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As Oscar Auliq-Ice famously quotes “You can make a positive impact on society and the environment without sacrificing returns.” this is what sustainable development goals tell us to do. Sustainable development goals or SDGs are a set of 17 goals brought up by the United Nations to bring sustainable development in society by 2030, though they are not legally binding.
Globalization and its effect on gender
The world has witnessed an enormous transformation over the past three decades, fostered by increasing global flows of goods and services, technology, and information due to increased globalization. Globalization can generally be defined as the integration of world economies by removing barriers to trade and encouraging the free flow of foreign investment, private portfolio capital, and labor across national boundaries. Globalization can be one of the most recurrent factors affecting the attainment of Sustainable development goals. It can impact positively or negatively or both.
Goal 11 talks about sustainable cities and communities which mean making cities and communities sustainable i.e. human settlements resilient, safe, and sustainable. SDG 11 has 10 targets to be achieved by the year 2030. Some positive effects of globalization on sustainable cities and communities are:
Globalization has changed the characteristics of cities and communities in many ways by increasing global trade of goods & services, technology, etc. This has helped the cities and communities to prosper and grow.
It has also resulted in increased economic opportunities by integrating various sectors and removing various barriers. This has helped the cities and communities to develop at a larger pace as compared to cities that are not yet globalized. Trade openness and the spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) have increased access to economic opportunities among the people.
Free flow of trade results in increasing exports and imports which ultimately results in trade balance and rise of foreign exchange which is a symbol of economic development.
Furthermore, with the impact of globalization, sustainable cities and communities including large metropolitan cities and small districts have been successful in eliminating poverty to a very large extent, providing employment opportunities, bettering infrastructure, and also providing adequate services to the people at large. It has also increased inbound tourism which means visits to a country by visitors who are not residents of that country. This helps in promoting the domestic culture and practices of local communities.
Example- India has shown a drastic improvement since it integrated into the global economy in 1991 when the New Economic Reforms were introduced. Its economy grew by 7.7% between 2002-2012 as compared to 3.5% between 1980-1990. Its exports have constantly risen which results in a negative balance of payments which is a good sign for the country. The Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has reached 2% of GDP, compared with 0.1% in 1990 which is also a result of globalization. But as every coin has 2 flip sides it means every story has two sides. Hence globalization did benefit sustainable cities and communities but it has also many negative impacts on sustainable cities and communities. They are as follows:
Though globalization has helped cities and communities grow and develop, it results in insecurities among people about their jobs and the economic activities they are performing. This leads to exploitation of the labor force.
Globalization has also led to fluctuation in prices due to increasing competition among people and lower prices. This is a big disadvantage to communities as they are forced to reduce the price to sustain themselves in the global market.
Globalization has had a negative impact on sustainable cities and communities as it creates a divide between the developed and the underdeveloped.
In the book “Globalisation and the Sustainability of Cities in the Asia Pacific Region” authored by Lo, Fu-chen & Marcotullio, Peter J. originally published in 2001, scholars from around the region analyze the impacts of globalization on cities in the Asia Pacific region. They give useful insight into how globalization has impacted cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, and many more.
Sustainable cities and communities are caught in a position that is pressuring them to do more work by using as less resources as they can. The increased competition and very high demand are pressuring sustainable cities and communities to develop robust infrastructure and provide adequate facilities related to health, education, etc. It includes safe transport systems, affordable housing, and universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible, green and public spaces among many other goals. Very basic services like health, sanitation, and education are also part of this. Despite the COVID-19 challenge, this needs to be achieved as soon as possible to make the life of people living in the cities and various communities better and more sustainable. The enforcement needs to be monitored by the implementing agencies and a robust system needs to be developed to tackle the various challenges on the path to sustainable cities and communities.
REFERENCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Development_Goal_11 https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-editorials/covid-19-and-globalization
https://geography101.blogs.bucknell.edu/2018/12/10/the-negative-effects-of-globalization-on-the-global-economy/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/27768139 https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/463503?ln=en https://www.drishtiias.com/to-the-points/paper3/sustainable-development-3
