The UNCTAD Sustainable Freight Transport (SFT) Framework provides a modular step-by-step process that details how to plan, design, develop and implement tailored sustainable freight transport strategies. It offers guidance and practical tools to stakeholders from both the public and the private sector across all modes of transport to evaluate the status quo, promote sustainable freight transport systems and track progress.
With the water sector moving towards smart city integration, internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence, and the data economy, blockchain technology can provide a future-proof, integrated foundation for water utilities. Currently in IoT systems, all data goes to a single point of security intelligence, which is vulnerable to possible manipulation and hacking.
The Gorkha Earthquake that struck central Nepal on 25th April 2015 caused extensive damage to the historic centre of Kathmandu, much of which is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main palace that houses Hanuman Dhoka’s Palace Museum, as well as numerous temples and traditional Sattals (rest houses) or pavilions, were damaged or destroyed. In many LDC contexts like in Kathmandu, post-earthquake rehabilitation is dependent on the resilience of the communities, and their successful interaction with policy makers, engineers and architects.
Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental threats to the right to health today, being responsible for 7 million premature deaths each year. Air pollutants also contribute directly to the climate crisis, endangering health and livelihoods of generations current and future.
By 2050, cities will be home to almost 70% of the world population, leaving no doubt that the achievement or failure of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be determined in cities.
In this rapidly urbanizing world, cities are forced to ask tough questions about how they can solve the unprecedented challenges ahead of them and COVID-19 has come to stress these and the urge for a change.
COVID-19 has had a serious impact on all parts of our society, and waste management is no exception. Waste management in developing countries is usually not operated in accordance with international standards, and so there have been additional difficulties with an increased amount of potentially infected waste which requires additional, careful handling and treatment processes.
According to the World Health Organization, each year an estimated 7 million premature deaths – or 1 in every 9 – are attributed to the joint effects of household and outdoor air pollution. In addition to the impacts on human health, some air pollutants affect ecosystems, threaten food and water security and contribute to climate change. Air pollution is a pressing sustainability concern specified in Sustainable Development Goals 3 (good health and well-being), 7 (clean energy), 11 (sustainable cities), 12 (sustainable consumption and production) and 13 (climate action).
When it comes to gender equality in employment, transport as a sector has done very poorly. Overall employment statistics can be difficult to find in sub-Saharan Africa, given the informal nature of much employment but the fact remains that women are under-represented across the sector. The transport sector is a cornerstone of the infrastructure necessary for the delivery of goods and services. It further provides access to skills acquisition and income generation.
Most of malaria infection in sub-Saharan Africa occurs indoors and at night. In 2018, this region accounted for 213 million malaria cases and 380,700 malaria-related deaths. Malaria has consequences for the health status of the population, as well as in education, production, economy, and development.
From 2015-2018, the City of Cape Town in South Africa underwent a severe drought resulting in a water crisis. The city set strict water restrictions to avoid what was called “day zero”: the day that six of Cape Town’s rain-fed dams supplying water to the city would become critically low, leading to the shutting of taps and establishment of water collection points across the city.