The Together Alberta project is a series of round tables hosted throughout the province by the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation (ACGC). The ACGC’s aim is to understand the work being led by Albertans on sustainability and how they are advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Milk River Roundtable
RhPAP’s Julie Davis attended a recent roundtable session in Milk River. Julie went with County of Warner Councillor David Cody who represents the Quad Municipality Health Support Committee (Milk River, Coutts, Warner, County of Warner).
At the roundtable in Milk River, the Milk River Watershed Council of Canada members also brought awareness to SDG 15- Life on Land, and their work on Water Security.
As for keeping health care close to home, one of the UN’s goals is to “Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all ages”.
Sustainable Development Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all ages
SDG 3 includes several indicators relevant to the work of Alberta’s health care professional attraction and retention committees, including:
- 3.8. Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
- 3.c. Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce in developing countries, especially in least developed countries and small island developing States.
Moving forward
The Government of Canada is currently working on Canadian specific indicators to meet the SDGs. They are looking at data sources to determine these indicators. Rural communities are encouraged to look for and attend round tables being held throughout the province.
Did you know?
- SDG 15- Life on the land. The Milk River watershed contains all land that drains into the Milk River. It is unique in Alberta, as it is the only watershed that ultimately flows to the Gulf of Mexico. All other watersheds in Alberta feed into the Arctic ocean or Hudson’s Bay. Where rivers cross international boundaries there needs to be an agreement on how the water is shared. The Boundary Water Treaty of 1909 outlines the percentage of use between Canada and the USA. Water supply management and stewardship of the land is vital to ensure water security to sustain life.