Introduction

Abstract

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targets key development issues that are a challenge to poor communities around the globe. It highlights key environmental issues relating to socio-economic aspects of development through systems thinking. Using a system thinking approach, the interconnectedness of development issues is illustrated. With increased climate threats and environmental disasters, this chapter presents a system thinking approach in relation to the SDG’s for sustainable development. Energy security is a challenge to developing countries. Thus renewable energy is proposed as a sustainable source of electricity for developing countries. Adaptation to climate change should help communities to cope with water scarcity to achieve the targets of the SDG. Climate change will also increase the occurrence of diseases, and poor rural communities are suffering from lack of access to basic healthcare. Strategies are being adopted to make healthcare accessible to poor rural communities for sustainable development. Prioritization of climate change adaption approaches has been identified to be effective in helping communities to cope. Environmental sanitation and municipal solid waste management are essential for a healthy population to mitigate the occurrence of communicable diseases. This will enhance sustainable socio-economic development especially when reduce, reuse and recycling initiatives are implemented. The shipment of toxic waste to developing countries has been an issue; recently, the shipment of used ICT products is contaminating the environment in developing countries. Environmental legislation should be adapted to reduce the flow of these waste products.