Technology has positive and negative impacts in each of these spheres. Digital advances can support and accelerate the achievement of each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Cutting-edge technologies can enable emerging countries to achieve their growth and sustainable development objectives

Technology improves life and work in different ways; From increasing access to information to improving healthcare and education, as global challenges grow like never before; Technology can contribute to building a more sustainable future. Let’s explore the potential of technology as an enabler of sustainable development !

Countries have set various plans and goals to make the world more sustainable by 2030, and thanks to the rapid technological developments, the chances of achieving these plans and goals have increased, until technology has become a development tool in itself, as the sustainable development plan emphasizes that the spread of information and communication technology and global interdependence has great potential to accelerate progress. Human rights, bridging the digital divide and creating societies based on knowledge, which is also promised by scientific and technological innovation in various fields such as medicine and energy.

Technology, along with science and innovation, is one of the three main elements for achieving development, which are integrated with each other in order to produce, disseminate and use knowledge in assessing development challenges according to available evidence and gathering the necessary information about possible solutions. Science is dedicated to collecting knowledge in a systematic way, while technology involves applying that. Knowledge in order to achieve a specific goal, while innovation involves adopting new ways of producing and using goods and services on the basis of technology and the development of social and economic systems.

Despite the negative impact of technology on sustainable development represented in the depletion of resources, increased energy consumption, and environmental damage; Databases, IoT technologies, artificial intelligence, and cloud storage services have facilitated the transition to sustainability with the ability to identify and adequately address its potential negative impacts.

Sustainable development is not only related to the environmental field, as the economic and social aspects are equally important, and technology must have an effective role in these three areas. Enhancing economic and environmental sustainability requires addressing social sustainability first, and this means urging individuals to adhere to sustainable practices such as Recycle and reduce water and energy consumption, and there are many technologies that allow people to control all of these things, for example smart lighting systems only illuminate specific areas and smart thermostats which maintain certain temperatures during specific times of the day, which reduces powerless.

For sustainable economic growth; Technology can help improve the operational processes of institutions and open the horizon for new jobs, for example, and finally, environmental sustainability may help preserve natural resources and ensure their continuity for future generations, and technology can be harnessed for mutual benefit in several ways, most notably the shift to renewable energy sources.

The following are the most prominent areas through which technology can contribute to creating a sustainable future.

Poverty reduction

700 million people – about 10% of the world’s population – still suffer from extreme poverty. In Africa, for example, the majority live on less than $1.90 a day. But providing digital financial services to low-income people and offering affordable communication technologies in marginalized communities will contribute to openness On new markets, creating jobs and a source of income that helps individuals and families get out of poverty, as well as providing safety and support nets to improve their standard of living in the long run.

Although access to digital financial services helps eradicate poverty, 1.4 billion people around the world do not have bank accounts, which requires more work to expand financial inclusion to rural areas and further reduce the gender gap in bank account ownership.

Food security

Hunger is one of the most important challenges that puts the world at a crossroads, as the problem of food insecurity and malnutrition is expected to worsen, and 670 million people will continue to suffer from hunger by 2030, but technology can enable farmers to adopt sustainable practices that help improve crop disease. Reducing costs and rationalizing water and energy consumption, using IoT technology, sensors, drones, etc., makes agriculture more intelligent, efficient and effective, improves farmers’ working conditions and strengthens rural communities.

Improving the health of individuals

The Covid 19 pandemic resulted in a new perception of health care that transcends the barrier of the walls of facilities or medical buildings in its traditional concept, so that telemedicine becomes possible thanks to technology, as modern technologies such as artificial intelligence enable disease prediction, improve interaction with patients, and collect and analyze accurate health information.

Good Education

773 million people lack basic reading and writing skills, while 69.4 million people in the Arab region are illiterate, according to the ALECSO report. In 2021, inequalities in access to literacy programs persist and are multidimensional.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, more than 264 children were out of the scope of education, according to UNESCO estimates, and the pandemic came to confirm the importance of the Internet for the continuity of education, to achieve the sustainable development goal of quality, equitable and inclusive education for all, and to enhance lifelong learning opportunities. Technology has addressed this problem by opening the horizons of distance learning, and there are world-leading experiences in the field of digital transformation in education, to provide distance education in a smart and flexible way based on artificial intelligence technology.

Confronting climate change

Environmental problems such as drought and desertification are major obstacles to achieving sustainable development. According to World Bank estimates, climate change may push more than 100 million people into poverty by 2030.

According to the International Labor Organization report Employment and Prospects in the World 2018 Greening with Employment Opportunities; Heat stress will cause a global loss of 2% in working hours by 2030 due to increased incidence of disease. Here, technology emerges as an effective solution to address climate challenges, by developing renewable energy sources and accelerating the move towards a low-carbon economy, such as technological solutions can reduce global carbon emissions by up to 15% by 2030.

Many studies confirmed that technology has a fundamental role in improving performance in the environmental field, enhancing resource management and raising awareness of environmental risks by eliminating the phenomenon of deforestation and raising energy efficiency. Technology can facilitate access to the sustainable development goals, but its responsible use remains essential to ensure that it is benefited from without causing any harm. Therefore, policy makers, private, public companies, social entrepreneurs, and individuals must work together to ensure that technology is used to achieve economic growth, social well-being and environmental protection.