BY STAFF REPORTER
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about unprecedented social, economic and political challenges worldwide. As part of the globe, Africa is also impacted hugely by the pandemic; and it is facing huge complication in its health and education sectors and severe contraction on the economy.
Worse than this, the pandemic is being unknown how long it will last; is causing the situation more uncertainty and more challenging though countries are devising and implementing different measures to dealing with the pandemic and mitigate its undesirable impacts.
However, it seems that the situation is more challenging than before as the economies of most of the countries in the continent is declining alarmingly.
As studies indicate, following the pandemic, Africa’s economic advancement and development is staggered seriously. Owning to this, achieving the development goals of the continent, that is, Sustainable Development Goals, (SDGs) 2030, seems to be challenging.
“Current growth trajectories suggest that many countries will fail to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the 2030 deadline,” UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management Director said.
In a press release sent to local media, ECA Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resource Management Director Jean-Paul Adam said most of the African countries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will not be able to achieve the SDGs set for 2030.
In addition to lack of commitment for effective implementation of the Agenda by many African countries in an integrated way and in collaboration with concerned stakeholders, the pandemic exacerbated deeply entrenched vulnerabilities, gaps, and inequalities within the countries, the Director noted.
Coronavirus has severely tested the social, economic, political, and environmental resilience, exacting a massive toll on the poor and most vulnerable and jeopardizing decades of hard-won development gains especially to the African countries.
“The COVID-19 crisis is playing out against the backdrop of hitherto unseen climate change and biodiversity loss,” Adam said, emphasizing that the climate crisis should not be treated as distinct from the health and economic crises instigated by the pandemic because the three crises and their solutions are interconnected.
To achieve the Agenda, Adam stressed the importance of reconstructing socio-economic systems by leveraging opportunities presented by green and low carbon development trajectories with a view to building a resilient, inclusive and sustainable Africa.
The seventh Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development to took place from 1-4 March 2021explored significance of inclusive green growth as a sustainable path to Africa’s development.
The Ethiopian Herald March 23/2021
