Academicians from Nigeria, Brazil, and the United Kingdom (UK) have identified growing regional conflicts as one of the greatest threats to achieving the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The scholars, who spoke at the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) campus during a three-day International Sustainable Development Dialogue, themed “Sustainable Development in the Age of Crisis: Humanities, Science and More Equitable World,” concluded that achieving the SDGs goal without cooperation from all actors would be a mirage.

Declaring the conference open, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Professor Clement Adebooye, said the current Israel-Iran war would negatively impact global affairs.

He said, “There is no doubt that the contemporary world is characterised by crises of different magnitude and consequences not only at the national level but also at continental and intercontinental levels. In the last week, for example, the conflict between Israel and Iran that started like a candlelight has escalated with far-reaching and severe impacts not just for the immediate region but globally.

“The various consequential dimensions and magnitude of this war are manifest in the conspicuous humanitarian crisis and rising casualties, geopolitical instability and regional spill-over, economic disruptions, nuclear proliferation concerns and cyber warfare.”

Adebooye noted that the long-term consequences of this avoidable war will depend heavily on the duration and intensity of the hostilities, as well as the involvement of other international actors.

In his remarks, Professor Moises Silva, from the Federal University of Bahia, Brazil, stated that the use of nuclear weapons during war has a profoundly negative impact on the SDG conservation agenda, including the disruption of natural ecosystems.

He said, “Without nature we cannot live, so this war and others that are happening are showing us the true face of people that are very greedy and they prefer war to life because every activity of war greatly affects our environment.”

Also speaking, Dr Feng Mao, from the University of Warwick, UK, hinted that SDGs cannot be achieved alone but require collaborative efforts from all countries, pointing out that “we have five more years to the deadline of the SDG and all stakeholders must work together to ensure their attainment.”

However, Professor Imre Szeman emphasised the need for state actors globally to reach a compromise on equitable distribution of energy resources to ensure a balance between the South and the North.