As individuals, we sometimes feel that there is very little that we can do in the face of global and national challenges, such as pandemics, food insecurity, climate change or drought.
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We have seen clearly in recent months, as the drought intensifies and bushfires rage, that the accelerating climate change is exacerbating drought and desertification conditions in many parts of Australia.
This is contributing to a wide range of physical, economic and mental health issues such as nutrition, infectious diseases, bushfires causing air pollution and post-traumatic stress and suicidal behaviour. There is no doubt that the impact of drought is disastrous to communities.
Today is United Nations Day. A global day marking the anniversary of the existence of the UN charter - signed after WWII in 1945. How is that relevant to addressing issues affecting communities in the Hunter?
The day signifies the formation of a global approach to address issues that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.
CIFAL* Newcastle is a UN and Unitar affiliated Training and Research Centre, and, in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, is positioned to raise awareness and provide sustainable global solutions for communities to be more resilient.
As we hold events across the university to mark United Nations Day, we hope it reminds us of our collective responsibility to reflect how our choices and professional practices affect the environment and generations to come.
Sustainable Development Goal 6, 'Clean water and sanitation' , provides a clear path for collective action by government, businesses and individuals to engage with cities and communities to confront these risks. This can be done by ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water, farm resilience and smart agriculture.
It is also essential to get young people involved in drought resilience programs to discuss the challenges they are facing and how responses to drought can be improved.
So, we mark United Nations Day today to celebrate and to remind us that the goal of a sustainable and prosperous future lies in the decisions we make daily. Those decisions will ultimately reflect what we want our cities and communities to look like by 2030 and beyond.
*Centre International de Formation des Autorités et Leaders (International Training Centre for Authorities and Leaders)
