Published By: UNESCO PublishingThe planet Earth is in a dire state. Natural resources
have been overexploited. A significant loss of
biodiversity is occurring while a massive rise of carbon
levels is leading to climate change and associated
extreme weather. Toxic substances are increasingly
found in air, water, soil, and flora and fauna. The planet
faces desertification, drought and land degradation.
Human living conditions have not fared much better.
Even though the number of people living in extreme
poverty has declined by over 1 billion (United Nations,
2015a), disparities between rich and poor continue to
rise. Oxfam recently reported that the world’s richest 62
people possess as much wealth as the poorest 3.6 billion
(Hardoon et al., 2016). Too many people are trapped in
poverty, and lack clean air and drinking water as well as
adequate food and nutrition. Many families are forcibly
displaced or on the run due to protracted conflict. Wide
disparities persist in access to education of good quality.
It is out of these concerns that the concept of sustainable
development was born.
Author(s): UNESCO UNESCO | Posted on: Sep 25, 2017 | Views() | Download (117)