Environment and Sustainable Development

• The Amazon Basin encompasses 7,000,000 km². (2,700,000 sq mi), of which 5,500,000 km² (2,100,000 sq mi) are covered by the rainforest.
• The majority of the forest is contained within Brazil, with 60% of the rainforest, followed by Peru with 13%, Colombia with 10%, and with minor amounts present in Venezuela, French Guiana, Bolivia, Ecuador, Suriname.
• More than 30 million people of 350 different ethnic groups live in the Amazon which are subdivided into 9 different national political systems and 3,344 formally acknowledged indigenous territories.
• More than 56% of the dust fertilizing the Amazon rainforest comes from the Bodele depression in Northern Chad in the Sahara desert. The dust contains phosphorus, important for plant growth.
• The region is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2,000 birds and mammals. To date, at least 40,000 plant species, 2,200 fishes, 1294 birds, 427 mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been

The main contributors to environmental degradation include modern urbanization, industrialization, population expansion, deforestation, etc. Unplanned urbanization and industrialization have contaminated the water, air, and sound systems. The air is additionally polluted by the smoke produced by automobiles and industries, which includes nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and chlorofluorocarbon.

Some of the current environmental issues that require urgent attention are:

Climate Change: Climate change is a great concern in today's scenario. This problem has surfaced in the last few decades. Greenhouse gases are the major cause of climate change. Environmental changes have several destructive impacts such as the melting of glaciers, change in seasons, epidemics, etc.

Global Warming: The burning of fossil fuels, emissions from automobiles and chlorofluorocarbons add to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has led to an increase in the earth's temperature causing environmental changes. This increase in temperature across the globe is known as global warming.

Ozone Layer Depletion: The ozone layer is a layer of concentrated ozone gas. It protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. This very important layer is being destroyed by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), which are used in industries and everyday life (e.g. aerosol cans). The chlorine in these compounds destroys the ozone layer. The hole in the ozone layer leaves humans and wildlife exposed to harmful UV rays resulting in several skin diseases including cancer.

Water Pollution: The introduction of harmful substances into rivers, oceans, lakes and ponds, which changes the physical, chemical or biological condition of the water is called water pollution. The polluted water lacks oxygen and therefore the organisms die. Water is the main source of life and therefore it is our prime duty to prevent it from any kind of pollution.

Air pollution is the result of emissions from industries, automobiles, and the increasing use of fossil fuels. The gaseous emissions have added to an increase in the temperature of the earth. Not only this, but it had also increased the risk of diseases among individuals.

Solid-waste management is defined as the discipline associated with the generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid waste in a manner that it does not have a harmful effect on the environment.

Deforestation is the depletion of trees and forests at an alarming rate. The trees provide us with oxygen, and several raw materials and also maintain the temperature of the earth. Due to the depletion of trees for commercial purposes, there has been a drastic change in the earth's climate.Forests are an abode to a large number of wild animals and plants. Destruction of forests has led to the elimination of a large number of plants and animal species affecting biodiversity.

• It is a global network established in 2012 by the United Nations (UN).
• It aims to promote practical solutions for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at national and international levels.
• It focuses on mobilising expertise by connecting universities, research institutions, and national laboratories to identify and develop solutions for tackling critical sustainability challenges.
• The Secretariat of the SDSN is located in Paris, France; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and New York, US.
• Only 16% of SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030, with 84% showing limited or reversed progress.
• Since 2020, global SDG progress has stagnated, particularly for SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger), 11 (Sustainable Cities), 14 (Life Below Water), 15 (Life on Land), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions).
• Significant reversals in progress is observed in obesity rates (SDG 2), press freedom (SDG 16), red list index (SDG 15), sustainable nitrogen management (SDG 2), and life expectancy at birth (SDG 3), influenced by Covid-19 and other factors.
• Progress towards SDG9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), is showing slightly positive trends.