Our research
objectives are to reveal the characteristics and trends of environmental
health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change for countries in Latin American
& Caribbean, North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa from 2012 to 2022, relate
these trends to their respective sustainability performance, and finally
provide environmental policy recommendations with high sustainability effects.
The data we use combine Environmental Performance metrics with sustainable
development goals agreed by United Nation members. Using data mining
techniques, we found two clusters that cross-out geographical boundaries for
2022 and 2012. One cluster dominates the other in all environmental indicators
but environmental health, and their differences increased in the last 10 years.
Based on our findings, we recommend countries in both clusters to focus on
environmental policies that improve environmental health and climate change
conditions, but at different rates. These environmental policy recommendations
have positive multiplier effects on poverty, health, gender, inequality, and
economic progress.