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SDG 14: Life Below Water

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to our existence. They cover 70 percent of our planet and we rely on them for food, energy and water. Yet, we have managed to do tremendous damage to these precious resources. Goal 14 is all about reversing this damage and protecting oceans and seas by eliminating pollution and overfishing and immediately starting to responsibly manage and protect all marine life around the world.

SDG 14: Life Below Water
SDG 14 Lead Images 2022

Planetary health impacts of climate change

Pictured here: Nilanjana Ganguli, James Orbinski and Byomkesh Talukder

The Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research at York University is calling urgent attention to the human health cost of environmental degradation, inviting deeper reflection on the relationship between human and environmental well-being. Research led to a groundbreaking study by Dahdaleh faculty and staff that demonstrates just how interdependent humans are with oceans and marine life. “We set out to establish a research agenda that would illuminate the relationship between human civilization and the biosphere,” said Dr. James Orbinski, director of the Institute. “It is quite clear to us in research and policy work that while there is an interdependent relationship, the biosphere will adapt and survive, but human civilization may not. We must approach the relationship to our planet with a higher degree of humility.”

Facts

46

publications

(2019-2021)

41%

of publications
co-authored with
international collaborators

15+

Programs relevant
or related to SDG 14

1st

in Canada to offer
Disaster & Emergency
Management (BA, MA)

data from

12,000

freshwater lakes including 250k sampling points can be found in the publicly available water quality database developed by York researchers and distributed across 72 countries

Stories

Reducing microplastics pollution
Traditional knowledge about water