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Sustainable Development Goals and Urban Health Challenges in Informal Settlements of Mangaung Municipality, South Africa

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Handbook of Sustainability Science in the Future

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Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) epitomize the global commitment to creating sustainable cities where citizens enjoy an improved standard of living. The proliferation of informal settlements in cities of the Global South, especially in Africa, compromises sustainable development in multiple ways. Scholars have recounted the contribution of informal settlements in the production of urban spaces, which makes it critical to analyze the health challenges inherent in these spaces and how they relate to the commitment to achieve sustainable development. Health issues in informal settlements are a wicked problem that cannot only be looked at through Sustainable Development Goal 3, focusing on health issues. Rather, health challenges are contained in other SDGs (1, 6, 11, and 13) that, respectively, focus on extreme poverty; water and sanitation; making cities inclusive, resilient, safe, and sustainable; and climate action. We argue that creating healthy cities is a complex undertaking that requires the examination of multiple factors that influence them. Using a complexity perspective, this chapter analyzes the nexus of sustainable development and health challenges in informal settlements of Mangaung Municipality, South Africa. The study is qualitative and employs a case study design with data collected from primary and secondary data sources.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Abraham R. Matamanda, Mischka Dunn & Palesa B. Ngo

  2. Department of Urban & Regional Planning, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Verna Nel, Abongile Mgwele, Siphokazi Rammile & Lucia Leboto-Khetsi

  3. Department of Architecture and Spatial Planning, Namibia University of Science Technology, Windhoek, Namibia

    Jennilee Kohima

Authors
  1. Abraham R. Matamanda
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  2. Verna Nel
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  3. Mischka Dunn
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  4. Abongile Mgwele
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  5. Siphokazi Rammile
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  6. Lucia Leboto-Khetsi
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  7. Jennilee Kohima
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  8. Palesa B. Ngo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abraham R. Matamanda .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. FTZ-ALS, HAW Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Anabela Marisa Azul

  3. Department of Business and Law, University of Milano-Bicocca, MILANO, Milano, Italy

    Federica Doni

  4. University of Passo Fundo, Sao Jose, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Amanda Lange Salvia

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Matamanda, A.R. et al. (2022). Sustainable Development Goals and Urban Health Challenges in Informal Settlements of Mangaung Municipality, South Africa. In: Leal Filho, W., Azul, A.M., Doni, F., Salvia, A.L. (eds) Handbook of Sustainability Science in the Future. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68074-9_157-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68074-9_157-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-68074-9

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