The Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye, and foreign dignitaries from the United Kingdom, Canada, and Brazil have said regional conflicts, including the Israel-Iran conflict and the Ukraine-Russia wars, among others, are threatening the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals ahead of 2030.
The scholars stated this at the 5th International Sustainable Development Dialogue, tagged ‘Sustainable Development in the Age of Crisis: Humanities, Science and a More Equitable World,’ a programme in conjunction with the Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute (GASDI) and Osun State University.
The scholars blamed the wars on greed, bitterness and lack of patience by leaders, adding that the conflicts cause loss of lives, property, public infrastructure, and affect the green environment.
Addressing the global scholars, Professor Adebooye highlighted that the world is characterised by crises of different magnitudes and consequences not only at the national level but also at continental and intercontinental levels.
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He said that in the last week, the conflict between Israel and Iran, which started like a candlelight, has escalated with far-reaching and severe impacts not just for the immediate region but globally.
“The various consequential dimensions of this war are manifest in the conspicuous humanitarian crisis and rising casualties, geopolitical instability and regional spill-over, economic disruptions, nuclear proliferation concerns and cyber warfare.”
Also, Professor Moises Silva from the University of Bahia, Brazil, said the use of nuclear weapons during war has a great negative impact on the SDG conservation agenda, including the disruption of nature.
He said, “Without nature we cannot live, so this war and others that are happening are really showing us the true face of people that are very greedy and they prefer war to life because every activity of war greatly affects our environment.”
Similarly, Dr Feng Mao from the University of Warwick, UK, said SDGs cannot be achieved alone but require collaborative efforts from all countries, saying, “We have five more years to the deadline of the SDG and all stakeholders must work together to ensure their attainment.”