Sustainable Development in The Time of Pandemic: A National and Global perspective

Sustainable Development in The Time of Pandemic: A National and Global Perspective.

Globally the year 2020 has been defined by crises. Our generation has never experienced public health and economic crises like those created by the COVID 19 Pandemic. In the first six months of 2020, half a million lives have been lost, an estimated 1.3 billion people have lost their jobs, and more than three trillion dollars have disappeared from our economy. These events have caused tremendous uncertainty and pressure on the social, economic, and environmental systems we depend on for our daily survival.

This interdisciplinary panel presents a series of case studies using a sustainability approach for problem-solving. Each case focuses on a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), and analyses the impact the health, economic, and social crises have on the attainments of the SDGs for 2030. Will these crises make us more polarized, or will they bring us closer? The panel provides recommendations by analyzing each case through conflict resolution and peace-building lenses, looking at opportunities to rebuild from crises while making us more resilient.

The researchers used qualitative methodology to collect information for this study. Data collection included secondary sources, structured, and semi-structured interviews of subject matter experts and government officials.

This panel was developed as an extension of a series of webinars presented for the Advanced Practicum Class “Sustainable Development in The Time of Pandemic”.