Sets of Sustainable Development Indicators in Vietnam: Status and Solutions

Tri Ngo Dang,Y Tran Van,Tuan Nguyen Thanh,Chi Tran Thuy

doi:10.3390/economies6010001

Abstract

There are some sets of sustainable development indicators (SDIs) at different regional scales and the Millennium development goals indicators (MDGIs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGIs) are employed in Vietnam. Actually, building and applying SDIs have faced different difficulties and this has led to a reduction in their value. Solutions to improve SDIs have been proposed and completed. This paper aims to review the SDIs, MDGIs, and SDGIs in Vietnam and to propose recommendations for building and effectively applying them in practice in Vietnam. Two national SDIs, one regional SDI, one local SDI, and some provincial SDIs, in addition to the results of MDGIs/SDGIs implementation, were analyzed. The common limitation of Government promulgated SDIs was found to not be feasible as they are applied in practice. Proposed solutions are building pilot SDIs for specific regions in Vietnam based on UN guidelines from 2007 and calculating practical values of SDIs for pilot regions, subsequently recommending relevant authorities in Vietnam to change or adjust promulgated SDIs. The experiences of procedure used to develop the pilot SDIs and effective handing over the usage of SDIs to stakeholders should also be considered when developing the sustainable development goals indicators in the future.

Highlights

Sustainable development indicators have five main functions: (1) leading to better decisions and more effective actions; (2) allowing incorporate natural and social science knowledge in decision-making; (3) allowing measure and calibrate progress toward sustainable development goals;(4) providing an early warning on economic, social, and environmental issues; and (5) communicating ideas, thoughts, and values (UNCSD 2007)
Along with the development of sustainable development indicators (SDIs), Millennium development goals indicators (MDGIs), and SDGIs, there are some Vietnam SDI sets designed based on adapting the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) indicators to national/local conditions and the Vietnam’s SDGIs (VSDGIs) have been developed
This paper aims to review the SDIs and MDGIs/SDGIs in Vietnam and propose recommendations on developing and effectively applying them in practice in Vietnam

Summary

Introduction

Sustainable development indicators have five main functions: (1) leading to better decisions and more effective actions; (2) allowing incorporate natural and social science knowledge in decision-making; (3) allowing measure and calibrate progress toward sustainable development goals;(4) providing an early warning on economic, social, and environmental issues; and (5) communicating ideas, thoughts, and values (UNCSD 2007). Sustainable development indicators have five main functions: (1) leading to better decisions and more effective actions; (2) allowing incorporate natural and social science knowledge in decision-making; (3) allowing measure and calibrate progress toward sustainable development goals;. It was recognized that the above important functions in Agenda 21 (United Nations 1992) of the United Nations called on countries and international organizations to develop and use sustainable development indicators (SDIs). In response to the call, many organizations and countries made efforts to develop SDIs and they became an effective tool for assessing progress toward sustainable development (Peterson 1997). With respect to SDIs, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) adopted three editions of Sustainable Development Indicators Guidelines and Methodologies (SDI GM), which guides countries/locals to develop their own indicator sets. In 1996, CSD adopted the first edition of SDI GM

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