Connecting India's coastal monitoring program with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14

Abstract

The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 sets targets for nations to reduce marine pollution, ocean acidification, and sustainable use of coastal and ocean resources, which requires data on nutrient load, litter/plastics, pH, and biodiversity. Monitoring programs with large-scale and long-term data is an important source of environmental information and can play a crucial role in implementing the SDGs. This paper uses the Sea Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM), the coastal monitoring program of India, as a case study to examine the extent to which the monitoring program contributes to achieving the SDG 14 targets. The SWQM program is a multidisciplinary, long-term coastal monitoring program initiated by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, in 1990 to assess the coastal water quality. The paper highlights the interrelationships between the SWQM and SDG 14 targets (14.1.1, 14.2, 14.3, and 14.5) and discusses the challenges and opportunities of linking the national program to SDGs. Strengthening the program by increasing monitoring locations, sampling additional environmental parameters and biodiversity components, and using advanced scientific tools can be an efficient and pragmatic approach to SDG 14 implementation through the SWQM program. Aligning the long-term monitoring program and other research programs of a nation to the SDGs could provide potential co-benefits and more efficient utilization of funds.