Dr David Smith at UN High Level Political Forum
Dr David Smith, Coordinator of the Institute for Sustainable Development and Director of the Centre for Environmental Management was one of the key presenters at the United Nations Economic and Social Council’s (ECOSOC) High Level Political Forum earlier this month. This year’s theme was “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies – Building Resilience”. The Forum reviewed the progress made in implementing the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on goals 6, 7, 11, 12, 15 and 17.
Dr Smith who is a member of the Independent Group of Scientists drafting the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) 2019 pointed out that Climate Effects for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Less Developed Countries (LDCs) cannot be avoided, so they must adapt, while paying attention to the effects of climate change on the poor and on the SDGs related to Food and Health. He indicated that Economic activity in many LDCs and SIDS is closely tied to healthy ecosystems and biodiversity (e.g. coral reefs and forests), much of which is threatened by Climate Change and other human activity. He noted that Climate Change effects may increase migration and reduce resilience by eroding a countries’ human capital.
Dr Smith urged the Forum to consider resilience as critical to building back to the place where a community or country would have been, had the disaster never occurred, rather than simply returning to the point the day before disaster struck. He noted that this would help to avoid taking one step forward and two steps back in the case of repeated events. He recommended as a way forward to build human capital to sustain resilience by improving education generally, providing information on hazards and supporting communities to take appropriate action. He also recommended that information on hazards and risks including government data, be made accessible and open without cost, to help countries and communities develop resilience.
Dr Smith suggested that SIDs and LDCs should be positioned on a path to build physical capital for social and economic development. He further suggested that climate funds should be used to finance climate-adapted key structures such as hospitals and clinics, schools, ports and roads, and suggested that new constructions should be regulated with climate resilience in mind.
On the economic level, Dr Smith suggested that the IMF should expand its current studies on resilience to ensure that a pathway to resilience is created for LDCs and Small Island Developing States.
The High Level Political Forum was held from July 9th to the 18th at the UN headquarters in New York. The session in which Dr Smith presented was chaired by ECOSOC Vice President, Her Excellency Inga Rhonda King and moderated by the Ms. Emily Wilkinson of the Overseas Development Institute.
