Climate Change-Induced Extreme Events and Management Strategies in the Context of SDG 2030

Abstract

Extreme events caused by climate change exert both direct and indirect impacts globally, significantly increasing vulnerabilities across diverse ecosystems. These events’ heightened intensity and frequency pose considerable challenges to food security, lead to poverty, and affect natural resources, the economy, environmental health, and societal well-being. Recognizing the urgent need for a collective response, nations have adopted standardized tools, namely Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and the Paris Agreement. These instruments are designed to serve as frameworks for countries to both prevent and adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, a more detailed critical examination is necessary on this aspect of extreme events of climate change, adaptation strategies, and the SDGs. Therefore, this review focused on exploring the connections between the climate change-induced extreme events and management strategies employed towards achieving the global agenda of 2030. This chapter reviewed published articles collected from Scopus and publicly available reports based on the availability of open-access documents. There is a slow-growing trend in the number of articles published on climate change and SDGs in Southeast and South Asian nations, rising from 2 in 2015 to 130 in 2023. India, Malaysia, and Pakistan were the leading countries in the number of papers published. Notably, the total number of published papers from India was double that of Malaysia. India’s and Indonesia’s emissions increased by 78.33 and 25.41 million tonnes of CO2e annually, respectively. A strong connection between climate change and SDGs is essential to reduce vulnerability and enhance resilience. This assessment highlights how current management strategies mitigate the impacts of climate extremes and how climate-smart, and nature-based solutions, along with integrated knowledge systems, reduce exposure more effectively than climate-inefficient measures. To tackle the climate crisis and advance sustainable development, it is essential to evaluate the impacts of extreme climate events. This study offers valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, climate activists, and practitioners involved in the joint efforts of SDGs in response to climate extremes.