The 25th session of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), being held in Geneva and online from 28 March to 1 April, will examine how to leverage science, technology and innovation for sustainable urban development in a post-pandemic world, announced a statement from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Throughout the pandemic, the use of disposable plastics has significantly increased urban plastic pollution and inappropriate waste management practices. But technologies could address these problems more sustainably and at a lower cost, writes UNCTAD. One example is satellite technology, according to Miguel Bello Mora, CEO of the AIR Centre, an intergovernmental organisation that helps countries use technologies to promote development.
In the statement, he said satellites help urban authorities identify vulnerability to natural hazards and provide data to mitigate the impact of these disasters. They also monitor air quality in urban areas. “This is a serious problem in many African cities, where poor air quality causes many deaths,” Mora said. His company is working with UNCTAD to help developing countries address urban sustainability challenges.
UNCTAD’s director of technology and logistics, Shamika N. Sirimanne, added that the pandemic has shown the importance of science, technology and innovation in ensuring the resilience of urban systems, saying that digital technologies “have helped economies and societies continue functioning during the crisis”.
The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11 seeks to enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanisation in all countries by 2030, among other targets, according to the statement.
