United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Research Articles

Advancing Gender Equity In Nursing Care For Older Adults: A Pathway To Achieving The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Advancing Gender Equity In Nursing Care For Older Adults: A Pathway To Achieving The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Gender Equity In Healthcare: Integrating Emotional Intelligence To Achieve The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Gender Equity In Healthcare: Integrating Emotional Intelligence To Achieve The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Postdigital Citizen Science and Humanities: Dialogue from the Ground

AbstractWhilst much global research takes place in universities, many researchers in the sciences and humanities do not work within these institutions. Some citizen researchers run their own companies or provide independent consultancy, having left their roles in universities through a conflict of values, where they experienced hostile, hierarchical, or restrictive practices. In a world where many postdigital and biodigital challenges do not sit neatly under one discipline or sector, collaboration with community experts to research potential solutions is crucial, as demonstrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Universities count knowledge exchange partnerships as a key part of their activities, linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, yet a closer look at how this works in practice reveals different forms of ‘lockdowns’ that prevent equitable research collaborations. In this collective article, we offer a postdigital perspective on citizen science and humanities research from the ground. This includes a provocation to knowledge-producing institutions via recommendations that emerged from our collective citizen researcher workshop held in Zagreb in Spring 2024. There is now a pressing need to review institutional policies and practices around citizen research, towards more inclusive knowledge exchange partnerships, if we are to collaborate successfully to address many global challenges.

Groundwater fluoride contamination, sources, hotspots, health hazards, and sustainable containment measures: A systematic review of the Ghanaian context

Groundwater quality is globally threatened by geogenic and human activities. These activities release high levels of potentially toxic elements, such as fluoride (F−), which pose significant threats to human health. This has become a global issue, especially in developing countries such as Ghana. Despite efforts to address this issue, knowledge gaps still need to be addressed to ensure safe and healthy drinking water for all Ghanaians. Moreover, Ghana has been reported to be a fluorosis-endemic country but the sources and exact hotspots of F− enrichment in the aquifers on a countrywide scale are lacking in the available literature. Understanding the quality of water used for diverse purposes in Ghana is necessary to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals like good health and well-being (SDG 3) and clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), among others. Therefore, this study synthesized all previous studies on groundwater F− contamination in Ghana, to identify the sources of F− enrichment in groundwater, delineate the hotspots for fluorosis, assess the associated human health risks, identify the best sustainable defluoridation methods, and recommend policy intervention for high groundwater F− threat to aquifers in Ghana. In the Ghanaian context, F− contamination in groundwater is largely from geogenic sources like the weathering of fluoride-bearing rocks (granitoids and carbonate sedimentary lithologies) from the Birimian and Voltaian Supergroups and the dissolution of fluoride-rich minerals (fluorapatite, amphiboles, fluorite, biotite, and muscovite). Hotspots for high groundwater F− in Ghana are mainly restricted to the Upper East Region (0.10–5.00 mg/L), North East Region (0.01–13.29 mg/L), Northern Region (0.1–11.6 mg/L), and the White Volta River Basin (0.04–3.79 mg/L). The mean and maximum values of F− in these hotspots exceed the maximum permissible level (1.5 mg/L) set by the World Health Organization and Ghana Standards Authority. Most people in these areas suffer from dental fluorosis. Therefore, affordable and sustainable defluoridation technologies as well as community-based initiatives are recommended to deal with this menace.

Prescribing sustainability: should UN sustainable development goals be part of the medical, pharmacy, and biomedical education?

How to adapt the curriculum of medicine, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences to prepare future health professionals to meet the challenge of maintaining quality care in a period of socio-ecological crisis? Addressing connections between humanity and sustainable environment should include an analysis of the reciprocal influence of various ecosystems, since it is now clear that healthcare systems have an impact on ecosystems and vice versa. Here, we propose that integrating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the curriculum could be a first step in such a transversal education. Members of the faculty of medicine at the University of Namur, Belgium, including teaching staff of the department of medicine, pharmacy, biomedical sciences and psychology, were invited to respond anonymously to a questionnaire about their views on the feasibility of integrating the SDGs into their teaching. A subsequent survey on students' perceptions of such teaching was conducted by student representatives. Seventy-nine percent of surveyed members of the medical faculty believe that it is possible to integrate SDGs into their lectures. However, 44-86% of them did not know how to integrate each individual goal. 94.4% of students would like SDGs to play a greater role in their education; 64.4% of them would integrate them into existing modules; 23.9% would create an optional module, and 11.9% would create a mandatory module. Sustainable Development Goals integration into the curriculum of medicine, pharmacy, and biomedical sciences is perceived as challenging in a dense teaching program. To clarify how SDGs can translate into traditional lectures, we provide for each SDG targeted applications for bachelor's, master's and continuing education.

Integration and Promotion: Integrating Sustainability Research into Computer Science Teaching through Serious Games Assignments

“Serious Games” is a final-year 20 credit point module, undertaken as the default optional module for students on Undergraduate courses entitled BSc Computing and BSc Computer Science (Games Technology) at Nottingham Trent University, UK. The module focuses on developing students’ critical evaluation skills, enhancing their ability to design and implement solutions for a real-world design brief, working with clients and making final products accessible to a broad target audience. Historically this was achieved through engagement with a single client, often via a wider research project or local educational establishment of some sort. More recently, the module has retained two client project briefs, which the students are then empowered to choose between. With each client brief the module team has sought to add extra value for the students. For the previous two academic years, the module team has partnered with Green Academy, a strategic team within the University whose priorities include stimulating pedagogical innovation and practice sharing within the area of sustainability and pioneering a shared understanding of sustainability education. The resulting partnership has introduced a brief for students which combines vital industry skills with sustainability literacy. Working with and alongside the students who are undertaking the module, the module has developed Serious Games on a diverse range of local and global sustainability issues and has exposed students to university research culture and our sustainability research specialisms. It has also necessitated that students engage with and contextualise the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UNESCO ESD competencies which they are tasked with integrating into their design solutions. The long-term intent of this partnership is for these design decisions to be utilised in the Green Academy’s ongoing strategy to further enhance the University’s pedagogical framework and sustainability education offer, and to improve the provision of Serious Games for use by clients outside the University. This report is a synoptic overview of the module design and insights from the two-year partnership as well as how these observations have been leveraged to improve the design and delivery of the module for future clients and students.

A systematic literature review on the role of UAV-enabled communications in advancing the UN’s sustainable development goals

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, show great potential in advancing the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of 17 worldwide targets outlined by the United Nations (UN) to tackle diverse social, economic, and environmental issues and foster sustainable development by 2030. As per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), UAVs can significantly improve areas of sustainability like wildlife and wildfire monitoring, precision agriculture, as well as healthcare. Furthermore, drones with communication capabilities are seen as key elements of non-terrestrial networks, and as enabling technologies for future 6G communication networks. This systematic literature review focuses on the role of UAV-enabled communications to achieve the SDGs. Our study is based on a thorough selection and analysis of scientific articles. Initially, we performed a broad search across three major databases: IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, and Scopus, yielding a set of 10,499 papers. Following a strict selection methodology (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PRISMA), we narrowed this set down to 28 key journal articles. Our analysis highlights six global targets that greatly benefit from UAV-enabled aerial communication. In order of impact, these are: “Sustainable Cities and Communities,” where UAVs improve security and disaster management; “Life on Land,” where drones help with wildlife monitoring and reforestation; “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure,” where UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) aid in infrastructure inspection; “No Hunger,” where drones improve agricultural practices; “‘Good Health and Wellbeing,” where UAVs assist with disease prediction and monitoring; and “Clean water and sanitation,”where drones play a crucial role in efficiently monitoring water quality and distribution. In summary, this paper offers a detailed look at the applications of UAVs in achieving the SDGs through aerial communications. By identifying areas of major impact and spotting gaps and weaknesses in current research, this review article aims to guide future research and policy-making in sustainable drone applications.

Identifying Cultural Diplomacy and Sustainable Development in Sister Province Cooperation of Bali, Indonesia

While States have traditionally formed the focus of International Relations studies, the contributions of local government actors have become increasingly important in both influencing and responding to the forces of global politics, including in the Global South. In this vein, this preliminary study explores the practice of the local government in initiating sister province cooperation in Bali, Indonesia. This study uses three conceptual frameworks: paradiplomacy, sustainable development, and critical discourse analysis. Primary data were collected through interviews with relevant local government officials in Bali and secondary data were gathered from academic articles, official websites, and online news items. This paper identified two most prominent sectors of this cooperation, namely: tourism and culture. These two areas align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While clearly connected with governmental and international goals, challenges remain in implementing sister province cooperation, achieving continuity among the parties involved, and dealing with funding limitations.

Uneven transitions and disparate mobility patterns for South Africa’s electric paratransit

The electrification of sub-Saharan Africa’s paratransit industry is mainly seen in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals around climate action, clean energy, health, and sustainability. However, a vital objective of the transitions is a “just energy transition” through equal access for all in the transition to a low-carbon economy. The transition to electric paratransit may have unintentional and adverse implications on equality for different groupings, an aspect not considered before. This paper evaluates the viability of the transition for two distinct groupings in South Africa’s paratransit sector from the same town. We used two datasets from Stellenbosch, South Africa, and its surrounding areas, with the two groups identified based on home location. Group A comprises lower-middle-income communities, while Group B comprises impoverished communities. We found differences in mobility patterns and driving efficiencies, with Group A having a higher electrification viability rate of 82% compared to Group B’s 32%. The transition will not be equal for these two groups. Electrification of the paratransit industry needs sufficient policies and incentives to ensure a just transition for all. Moreover, policymakers and infrastructure planners need to take special care in considering representative mobility data sources to ensure the representation of all groupings’ mobility in the data.

Assessment of the relationship between mineral extraction in the southern hemisphere and sustainable development

Sustainable mineral policies are needed to achieve environmental and social equity in the global South. This study explores the need to align mineral mining in the global South with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It studies the impact of mineral mining on sustainability in 29 global South economies from 2000 to 2021. It also conducts robustness analysis and heterogeneity tests to analyze the mediation effect and the impact of the release of SDGs on sustainability. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Mineral mining has an inhibitory effect on sustainable development and has become a constraint for the achievement of sustainable development goals in the global South; (2) The more mineral-rich a country is, the more serious the adverse impact of mining activities is. The harm of mineral mining to sustainable development is most serious in Africa; (3) Mineral mining leads to an increase in ecological footprint and undermines environmental sustainability, while mineral rents may become a source of funds for clean production, offsetting the adverse effects of mineral mining; (4) The release of SDGs has prompted leaders of various countries to legislate and reform in the field of minerals, helping countries achieve sustainable development goals. The research results provide an effective reference for promoting environmental and social sustainable development in the global South.

Global property rights and land use efficiency

The study investigates the global impact of land property rights on land use efficiency (LUE), as measured by the key indicator for United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11.3.1, namely Land Consumption Rate to Population Growth Rate. By utilizing human-land change data from 165 countries spanning the period between 1990 and 2020, we have developed a fixed effects model and employed legal origins as an instrumental variable to examine the influence of land property rights security on LUE. Our findings demonstrate that the security of land property rights significantly influences LUE, with common law countries exhibiting higher levels of LUE compared to civil law countries while controlling for other variables. Stability in property rights encourages long-term investments in infrastructure and sustainable land management practices, thereby enhancing land productivity and mitigating urban sprawl. Furthermore, safeguarding property rights limits governments’ power to expropriate lands, facilitating rational and efficient land transactions that contribute towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Examining the Alignment of Tourism Management Related Curriculum with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) in Higher Education Institutions in Ireland

The purpose of this research is to examine current alignment of tourism, hospitality, culinary, events, and sports management curriculum with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) across two departments in Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. To do this, a quantitative approach was adopted utilising a content analysis of programme learning outcomes and surveys with programme specific educators. This permitted an evaluation on the current status of incorporation of SDG’s within existing curricula and an insight into the motivations and challenges of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) integration from the perspective of educators. Findings revealed weak levels of current alignment of learning outcomes to SDG’s for tourism, hospitality, culinary, events, and sports management curriculum across two sampled departments while educators emphasised a need to upskill on the subject matter in an effort to ensure more comprehensive ESD integration across modules and programmes. The Results overall highlighted the need to ensure future curriculum review and development takes appropriate cognisance of ESD and through communities of Practice within Higher Education Institutions, educators can better embed and advance ESD within third level curricula. The findings presented in this study may have lessons to be learned for other Higher Education Institutions across Ireland and internationally.

The Power of Thriving: How Social Sustainability in Organizations Relies on a Culture of Knowledge Sharing

At the beginning of the third millennium, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals opened a discussion on the role of human beings in the future. Concerns about social welfare created legal and normative pressures on organizations on social sustainability. To understand the social sustainability in organizations, we developed a research model based on the socially embedded model. From this perspective, this study aims to examine the relationship between knowledge sharing and social sustainability and determine the mediating role of thriving in this relationship. In this framework, we analyzed the data collected from 418 people working in the technology sector. The results have shown that thriving has a significant mediating role in the effect of explicit and implicit knowledge sharing on social sustainability ( p < .01). As a result, the organizations encouraging knowledge sharing leads to high thriving levels in their employees, which in turn leads to the implementation of more social sustainability practices within their organizations. This study contributes both theoretically and practically by demonstrating that organizations fostering knowledge sharing lead to higher levels of employee thriving, subsequently facilitating the implementation of social sustainability practices, thus advancing understanding and guiding actions toward sustainable organizational development.

Artificial intelligence as a key factor in achieving sustainable business development

In today’s world, business is undergoing significant transformations, and achieving sustainable development has become a priority for companies. This article presents how artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a key factor in business sustainability. It explores its role in modern business, as well as the benefits and challenges of using AI for sustainable development. Based on a comprehensive monographic study, the strengths and weaknesses of AI are analyzed, highlighting the opportunities and threats it presents. The article also assesses the impact of AI on achieving the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and provides successful examples of AI use in the context of sustainability. The study confirms that the Sustainable Development Goals offer a framework for assessing progress towards a more sustainable global economy.

Gold removal from e-waste using high-intensity focused ultrasound

The demand for rare and precious metals (RPMs), e.g. gold, is increasing, as these are used in the ever-increasing amount of electronics needed for technological development and digitalization. Due to their rarity, virgin mining of RPMs is becoming more difficult and expensive. At the same time, over 62Mt of e-waste is created globally each year. The high concentration of gold and other RPMs in e-waste makes it an excellent source for recycling. Unfortunately, current recycling methods need to separate the different metals and the current pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical processes also create toxic pollutants, large amounts of wastewater and require highly corrosive substances. Here we present a new method for gold removal for the purpose of recycling, using only water and high-intensity focused ultrasound to induce material erosion through cavitation. An 11.8 MHz ultrasonic transducer is used to first image the sample to locate gold-coated pads on discarded printed circuit boards (PCBs) and subsequently to remove only the gold layer. We demonstrate that the gold removal can be controlled by the number of transmitted ultrasonic bursts and that the energy efficiency is optimal when only minute amounts of the nickel layer beneath are also removed. Removing solely the gold layer also decreases the need for further processing steps. This greener gold removal method for e-waste is therefore well aligned with, and contributing to, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

Redefining Hospital Accessibility: A Service Design Framework for Inclusive Healthcare

Abstract In the framework of becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030, Bologna faces challenges related to enhancing the quality and accessibility of its built environment to improve the quality of life and well-being of its residents. The IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Sant’Orsola Polyclinic is a key agent of change within this initiative. The hospital has initiated a comprehensive renovation project aligned with its commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3, which addresses Good Health and Well-being, and SDG 10, which addresses Reduce Inequalities. To address these goals, the hospital has engaged a research team from the University of Bologna to apply Service Design methodologies. The research aims to reshape accessibility and user experience systematically and sustainably, adhering to the principles of Design for All. The study maps diverse user groups, analyses circulation paths, and identifies physical and procedural barriers affecting vulnerable individuals, especially those with disabilities. The research introduces a novel approach by developing a comprehensive strategy rather than isolated solutions, focusing on interconnected accessibility services across pavilions. Dedicated hubs within each pavilion facilitate resource and support device exchange, improving users’ experiences. A pilot project, initially targeting wheelchair accessibility hubs, employs innovative technologies to enhance independent tool usage and monitor distribution and maintenance efficiently. The project is now entering a testing phase, during which the solution will be refined based on user feedback.

The role of forestry sciences in combating climate change and advancing sustainable development goals

IntroductionAs ecological disasters loom, forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change and aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study aims to systematically examine the contribution of forestry science research to the SDGs through a multidisciplinary perspective, highlighting its role in advancing global sustainability efforts.MethodsUtilizing the PRISMA protocol, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of 39,841 publications since 2015, focusing on the intersection of forestry sciences with the SDGs. Network and keyword co-occurrence analyses were performed to identify thematic clusters and interdisciplinary linkages among SDGs.ResultsOur findings indicate a significant focus on SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 13 (Climate Action), emphasizing the forestry sector’s contributions to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and ecosystem services. The analyses revealed thematic clusters centered around ecological sustainability, sustainable energy, and social development, demonstrating the diverse ways in which forestry research supports the SDGs.DiscussionThis study highlights the interdisciplinary nature of forestry sciences and identifies key areas of contribution while pointing to potential research gaps. Future research should explore advanced technologies such as AI-driven analytics and remote sensing, socioeconomic impacts of forest-based livelihoods, and innovative reforestation techniques. Strengthening urban forestry, enhancing interdisciplinary cooperation, and improving governance are recommended to ensure continued contributions of forestry sciences to global sustainability and the SDGs.

Quantifying energy transition vulnerability helps more just and inclusive decarbonization.

The COP28 agreement signals "beginning of the end" of the fossil fuel era, calling on countries to contribute to global efforts to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems in a just, orderly and equitable manner. While a quantitative assessment of country's vulnerability in energy transition is a prerequisite for national and international policy makers to ensure a just and inclusive transition, it is notably absent in the existing research. Here, we develop a conceptual framework based on the vulnerability scoping diagram (VSD) method to assess differences in energy transition vulnerability across countries, with a specific focus on the challenges associated with transitioning away from fossil fuels. The resulting energy transition vulnerability index (ETVI) scores reveal that countries in the Global South generally exhibit higher vulnerability in their energy transition compared to those in the Global North, and this gap has widened over the past decade. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the decade-long trend of continuous decline in global energy transition vulnerability. This study also provides two important applications of ETVI scores, aligning them with major global sustainable development agenda. Firstly, we identify substantial differences in the dynamics of transition vulnerability across seven major party groups in the international climate change negotiations and distinguish four energy transition statuses in relation to achieving global climate goals: Stressful, Leapfrog, Potential Challenges, and Less Painful. Secondly, we demonstrate crucial synergies between energy transition resilience and the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Transformation in Human Well-Being for Sustainable Development

The current assessment by scientists and experts suggests that no country will be able to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) by 2030 due to various challenges each state faces. The Global Sustainable Development Report 2023 proposes strategic and effective approaches based on scientific evidence for member states to address the barriers impeding attaining such goals. This report builds on the organizing framework of six entry points for transformation and describes key shifts across the different entry points to accelerate progress toward the SGDs. One of these transformations is health and well-being, in which interventions include universal health care, healthy behaviors, and social determinants. The intermediate output of this transformation is universal health coverage, which requires a publicly financed health system that integrates prevention, therapeutic, and palliative services, integrated information systems, and disease surveillance and control. A whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach is critical to achieving significant gains and transformation in health, which will eventually contribute to economic and social development

Perspective on pathways towards responsible surface engineering

In this perspective sustainability-relevant aspects of modern surface engineering technologies, which enable improved structural and functional surface properties, are critically evaluated. Although plasma-assisted physical vapour deposition (PVD) is increasingly employed to address global challenges, such as energy efficiency and reduction of CO2 emissions, their inherently resource-intensive nature is often not considered.Surface engineering research should thus embrace sustainability-relevant aspects from a processes and materials design point of view. While we are convinced that sustainability-relevant surface engineering has to be based on synchronised process and materials solutions, we will discuss processes and materials separately.In terms of processes, we are going to describe the challenges of state-of-the-art technology, including energy and mass balances as well as product cycles. With respect to materials, the coating and process purity as well as chemical and microstructural complexity are discussed.Such approaches are fully in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production. We expect that the here discussed urgently needed pathways towards responsible surface engineering will become important for the surface engineering community and adopted within the near future. Responsible surface engineering includes the human behaviour and necessitates a change in mindset of materials scientists and process engineers. Hence, two main questions are critically evaluated in this perspective:1)What are sustainability-relevant aspects of PVD processes and materials?2)Which pathways are available to move towards responsible surface engineering?