Millennium Development Goal Seven

Every ten seconds, over 1,000,000 organisms from undiscovered species are killed (National Geographic Magazine). Deforestation, the release of poisonous greenhouse gasses, the overdevelopment of land - the dangers facing our environment are largely, if not entirely, man-made. Without action, we risk killing all of our biodiversity, depleting our resources, and destroying the world. In the year 2000, the United Nations decided to take action, and established the Millenium Development Goals in an effort to reverse some of the damage done to our environment. These 8 goals, ranging from reducing poverty and hunger to eliminating the spread of diseases, are aimed at improving global the quality of life. Each goal has specific targets in an effort to be achieved by 2015. MDG 7 is about ensuring environmental sustainability. Despite many forests, animals, land and marine areas, and natural resources being protected, each day we get further and further from achieving Millenium Development Goal 7 by 2015. While countries like Mauritius are leading the way to combat the unlikeliness of achieving the goal, other countries like Zambia are being held back by issues such as little funding and commitment. (UN MDG Report 2013)
We rely on our Earth’s natural assets to keep us alive. However, if we continue to deplete our resources, we won’t remain on Earth for long. The UN selected these issues to be an MDG because without what this MDG strives to achieve, we wouldn’t survive.


Target 7A is, “Integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources.” So far, this target has not been achieved, in fact, we have gotten even further from achieving it since the MDGs began. Unfortunately, the same can be said for target 7B, reducing biodiversity loss and achieving, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss. Many more marine and land areas are under protection; despite this, animal and fish populations have decreased exponentially. On a happier note, we have been inching towards target 7C, “Halve, by 2015, the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation”. Even though baby steps have been taken towards achieving this goal, steady progress has been made.In 1990, the amount of people in rural areas who had access to clean drinking water was at a little over two million. In 2011, however, almost four million people in rural areas had access to clean drinking water. Even better than target 7C is target 7D. We have taken leaping strides towards to this target and have surpassed in, twice. Target 7D is to, “by 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers”. Globally, the percentage of people living in slum dwellers has dropped incredibly. (UN MDG Report 2013)
On a smaller scale, one country in which the seventh MDG has been doing well is Mauritius. Mauritius has already achieved the first and second goals. In this country, political leaders are chasing after a sustainable plan for the future and they are backed by Mauritian supporters of the environment and MDGs. (UNDG Mauritius - MDG Status Report 2013) However, one country in which planning is not in the eyes of the public is Zambia. Zambia is far from achieving any of its goals. One ever-present reason is illegal deforestation. Almost all of the trees in Zambia are protected, but that isn’t stopping people. They continue to chop down the precious trees despite the laws against it.

Mauritius has, so far, breezed through MDG 7. It has already achieved targets A and C, but is struggling to meet target B. Before the MDGs were formed, Mauritius had less of a drive toward environmental protection. Now, with the pressure of the deadline, people in positions of leadership are fighting their way toward achieving all of the MDGs. (UNDG Mauritius - MDG Status Report 2013)

Their proportion of population using an improved drinking water source has risen from 95.7 to 99.6 since only 2011. This was achieved through wise use of funds and determination.  Also, the amount of land areas protected has risen from 5.7% to 7.6%. This was met with many different ideas and policies. (UNDG Mauritius - MDG Status Report 2013)
Mauritius has employed many different techniques to move towards achieving MDG 7. They have also looked into many different plans, specifically, the first National Environment Strategy and National Environment Action Plan also known as the NES and NEAP. Mauritius has also looked into other policies such as the National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan, the National Forestry Policy, the Long Term Energy Strategy , the Islets National Park Strategic, and the National Program on Sustainable Consumption and Production. The NES and NEAP are policies set in place to plan actions dedicated to protecting the environment. The National Biodiversity Strategy & Action Plan, the National Forestry Policy, the Long Term Energy Strategy, the Islets National Park Strategic, and the National program on Sustainable Consumption and Production are more specific. They focus singularly on biodiversity, illegal forestration, energy usage, and long-term safety concerning the usage of natural resources while the NES and NEAP focus on those and many others. (UNDG Mauritius - Status Report 2013)
Mauritius had little trouble achieving the first and lasts target, but the second target is becoming difficult. The first target, integrating the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources, has been achieved twice over and the fourth target, achieving, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers, was a challenge met head-on. (UNDG  Mauritius - Status Report 2013) 
Mauritius is a small country, only 2,030 square kilometers. The country is having difficulty controlling the fluctuations in animal populations. (Mauritius.net) In the future, Mauritius is very likely to continue doing the things it does now. It has put much effort and research into longstanding policies. The country expects to continue investing the time and money they have put into achieving the MDGs for many years to come. (UNDG Mauritius - Status Report 2013)


Zambia is one country that appears to be struggling to achieve MDG 7. It has specifically fallen behind in target C. Not many noticeable changes have been made its way towards success. Zambia is still about as far from achieving the MDGs as it was before they were instated. This country has made very, very little progress.
A little more than five years ago, a nonprofit organization released its annual list of the world’s top ten most polluted places in the world. Zambia ranked sixth on this list, as it stands as one of the world’s top ten most toxic threats, and is among the top two hundred countries in petroleum consumption. (The Blacksmith Institute; New Report Cites the World’s Worst Polluted Places) It also has a poverty rate of almost 60% of their population of thirteen million due to a drop in the job market (Irish Aid - Zambia)

Zambia’s issues are not being corrected. The proportion of its population without access to clean drinking water is above 25% and its proportion of land areas that are protected has dropped from 59.8% in 1990 to 49.9% in 2010, caused by a mass uprising of illegal deforestation. Also, the percentage of population without access to proper sanitation facilities has risen from 26% in 1991 to 67.3% in 2010. These are mostly due to the fact that Zambia lacks proper funding. The country has been greatly affected by the recent global economic breakdown. (Zambia - MDG Status Report 2011) However, to help speed up progress in Zambia, in 2009, the Irish government put 35 million US dollars towards Zambia development programs. This transfer was seen later on in Zambia’s brief and somewhat significant burst of funding spurring on the seeing-through of the MDGs. (Irish Aid - Zambia)
It is not impossible for Zambia to move forward. Not impossible, but unlikely. Significant reforms and investments are necessary for Zambia to make headway into MDG 7. It has decreased in its efforts to continue on with MDG 7.

The US has had very few problems concerning MDG 7 compared to many areas of the world. However, problems such as pollution are still a challenge. There are many helpful organizations and even more generous donors who have been leading the way to a cleaner earth, but there are still issues that have not been resolved. The following research involves the state of Virginia as a whole and focuses on the Piedmont area.
Like every other region on the globe, Virginia has concerns about water sanitation. Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality releases a list each year that includes all of the impaired water sources in Virginia. Impaired waters are rivers, lakes, or large streams that have been contaminated by large levels of nutrients and debris from livestock, farming, and other human-related activities. Most of the impaired waters combined provide drinking water for more than 117 million Americans. (Spout Run Watershed Gets Some T.L.C., Vance, 2012)
Many of the contaminated rivers and streams empty out into larger bodies of water, and they take the waste with them. This also affects the rest of our environment, not just the water. Trees and plants take in the contaminated water and become sick. Humans and animals drink from the impaired streams. (Spout Run Watershed Gets Some T.L.C., Vance, 2012) However, this can be combated through the proper use of funding and motivation from environmental protection groups.
One organization that is leading the way towards cleaner water and a cleaner environment is the Piedmont Environmental Council of Virginia. PEC is a community-based group that is very involved in the environmental going-ons of Virginia, especially the Piedmont area. The organization promotes environmental protection projects as well as petition signings to protect the environment, land, and history of Virginia. The state has also instituted laws to observe water quality. The Clean Water Act 303 adopted new standards for quality that are updated every three years. (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; State and Federal Laws and Mandates) So far, the act has turned many impaired water sources on their heads. Almost gone are the days of oil and debris filled lakes or fish washing up dead on riverbanks in gangs of ten.
There have been many steps toward achieving the goals of MDG 7. Some have been small, and some have been big. However, when we combine them all together, we don’t improve just our community, we improve the world.
Mauritius and Zambia both have had their issues and neither’s are the same. Mauritius has had most of its troubles with almost unchangeable aspects of MDG 7.Particularly issues pertaining to animal and plant extinction. On the other hand, Zambia’s
main issue is economical. The country has been greatly affected by the fluctuations in the world’s economy and has so far been unable to regain its balance. (Zambia - MDG Status Report 2011)
However, we could not have come this close to achieving the MDGs without the support of the many global and local efforts of organizations. So much has been done by organizations alone, but these resources must last us for many years to come.
Maintaining a clean environment in Mauritius will require efforts extending beyond the set goal. As for Zambia, many improvements will be necessary to reach the goal eventually and even more to keep above it.
So far, the MDGs have been the support and motivation the world has needed to get moving in a healthier, cleaner, and more educated direction. It is hoped, that in the future, the world continue to exceed the standards set by the Millenium Development Goals.