scholarly journals COVID-19 Hard Lockdown in South Africa: Lessons for Climate Stakeholders Pursuing the Thirteenth Sustainable Development Goal

2021 ◽  
pp. 002190962110439
Author(s):  
Eromose E. Ebhuoma

As a result of South Africa recording its first COVID-19 index case in March 2020, the country imposed one of the strictest lockdowns globally. The lockdown unearthed vital lessons that climate practitioners both in South Africa – the largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the African continent – and globally can draw from to facilitate the achievement of the thirteenth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 13). Drawing on secondary data analysis of media reports regarding South Africa’s strategy to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on the hard lockdown, three themes emerged. These were rephrased to align appropriately with the discourse on climate change (CC). These include changing the distant framing narrative of CC, prioritizing green growth and utilizing credible messengers. Each theme is discussed critically in terms of how it will aid climate policy developers and practitioners in facilitating the attainment of SDG 13.

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 950-967
Author(s):  
Happy Mathew Tirivangasi ◽  
Sejabaledi Agnes Rankoana ◽  
Louis Nyahunda

The aim of this paper is to present climate change health related effects that may pose a challenge for South Africa to attain South Africa’s plans to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SGD) 3. It examined South Africa’s preparedness to address the impacts of climate change in order to best achieve SDGs 3. Climate change is a challenging phenomenon, which has seen many people around the world being affected by its effects unaware and unprepared. Climate change affects weather patterns, for instance rainfall patterns and temperatures. Consequently, this resulted in draughts, floods, diseases, veld fires, high temperatures, changing times of floods occurrences and depleted water resources in Africa and the rest of the world. This has placed human life in danger. Considering the increasing burden of diseases, the United Nations (UN) adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address of poverty, hunger disease and want by 2030. However, climate change threatens the ability of countries to achieve this by the anticipated time. The researchers conducted an extensive content analysis by interrogating various sources of literatures sources that include journal articles, thesis, academic books, and documents written by the government of South Africa. The study reveals that that climate related deaths will increase between 2030 and 2050 due to these health impacts of climate change. The study reveals that South Africa, like many other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa faces threat of vector borne diseases, mental health, malnutrition, and diarrheal, and other disease resulting from water scarcity and heat waves. This comes because of high prevalence of drought, floods, and increased temperatures. The study recommends early awareness and new communication strategies for the promotion of mental health, heat education campaign and prevention of vector borne diseases.  


Author(s):  
Shingirai S. Mugambiwa ◽  
Happy M. Tirivangasi

This article aims to assess the impacts of climate change towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal number two (SDG 2) as well as examining the poverty alleviation strategies by subsistence farmers in South Africa. Widespread hunger and poverty continue to be among the most life-threatening problems confronting mankind. Available statistics show that global poverty remains a serious challenge around the world. Across the globe, one in five people lives on less than $1 a day and one in seven suffers from chronic hunger. Similarly, the developing world is adversely affected by poverty and hunger. In the sub-Saharan Africa, research has revealed a higher prevalence of hunger, malnutrition, poverty and food insecurity. SDG 2 focuses more on eliminating hunger and promoting sustainable agriculture. The study employed an exploratory design and a qualitative method. Snowball sampling was used in selecting relevant sources which led the researchers to other research work on the same field through keywords and reference lists. The researchers employed discourse analysis to analyse data. The study discovered that there are numerous potential effects climate change could have on agriculture. It affects crop growth and quality and livestock health. Farming practices could also be affected as well as animals that could be raised in particular climatic areas. The impact of climate change as well as the susceptibility of poor communities is very immense. The article concludes that climate change reduces access to drinking water, negatively affects the health of people and poses a serious threat to food security.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugues Seraphin ◽  
Mamadou Bah ◽  
Alan Fyall ◽  
Vanessa Gowreesunkar

Purpose This study aims to focus on the phenomenon of “over-education” characterized by a discrepancy between education provided and the needs of the economy vis-à-vis employment. The study considers this issue with reference to tourism and courses taught in the field. Specifically, the phenomenon of over-education is investigated with reference to university graduates in tourism and their employability in the sector. Design/methodology/approach The research design draws from secondary data derived from a review of the literature on tourism and education. Findings The findings point to a need to consider aspects of tourism (field of study and discipline) in destination management. This is to avoid discrepancy at macro and micro levels and at a discipline and industry level. This strategy would also help to ensure synergy between tourism education and the needs of the tourism industry as advocated by the Helix model. Originality/value By focussing on over-education, this study shows that Sustainable development goal (SDG) 4, which relates to quality education, may be addressed. The outcome of the study also leads to the conclusion that SDG 4 should be based on not only access to education and school enrolment rates at all levels, particularly for girls, but also the relationship between education and actual employment.


Author(s):  
Inge K. Sonn ◽  
Marieta Du Plessis ◽  
Carel D. Jansen Van Vuuren ◽  
Janene Marais ◽  
Emma Wagener ◽  
...  

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic struck globally and has affected higher education institutions (HEIs) and their operations, indirectly impacting the progress of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 achieved thus far. This article addresses HEIs achievements and challenges experienced in the wake of the pandemic. Online news media reports played a facilitative role in providing information to the HEI communities. A rapid review exploring online news media messages relating to higher education at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa was utilised. Narrative synthesis was used to analyse the data. The results highlight HEIs achievements, which aim to ensure that all students receive the same level of education and provision in terms of devices and mental health support. However, challenges were also experienced at HEIs and include students feeling uncertainty and fear regarding completing their education. Furthermore, the results also show that not all students received the same level of education due to contextual factors, thus deepening the existing social disparities in Africa. The pandemic provides an opportunity for HEIs to embed the components of global citizenship education into the curriculum and to work in an innovative way to promote Sustainable Development Goal 4.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Prem Ramlachan

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 advocates the need for inclusive and equitable quality education, which will promote life-long learning opportunities for all. Globally, however, the demand for access to higher education exceeds the places which are available, resulting in many students who cannot obtain places in institutions and in their respective programmes of choice.A case study research method was utilized, using a private higher education institution (HEI), referred to here as “Institution Y”. The empirical part of the search focused on engaging in dialogue with some of the directors based on their experience by retrieving information around the internationalisation of private higher education.South Africa, in its quest to be the preferred destination of choice to study and research, has to discover a working basis that is universal in its application. Arguments influencing inclusivity, equality and life-long learning focuses around conceptualisation, foot-printing and agility, surfaced in the study.The potential impact and influence of private HEIs on internationalisation of higher education can only be aligned with Goal 4 if re-conceptualisation, increasing the international footprint and agility, is driven aggressively for the greater good of the South African higher education.It is advocated, amongst other recommendations, that private and public higher educations be strengthened systemically in South Africa, so that it becomes the destination of choice for higher education to realise Sustainable Development Goal 4.


Author(s):  
Doreen S. Boyd ◽  
Bertrand Perrat ◽  
Xiaodong Li ◽  
Bethany Jackson ◽  
Todd Landman ◽  
...  

AbstractThis article provides an example of the ways in which remote sensing, Earth observation, and machine learning can be deployed to provide the most up to date quantitative portrait of the South Asian ‘Brick Belt’, with a view to understanding the extent of the prevalence of modern slavery and exploitative labour. This analysis represents the first of its kind in estimating the spatiotemporal patterns in the Bull’s Trench Kilns across the Brick Belt, as well as its connections with various UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a principal focus on Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 regarding the effective measures to end modern slavery by 2030, the article provides additional evidence on the intersections that exist between SDG 8.7 and those relating to urbanisation (SDG 11, 12), environmental degradation and pollution (SDG 3, 14, 15), and climate change (SDG 13). Our findings are then used to make a series of pragmatic suggestions for mitigating the most extreme SDG risks associated with brick production in ways that can improve human lives and human freedom.


Author(s):  
Erimma Gloria Orie

AbstractDespite international efforts on poverty reduction in the last decade, poverty is rampant in many countries including Nigeria. Poverty remains a principal challenge for development in twenty-first century and a threat to achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, which is a global attempt, among others, to end poverty by 2030. Meanwhile, 13 out of the 15 countries where extreme poverty is rising are in Africa. According to the World Poverty Clock, Nigeria, by 2018, had the largest extreme poverty population of 86.9 million, thus making the people vulnerable to malnutrition, armed conflict, migration, and other socioeconomic and environmental shocks. Whereas these impacts are exacerbated by climate change (CC), unfortunately, Nigeria’s adaptation efforts are inadequate due to certain impediments. The chapter finds that Nigeria lacks the CC law to properly regulate institutional and policy interventions to impacts of CC. It argues that although adaptation as opposed to mitigation is interim, yet integrating adaptation measures into Sustainable Development (SD) framework and poverty reduction strategies is a potent means of addressing CC impacts on the poor and achieve SDG1 target. The chapter therefore recommends the establishment of CC law in Nigeria that incorporates adaptation measures in poverty reduction strategies and mainstreaming of CC issues.


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