SDG 14 (Life Below Water) Progress
Integrating education, teaching, research, collaboration, community, and policy advocacy, Al-Quds University harmonizes activities with Goal 14: Life Below Water. Protector of marine ecosystems and sustainable resources, Al-Quds engages environmentally responsible stewards and advocates marine sustainability. Al-Quds participation as a marine conservation advocate caring for the marine environment and champion for sustainability stewards impacts community and regional advocacy.
Educational Initiatives:
The university implements marine and environmental training and instructional aid programs in the science and technologies of the sea programs. This aids in the development of a strong marine conservation and sustainability knowledge base caring for the sciences and technologies of the sea. These instructional aid programs serve to address the sea marine biodiversity development challenges of the future, oceanography, marine pollution controll, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, and allied technologies. Supporting and caring in the development of knowledge and the technologies for the sea sciences, Al-Quds, aids the development of sea marine conservation and protection sustainability professionals of the future.
Research and Innovation:
Research, as part of the marine and coastal Al-Quds University advocacy, aids in knowledge advancement for marine ecosystems towards sustainable pollution and habitat restoration and for the marine coastal programs advocacy of the university helps new knowledge acquisition. University aided knowledge literacy for marine pollution, biodiversity conservation and sustainable marine resource knowledge acquisition, supports university advocacy of marine coastal program, marine and coastal resource sustainable conservation and aids program. The advocacy of the interdisciplinary guided research coastal marine of the university provides knowledge for the technologies for marine habitat preservation and the technologies for igerating igerated marine habitat preservation.
Collaborative Partnerships:
Understanding the need for collaboration in marine conservation, Al-Quds University engages in multiple collaborations, such as joint research projects, technical exchanges, and sustainable workshops, with the local, regional, and international partners and authorities. Al-Quds University collaborates with the regional stakeholders to address pollution, overfishing, and degraded ecosystems, thereby reinforcing the role of the university as a sustainable marine development catalyst.
Community Engagement and Capacity Building:
Public environmental education is of utmost importance, and Al-Quds University is committed to community outreach. Community outreach, training workshops, and conservation awareness seminars focus on community education to mitigate marine pollution, conserve biodiversity, and fix overfishing. These community outreach projects prepare stakeholders for their role in the conservation of marine ecosystems and active participation in environmental initiatives.
Policy Advocacy and Sustainable Practices:
Policies on the marine protected areas of Al-Quds University are unsustainable as they advocate for the control of pollution, unsustainable resource exploitation, and rampant marine degradation. As a model for environmental education, the university has implemented policies to control and expose campus-community plastic use, treat wastewater, and promote the consumption of ethically harvested sea food. These policies are a testament to the university’s dedication to operational environmental sustainability.
Innovation and Future Outlook:
While taking into consideration the development of technologies and solutions to marine conservation and the sustainable blue economy, Al-Quds University still supports entrepreneurship and innovation. Al-Quds University still supports the mentorship of researchers and innovators toward developing practical solutions to environmentally sustainable marine resource challenges to positively sustain the marine environment.
Across all initiatives, Al-Quds University continues to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of the marine environment by ensuring education, research, and community outreach synergistically address SDG 14: Life Below Water.
Calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. The oceans cover more than 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and play a key role in supporting life on earth. They are the most diverse and important ecosystem, contributing to global and regional elemental cycling and regulating the climate. The ocean provides natural resources including food, materials, and energy.
Al-Quds University strives to developing capabilities to continue to value the oceans, the seas, and the marine resources for continued added value to the sustainable development. This includes developing the marine ecosystems and biodiversity in social, environmental, and economic dimensions. The University strives to respond to the challenges in sustainable development goal 14 in a variety of ways.
Al-Quds University prepared students for careers in sustainable development and marine ecosystems in various sectors through environmental marine science and undergraduate and graduate education in sustainable development. Diverse educational internships in the areas of marine biodiversity and ocean temperature, pollution, and sustainable fishery developed the students’ capabilities and critical understanding of the issues related to marine conservation.
Al-Quds University manages sustainable development applied research in marine conservation, including marine biodiversity and sustainable fishery practices, pollution, and ecosystem habitat restoration and development. This research contributes to the understanding of marine ecosystems and their conservation and informs evidence-based decision-making for the development of effective policy and developed strategies for development.
Collaboration with Local and Global Stakeholders: Regarding partnerships with organizations concerning marine conservation and sustainability issues, Al-Quds University engages in providing technical assistance and support for the development and implementation of marine conservation and sustainability plans in collaborative research, workshops, and knowledge exchange.
Community Outreach and Capacity Building: Al-Quds University participates in community outreach initiatives that advocate for the conservation of marine resources and sustainability. These initiatives strengthen the knowledge and skills of community members concerning marine biodiversity, pollution control, and the management of fisheries, thereby energizing their advocacy for the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources.
Advocacy and Policy Development: Al-Quds University engages in advocacy in relation to the implementation of marine conservation and sustainability policies and strategies across local, national, and global platforms.
Promoting Sustainable Practices on Campus: The university community engages in the promotion of sustainable campus practices that advocate for the conservation of marine resources and the reduction of campus marine resource consumption. These practices promote civic awareness concerning the conservation of marine resources and encourage the community members to live sustainably.
Encouraging Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Marine Conservation: The University facilitates the advancement and the commercialization of novel technologies, products, and services that aid in marine conservation and the sustainable use of marine resources. The University provides funded support and other resources tailored to the researchers, entrepreneurs, and start-ups, developing incubators and accelerators, and building a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship to foster marine conservation.
In the first place, Al-Quds University, in its entirety, wished to reach SDG 14 through education, research, collaboration with local and international stakeholders, community outreach and capacity building, advocacy and policy development, sustainable practices on campus, and innovation and entrepreneurship in marine conservation. The University facilitates this goal through some of the following activities:
• The University has undertaken several impactful research studies on the development and optimal use of natural resources and vital systems such as: fish project (مشروع السمك), Desalination project (مشروع تحلية المياه).
• Helping in enhancing the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean and its resources as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want.
• Enhancing research capabilities and transferring marine technology promotes the advancement of scientific knowledge.
Concerning the target of preventing and reducing all forms of marine pollution, especially pollution originating from land, debris, and nutrient pollution, sustainable management of coastal and marine ecosystems to “avoid” significant adverse effects while “restoration” activities will be required to enhance their resilience and “healed” ecosystems.