direct or indirect impact on the 169 SDG targets. Finally, we describe the features of commercial satellite-based projects (e.g., geographical scope, satellite technology adopted, non-space domains of application) contributing to the SDGs' achievement.Our results show that 603 commercial satellite-based applications impact at least one SDG. Overall, SGD3 is the most impacted (136, 22 %), followed by SDG11 (105, 17 %) and SDG2 (78, 12 %). 257 Earth Observation-based applications mostly impact SDG2 (58, 23 %), SDG15 (38, 15 %) and SDG11 (34, 13 %). 230 Satellite Navigation-based applications mostly impact SDG3 (68, 30 %), SDG11 (52, 23 %) and SDG6 (22, 10 %). 116 Satellite communication-based applications mostly impact SDG3 (33, 28 %), SDG11 (16, 14 %) and SDG4 (15, 13 %). Moreover, we identify 14 application domains, and for each of them, we investigate their impact on SDGs. The application domains that mainly impact SDGs are Health (91, 16 %), Food and Agriculture (85,15 %), and Energy (51, 9 %).Our research demonstrates and strengthens the space sector's role as a major driver of sustainable development. Researchers may adopt the methodology in other contexts, overcoming the geographical and data accessibility limitations of our research.

Evaluation of the Completeness Antenatal Care Coverage (K1-K4) in the Special Region of Yogyakarta Province

The case of maternal mortality requires special attention as it serves as a significant indicator for improving health in a country, which is included in the achievement target of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number three, namely Good Health and Well-being. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) trend from 2016 to 2019 increased and was higher than the set target, whereas in 2020, it decreased below the set target. The high MMR is influenced by many factors, one of which is healthcare services such as Antenatal Care (ANC) examinations for pregnant women. Lack of ANC visits can endanger both the mother and the fetus due to the failure to detect warning signs. Healthcare services in the form of ANC for pregnant women are important to detect signs of pregnancy danger. The aim of this study is to assess the coverage of K1-K4. This research uses a descriptive quantitative method by utilizing secondary data available in the Special Region Of Yogyakarta Kesga Application from 2020 to 2022. The results show that K1 coverage almost reached 100%, and K4 coverage exceeded 80% in the Special Region Of Yogyakarta Province. Healthcare facility access is evenly distributed, and there is a correlation between K4 coverage and the maternal mortality rate, especially for high-risk pregnant women. In conclusion, K1 coverage in the Special Region Of Yogyakarta province has exceeded the national target, while K4 coverage is still below the national target. The high coverage of K1-K4 in Special Region Of Yogyakarta is influenced by many factors, including healthcare facility access.

Drinking water safety improvement and future challenge of lakes and reservoirs

To meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 6.1, China has undertaken significant initiatives to address the uneven distribution of water resources and to enhance water quality. Since 2000, China has invested heavily in the water infrastructure of numerous reservoirs, with a total storage capacity increase of 4.704 × 1011 m3 (an increase of 90.8%). These reservoirs have significantly enhanced the available freshwater resources for drinking water. Concurrently, efforts to improve water quality in lakes and reservoirs, facilitated by nationwide water quality monitoring, have been successful. As a result, an increasing lakes and reservoirs are designated as centralized drinking water sources (CDWSs) in China. Among the 3,441 CDWSs across all provinces, 40.8% are sourced from lakes and reservoirs, 32.6% from rivers, and 26.6% from groundwater in 2023. Notably, from 2016 to 2023, the percentage of lakes and reservoirs categorized as CDWSs has increased consistently across all 29 provinces. This progress has enabled 561.4 million urban residents to access improved drinking water sources in 2022, compared to 303.4 million in 2004. Our findings underscore the pivotal role of water infrastructure construction and water quality improvement jointly promoting lakes and reservoirs as vital drinking water sources. Nevertheless, the nationwide occurrence of algal blooms has surged by 113.7% from the 2000s to the 2010s , which is a considerable challenge to drinking water safety. Fortunately, algal blooms have been markedly alleviated in past four years. However, it is still crucial to acknowledge that lakes and reservoirs face the challenges of algal blooms, and associated toxic microcystin and odor compounds.

Are children with disabilities more likely to be malnourished than children without disabilities? Evidence from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in 30 countries

IntroductionA key Sustainable Development Goal target is to eliminate all forms of malnutrition. Existing evidence suggests children with disabilities are at greater risks of malnutrition, exclusion from nutrition programmes and...

Food waste and the EU target: effects on the agrifood systems’ sustainability

ABSTRACT The reduction of food losses and waste is part of the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (target 12.3) and, consequently, is one of the EU’s political priority in the field of circular economy. In this framework, the target 12.3 of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development stated, by 2030, a not quantified reduction in post-harvest losses and a halving of food waste at the retail and consumers levels; while the EU Commission has recently set the target, by 2030, of reducing by 10% food losses occurred at the stage of processing and manufacturing and by 30% food waste occurred at the stage of retail and consumption. Food losses and waste should primarily be considered an expression of inefficiency of agricultural production processes determining several environmental, social and economic impacts. The quantification of food losses and waste is still an unsolved problem so much so that, in EU; currently available data are only related to the period 2020–2021 and, in many cases, are based on estimates and are not uniform in individual Member States. This makes reliable predictions of results achievable by the European Union particularly difficult. The aim of this paper is to analyze whether the plan of losses and waste reduction established by the EU Commission is able to both ensure the achievement of 2030 Agenda target 12.3 and to make a contribution to improving the sustainability of agri-food systems. In doing so, in addition to Eurostat data on losses and waste, the EU-Commission projections and the latest results of recent studies on environmental, social and economic impact of food losses and waste in EU were used, including indicators on hidden costs of agrifood systems developed by FAO. What observed shows that the EU-Commission reduction plan, if implemented, should result in a reduction of losses and waste inadequate for complying with the recommendation given by the target 12.3. Furthermore, the EU-Commission’s decision not to provide for losses reduction at the agricultural stage should significantly limit environmental benefits, given that much of the negative environmental impacts (GHG, land and water use, etc.) are ascribable to this stage as are, according to FAO estimates, hidden environmental costs. Besides limiting environmental benefits, the EU-Commission reduction plan, focusing only on the food losses and waste reduction in the final stage of supply food chain, could lead to negative social and economic impacts caused by a decline in the demand, which will reduce supply, jobs losses and GDP reduction. The conclusion on this, is that the reduction of food losses and waste is an issue that cannot be addressed separated but needs to be included in a wider program of integrated and complementary measures as a whole clearly aimed at realizing forms of circular economy.

Consumer Intention of Purchasing Plant-Based Milk in Indonesia

In the context of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), advancements in food technology, notably plant-based alternatives, are gaining popularity. Aligning with SDG targets such as good health and well-being (SDG 3), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and climate action (SDG 13), the adoption of plant-based milk signifies progress towards a sustainable food system. This study investigates the determinants influencing Indonesians' intention to purchase plant-based milk, addressing a notable research gap in developing markets. The study collected data from 300 respondents through social media, resulting in 297 valid responses. Analysis using SMARTPLS reveals that attitude, environmental concern, health consciousness, price, and subjective norms all have a significant relationship with the intention to purchase plant-based milk, with attitude and environment identified as the strongest drivers. These findings have practical implications for plant-based milk business managers and other stakeholders interested in improving their competitiveness while contributing to a more sustainable environment.

Income inequality as a determinant of neonatal mortality in the Americas during 2000–2019: implications for the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal target 3.2

BackgroundThe work of the WHO Commission on the Social Determinants of Health has been fundamental to provide a conceptual framework of the social determinants of health. Based on this framework, this study assesses the relationship of income inequality as a determinant of neonatal mortality in the Americas and relates it to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal target 3.2 (reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 deaths per 1,000 live births). The rationale is to evaluate if income inequality may be considered a social factor that influences neonatal mortality in the Americas.MethodsYearly data from 35 countries in the Americas during 2000–2019 was collected. Data sources include the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation for the neonatal mortality rate (measured as neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births) and the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics Research for the Gini index (measured in a scale from 0 to 100). This is an ecological study that employs a linear regression model that relates the neonatal mortality rate (dependent variable) to the Gini index (independent variable), while controlling for other factors that influence neonatal mortality. Coefficient estimates and their robust standard errors were obtained using panel data techniques.ResultsA positive relationship between income inequality and neonatal mortality is found in countries in the Americas during the period studied. In particular, the analysis suggests that a unit increase in a country’s Gini index during 2000–2019 is associated with a 0.27 (95% CI [− 0.04, 0.57], P =.09) increase in the neonatal mortality rate.ConclusionThe analysis suggests that income inequality may be positively associated with the neonatal mortality rate in the Americas. Nonetheless, given the modest magnitude of the estimates and Gini values and trends during 2000–2019, the findings suggest a potential limited scope for redistributive policies to support reductions in neonatal mortality in the region. Thus, policies and interventions that address higher coverage and quality of services provided by national health systems and reductions in socio-economic inequalities in health are of utmost importance.