GEODIVERSITY AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Geodiversity & sustainable development goals 11, 12, & 13.
Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Case study:
SDG 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
The work done by nation states to preserve their geodiversity is a perfect example of the global endeavours towards SDG 11.4 and the conservation of natural heritage. The video below shows an example from the UNESCO World Heritage List: Wadi Al-Hitan in Egypt:
Case study:
SDG 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
Geohazards, the risks we face from elements of geodiversity such as earthquakes and volcanoes, are a key issue to be managed through the SDG 11.5 target. Through international engagement on topics in geodiversity, we can make communities more resilient to geohazards, and reduce the effects of these risks in the future.
The world UNESCO does in disaster risk reduction, including geohazards, is outlined in the video below:
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Case study:
SDG 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
Natural resources will continue to play an essential role as economies shift to being more sustainable. These natural resources are naturally tied to geodiversity. From ground-hosted water, to soils in which crops grow, to the minerals extracted to build the sustainable technologies of the future - all rely on our understanding of geodiversity.
WWF Finland and Metso have been collaborating on environmental issues since 2002. The video below shows some of the challenges, but also opportunities for progress as the natural resources sector moves to a more sustainable future.
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Case study:
SDG 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
Geodiversity is key to our understanding what action to taken to combat climate change. Geodiversity is a natural laboratory that gives us evidence of past climate, landscape change, and the causes. By studying the geological record and understanding how our planet's environments have evolved we can make better choices in tackling the greatest global challenge of modern times.