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.
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: