GEODIVERSITY AND THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Geodiversity & sustainable development goals 6 & 7.
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Case study:
SDG 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
Geodiversity plays a fundamental role in regulating our environments. For example, the flow of a river is regulated by the input of geologically-hosted groundwater, such that even in times of drought the river may still flow. Rocks and sediments play a crucial role in filtering polluted surface water before it reaches an aquifer. Understanding, and sustainably using geodiversity is crucial to the realisation of SDG 6.
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Balsher Singh Sidhu explains the challenges in securing sustainable water supplies:
Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Case study:
SDG 7.b: By 2030, expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programmes of support
Lucy Crane, a geologist working in Cornwall, explains the importance of using geological resources (and therefore geodiversity) in securing a low carbon future through sustainable energy sources: