SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
8,068,030,651. At the time of writing this post, that was the exact number of people on the earth. We are witnessing history. Throughout human civilization, we are living in a time with the highest number of alive humans on earth at the same time. Advancements in medical science and food production have actively contributed to an increase in the life expectancy of people on earth.
While this is a win,
as we are obviously doing better than our ancestors, a new problem has risen.
Where do we keep all these people?
Over the years, all around the world, we have witnessed mass migration of people from rural to urban areas in chase of access to better amenities and opportunities. In many developing countries, slums and squalors are constantly growing as the cities are either too populated or too expensive for people.
With the issue of overcrowding and overpopulation, a plethora of problems have emanated. Insecurity, health risks, pollution are just some of such problems.
The 11th SDG seeks to address this. The goal is to build sustainable cities and communities that do not only offer access to opportunities and amenities but safe, affordable shelter.
What are Sustainable Cities?
To understand this concept, we must first know what cities are.
This is where the first problem actually lies. What defines a city? It has become quite ambiguous in recent times. By demography, we understand that cities are bigger in population than towns and villages.
But is that all what makes a city? Its size?
The European Commission defines cities on the Degree of Urbanisation. This system focuses more on population density than just population itself.
Due to the fact that the definition keeps chanting from nation to nation, the UN deemed it fit to get a universal functional definition of what cities are.
With growing populations, the resources located in many cities are under strain as it becomes harder to cater to the needs of so many people.
A sustainable city however is one that is self-sufficient in energy, manages waste to produce energy, has more sustainable transport, maintains green spaces and manages and uses its natural resources correctly.
Why Should We Care?
1. CONVENIENCE: You may live in a comfortable space right now but it is only a natter of time before our cities become grossly overpopulated.
This leads to congestion, traffic jams and shortage of resources like water and electricity.
2. HEALTH: The more congested an area, the more likely the inhabitants are to contracting communicable diseases. People who live in slums and squalors are at a big risk of coming down with ailments like Tuberculosis and viral Hepatitis.
What Can We Do?
It is the job of the government to draft out plans and city maps. Here is what we can do as citizens.
1. KEEP TO PLANS: The plans are there to guide us and help us live better lives.
Let us keep to our side of the property. Let’s not encroach on other peoples property. When areas are marked out for particular projects, we should leave them untouched. These include things like forest reserves and parks.
2. USE CLEAN ENERGY: Carbon dioxide emissions are on the rise these days. This is a big problem as the carbon footprints of large cities keep increasing.
Things like exhaust from vehicles, burning trees and the likes contribute to emissions.
By using green energy sources like solar panels, we can reduce this problem.
3. KEEP THE ENVIRONMENT CLEAN: With the increase in people living in the same area, the amount of waste being produced will increase. If we do not take care of our trash, it will become a problem.
We need to organise our waste and recycle and keep the environment clean.
This reduces the risk of illness and makes living in congested areas easier.
We need to build societies that are sustainable taking cognisance of the ever growing population. Accomplishing this is a joint effort and we need all hands on deck.
