SIX CRITICAL GLOBAL ISSUES |

W H AT A R E T H E W O R L D ’ S B I G G E S T
PROBLEMS AND HOW CAN I HELP?
By Jana Jansen van Vuuren  5 months ago
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Categories Community Development, Personal
Development, Sustainability, Volunteering, Wildlife Conservation
Have you ever wanted to make a positive impact on the world, but not know
where to start? Maybe you’ve felt overwhelmed by information. That’s why
we’ve created this summary of six major global issues, and what’s being done
about them.
The news is packed with statistics and updates on the challenges we face as global
citizens. Sometimes it can seem as though there are too many – from climate
change, to the high rate of gender inequality around the world, to many people
living without access to medical care.
Where do you even start? Which issues are the most urgent? And can one person,
really, truly, make that much of a contribution?  
But working to alleviate global issues doesn’t have to be that confusing or stressful.
There are well-established structures in place to help you see where help and
resources are needed.
There are also organisations, like GVI, that can help you contribute towards
sustainable, community-led projects that take significant strides towards resolving
these problems.
ADDRESSING THE 18 GLOBAL
ISSUES
The United Nations (UN) currently lists 18 “Global Issues”. This is not intended to
be an exhaustive list. Rather, it serves as an overview of some of the major issues
all global citizens should be aware of.
The UN has also set 17 goals to be achieved by 2030. These correspond with the
most important issues of our time, andare known as the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (UN SDGs).
There are many organisations that align their mission to these goals. For instance,
all GVI’s work is guided by a commitment to the UN SDGs.
To learn more about our commitment to furthering progress on the goals set by the
UN, watch our video below.
 
 
Here are six of the world’s biggest challenges, and how you can be part of the
solution.
FOOD SECURITY
The number of hungry people in the world has increased over the last few years.
One in nine people in the world go hungry each day, and suffer from nutritional
deficiencies as a result. Food security is the  biggest threat to the overall health of
the human population, more so than malaria, tuberculosis or HIV.
So, what is the problem? How can it be 2020 and people are still going hungry?
The problem is not that we aren’t producing enough food, but rather that people
lack access to food. Many people do not have enough money to purchase food and
cannot grow their own.
According to the World Food Programme (WFP),  countries with the highest level of
food insecurity also have the highest outward migration of refugees . 

And this problem is twofold: While overall hunger has steadily decreased over the
past decade, there has been an ncrease in the number of refugees. Refugees  typically
suffer the most from food insecurity .  
Even though approximately 12.9% of the world is undernourished, about 30% of the
adult population are overweight.
No country in the world had seen any kind of decrease in obesity rate. In fact, it’s
rising among both children and adults. While it is tempting to think of obesity as a
form of “over-nutrition”, it is actually another kind of malnutrition.
People consume pre packed food that is low in nutrients, and high in carbs and
preservatives. As a result, they increase their risk of obesity.  
 

 
Another surprising fact about obesity is that, while you might expect it to only
occur among higher-income groups, it actually affects people at every income level.
Nutritious food is often more expensive and, in some areas,  access to healthy foods
is restricted or even non-existent. When food prices rise, lower-income communities
have no choice but to choose prepackaged, high-carb and high-sugar options.
Go test this out for yourself. Visit your local supermarket and compare the price of
a punnet of strawberries to a candy bar. Which is cheaper? If you didn’t have much
money, which would you choose?
The UN is working to reduce the number of hungry people to zero by 2030. This is
represented by UN SDG Goal 2: Zero Hunger. In Fiji, one of the countries with the
highest levels of obesity, GVI has been working to support local communities with
setting up their own vegetable gardens.
Nutrition and cooking workshops are also held.  
GVI runs regular healthy eating workshops in Fiji. In one of these workshops,
women from the local community demonstrate how to cook a nutritious meal to
encourage the community to eat healthy, nutrient-rich meals. These training
opportunities enable individuals to make sustainable lifestyle changes in the
community. The garden means that the community is less dependent on the ups and
downs of the international market and the low production of in-country farmers.
Community vegetable gardens can provide the choice of a nutritious, natural treat
over a prepackaged sugary treat. Our other  community development projects around
the world, in Thailand, India, Nepal, Mexico, Costa Rica, and South Africa, also
feature many community garden projects similar to those run in Fiji.
MAJOR GLOBAL HEALTH ISSUES

 
Besides malnutrition, there are many other issues affecting health on a global scale.
In the past, the main topic of focus was communicable diseases like hepatitis,
cholera, malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV.
Increased access to clean water and improved education around proper sanitation
has resulted in an overall decrease in the prevalence of transferable diseases
worldwide. But while current strategies to prevent disease are working, efforts to
improve sanitation should slow down.
While teaching good hygiene practices is still beneficial, the importance of good
nutritional education and preventing personal harm is now emphasised.
For example, explaining the dangers of a sugary diet, excessive alcohol
consumption, smoking tobacco, using unsafe cooking fuels, driving recklessly, and
walking across a busy highway, is imperative.
Likewise, many low-income countries lack emergency response resources. This
means that providing opportunities for community members to learn first aid skills
can help to save lives.  
But while the focus of the global healthcare community has now shifted to non-
communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory and cardiovascular
diseases, communicable diseases remain a burden in low-income settings.
Communicable diseases are still responsible for 71%   of deaths, and low-income
countries are the most severely affected.  
The UN tackles the problems of health and well-being under Goal 3: Good Health
and Well-Being. The World Health Organisation (WHO) oversees the objectives set
under this goal.
GVI helps to further the aims of this goal through public health projects. Our  public
health projects are available in Thailand, South Africa, Nepal, Mexico and India.
These projects all promote health and wellness through education, and do not
involve any hands-on or diagnostic medical work, as per our  ethical guidelines. 
During these projects we conduct workshops with students and community members
to teach them about preventive healthcare practices. This involves WASH (Water
and Sanitation for Health) classes where we emphasise the importance of washing
hands and brushing teeth, as well as healthy cooking and eating workshops.
Through our sports programs, we promote the importance of daily exercise. We also
run maternal and child health, as well as first aid workshops.
GLOBAL CHILD HEALTH AND
PRIMARY EDUCATION

 
Children are key to our success, yet many children across the world do not have
some of their most basic needs met. Rates of under-five child mortality remain high.
Child health and education go hand in hand. Malnutrition of children leads to
permanent physiological damage, known colloquially as “stunting”. Children who
are hungry cannot concentrate and, thus, cannot learn. Children who go chronically
hungry for long periods of time can develop difficulties in their learning abilities
and concentration due to hunger. This means they might not be able to achieve their
academic or professional potential.
Even when children are attending school, the quality of their education might be
poor, or educational capacity and resources may be limited. This means that they
might leave school without the necessary numeracy or literacy skills required. It’s
estimated that approximately 600 million children are not mastering basic
mathematics and literacy while at school.
The UN aims to combat this trend in low-quality learning by uniting organisations
under UN SDG Goal 4: Quality Education. GVI helps to further this objective
through our child development projects in Nepal, South Africa, Fiji, India, Costa
Rica, Thailand, Mexico and Laos, as well as our teaching projects in Costa Rica,
Thailand, Laos, Nepal and South Africa.
THE NEED FOR GENDER EQUALITY

 
Although women make up approximately half of the population, there have
historically been social barriers to economic and personal freedom for women.
While much has been done to alleviate this, there is still quite a way to go,
especially in low- and middle-income settings.  
Women are disempowered from a young age, when they are held back from
attending school for financial reasons, or because of the perception that their
education does not matter. Globally, women still earn less than men, and women
with children tend to earn even less. This is a waste of potential and hampers
progress on obstacles to global prosperity.
Women’s empowerment has far-reaching benefits for the world. It has been
estimated that if women farmers could be given the same resources as men,  150
million more people could be fed, effectively achieving the goal of zero hunger.
Women across the world are often the caretakers of household health, which means
that if all women are taught effective healthcare practices, global wellbeing
statistics could be altered dramatically. Children of educated mothers are also less
likely to be malnourished and survive past the age of five.
But it is not simply the lack of access to education and financial resources that
hinders women. Non-communicable diseases  are the leading cause of death for
women worldwide with ischemic heart disease taking the number one spot in
women’s mortality.
 

 
Rates of sexual violence against women remain high. This places women at greater
risk of sexually transmitted infections.   
The UN is creating awareness around the issue of women’s rights through setting
objectives under UN SDG Goal 5: Gender Equality. GVI runs several  women’s
empowerment projects worldwide in India, Nepal, Laos and South Africa.
For each women’s empowerment project, our team liaises with women in the
community to find out what their needs are and how we can support them in
achieving their goals. 
Some women ask for support with running their handicraft business, others ask to
work on educating young boys and girls about the value of gender equality, while
others require computer literacy classes.
EMPOWERMENT WORK IN AFRICA

 
A number of world statistics highlight a need for additional support in sub-Saharan
Africa. This region has the highest child mortality rate and persons living with HIV
infection in the world, as well as the most extreme rates of child stunting, the
highest number of road traffic fatalities, and the lowest numeracy and literacy rates.
Its population is also one of the fastest-growing, which means more and more
people are affected by these issues every day. Some of the widest gaps between
income groups and genders can also be found in sub-Saharan Africa.
For this reason, Africa is highlighted as a region requiring additional support. At
GVI, we offer a number of community development programs in Africa  including
South Africa, Ghana. There are also programs in Tanzania, Zambia, and Zanzibar.   
Choose to make an impact by addressing a range of basic needs such as literacy and
numeracy, child development, exercise and sports education, preventive health or
women’s empowerment.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
There are three major environmental issues listed by the UN. These include threats
to habitats and organisms on land and underwater, as well as resource depletion.
1) HABITAT AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS

 
Despite the Asian elephant being endangered, they are still treated unethically in
some situations. In an ideal world, all animals would be able to live in their natural
habitats. However we understand that some  animal facilities play an important role
in conservation. This is why GVI supports an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand
where these animals can be protected in their forest habitat.
And forests are key to producing the air we breathe, yet these are being depleted at
a rate of 26 million hectares every year.
Extinctions are happening at what scientists estimate to be about 1,000 times the
normal pace. Not only are we losing flora and fauna, we are also damaging our
ecosystems, and throwing them out of balance – the effects of which we cannot
anticipate due to the intricate and complex nature of these systems.
Many organisations have been working to protect local ecosystems for years. This
includes the UN, which has set up specific objectives under UN SDG 15: Life on
Land.
You can join us at GVI as we further these objectives, through volunteering on one
of our wildlife conservation programs. On each of these programs, you will gather
data, which will help to inform local wildlife park or sanctuary managers.
Data will also be used to present policies to other organisations and governments in
order to preserve habitats around the world. Volunteer to help protect jaguars or
turtles in Costa Rica, elephants in Thailand, or cheetahs in South Africa.
2) OCEAN CONSERVATION

 
Most of our planet is covered in water. We depend on the oceans to maintain our
rainwater systems and many populations rely on it for food and income. Oceans also
absorb carbon dioxide and produce more than  half of the oxygen we breathe.
But despite its importance, the ocean is under threat. Overfishing and unsustainable
fishing practices are causing the endangerment and extinction of many marine
species.
Global warming has caused an increase in coral bleaching, where reefs lose vital
nutrients and can no longer sustain the ecosystems that depend on them.   
Commercial fishing practices dominate the market and inhibit the economic
progress of local fishers, who cannot compete with these boats.
And with the effectiveness of modern day fishing techniques comes the problem of
bycatch: Where marine species such as dolphins and turtles are caught in
commercial fishing nets, and later discarded.
Pollutants like boat fuel, pesticides, fertiliser, sewage, and plastics cause “dead
zones” – spots where no organism can live – to form in the ocean.
The UN is dealing with this problem through objectives set under UN SDG 14: Life
Below Water. GVI runs marine and coastal conservation programs  in Fiji,
Seychelles, Mexico and Thailand.
At each of these locations, we collect data concerning the type and number of
species in the area. We also arrange and manage regular beach and seabed cleanups.
3) WATER SCARCITY

 
As with food, there is actually enough fresh water for each person currently living
on the planet. However, access to that water is not always possible for everyone.
Issues such as poor infrastructure, displacement, and conflict mean that many
people often have to use unsafe water sources. This is a clear health and sanitation
risk.
About two billion people still use a source that is contaminated with human waste,
and about the same amount don’t have access to adequate toilet facilities.   
The UN has set the goal of ensuring equal access to water and sanitation for all.
This is represented by UN SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
On all our community development projects across the world, we work with local
partners to complete infrastructure development projects to increase the
community’s access to clean water.
In both South Africa and Fiji we have previously supported the community on
projects to construct rainwater harvesting systems.
 

GLOBAL ISSUES THAT REQUIRE

POLICY SOLUTIONS
Certain global issues cannot be solved by on-the-ground, grassroots-style projects.
These include the upholding of international law and peace, assisting with the
decolonisation of nations and ensuring the effective running of democracies.
These are the activities that organisations like the UN oversee as a regulatory
institution. However, there are a number of policy-level issues that you can join us
to work on.
The first is human rights, the basic rights of all people around the world. We partner
with Save the Children in Mexico, to teach young students about their rights. In our
women’s empowerment projects around the world, we also provide resources to
support women as they learn more about their own rights.
The next is population growth. In our teaching and women’s empowerment projects
we support both girls and women in their educational development.
 

 
It has been shown that by increasing women’s access to education, population
growth decreases. In this way, these projects contribute to stabilising the global
population.
Climate change is another issue that can be most effectively solved through policy
change, as most fossil fuel emissions are produced by factories, electricity
production and cars.
However, we work on educating many communities about the importance of
protecting the local environment. These communities might then be compelled to
select their leaders based on their effective environmental policies.
TAKE ACTION WHEN AND WHERE
YOU CAN
Now it’s up to you to choose.
You now know which global issues the UN considers most important, and how you
can contribute to the UN SDGs. All that’s left to do is pick a GVI program to get
started.
Choose the cause you care most about, rather than the one the UN considers most
important. Working on what you are passionate about means you are more likely to
stick with and put everything you have into the project, resulting in a more
fulfilling experience for you, and greater impact on the ground.
If you ever need help choosing a program or advice about fundraising for your
volunteering trip, feel free to contact us. Our enrollment advisors spend all day
speaking to people just like you, looking to match their purpose to a project out
in the world.