Sustainable Development Goals Monitoring Research Articles

Country-level evenness measure in assessing progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires an overall and well-balanced achievement of all SDGs rather than cherry-picking a few. While it is vital to assess the evenness of SDGs achievement, such analysis, particularly on a global scale, is still evidently absent from the existing literature. To remedy such a scholarly gap, this paper measures the evenness of SDGs achievement for 193 countries from 2010 to 2019 by adapting the evenness assessment method originating from ecology and biodiversity literature. Our analyses regarding the country-level SDG evenness index scores (EIS) indicate a significant heterogeneity across countries. Global South countries usually underperform in the evenness of 17 goals, while a significant portion of Global North countries also suffer from the unbalanced developments in SDGs. By integrating the evenness measures into the conventional global SDG monitoring framework, this study identifies six development paths in pursuing the SDGs and shows that maintaining the overall SDGs improvements while balancing the development of each goal is practical but has not taken place in at least 35% of countries. We estimate that the SDG evenness and average performance could further increase by 3.5 p.p. and 2.1 p.p., or 74 percent and 50 percent of the growth in the baseline continue past paths scenario, respectively, if each country could follow the effective development path of frontier counterparts with similar income levels. Our SDG evenness measures, complemented by inter-temporal cross-country analyses, could inform policies and cooperation strategies to identify the weaknesses in sustainable development, boost effective growth, and protect unevenly developed countries. Future research could further develop these measures to provide deeper insights into achieving rapid and well-balanced development of SDGs at various levels.

Measuring progress on health and well-being in the Eastern Mediterranean Region via voluntary national reviews, 2016-2021: What does the data reveal?

Country submission of Voluntary National Reviews is the formal mechanism to report on progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Despite strong political commitment to strong information systems, large data gaps exist in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study aims to review reports submitted by countries in the region to assess the comprehensiveness of reporting on the health-reported SDG targets and indicators. We conducted a content analysis of reports submitted between 2016 and 2021 of 18 countries of the region. The review focused on progress on the SDGs by assessing i) the reporting on the 50 health-related targets and indicators ii) data availability using the WHO reporting framework, and iii) data availability based on source of information. Spreadsheets were developed and used to extract data and facilitate content analysis. All reports confirmed that SDG monitoring and reporting mechanisms have been established, however, only 11 reported on all 17 SDGs and 8 explicitly mentioned country specific 2030 targets. Many reports identified data availability as a key challenge to SDG monitoring; for the health SDG, data availability ranged from 48% to 93% among the five countries reporting this figure. Comprehensiveness of reporting varied by type of indicator (maternal, child and infant mortality were the most common) and by country income level (greater reporting by high income countries). Significant work remains to enhance information systems across the region to monitor progress and guide actions to achieve the health-related SDGs. Strengthening health information systems regulatory frameworks, data collection capacities including strengthening civil registration and vital statistics and population-based surveys are key steps to enhancing access to quality data which in turn can contribute to achieving the health-related SDGs.

Pioneering a sustainable development goals monitoring framework for European regions

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by the United Nations General Assembly, encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), established a universal framework for addressing global challenges. Within the European Union (EU), the commitment to these goals has prompted the integration of the SDGs into a strategic framework for sustainable and inclusive growth. Recognizing the need for localized and detailed monitoring to capture the nuanced progress and challenges across Europe’s diverse regions, this paper proposes a comprehensive set of regional indicators specifically designed for the European context. Through a systematic review of existing SDG monitoring frameworks at different territorial levels and an extensive methodological process, the paper identifies 116 indicators that address 75 SDG targets. This tailored set is derived from a combination of national, regional, and supranational sources. The paper discusses the critical balance between standardization for comparability and customization to accommodate unique regional characteristics. The proposed indicator set is evaluated for its capacity to reflect the holistic vision of the SDGs while allowing for effective regional benchmarking. The research emphasizes the need for robust regional data infrastructure, the importance of aligning policies with broader sustainability objectives, and the dynamic nature of indicators that can adapt to societal changes such as demographic shifts. Finally, the paper highlights the significance of a pragmatic and adaptive regional approach to SDG monitoring. The proposed indicator set is a strategic tool for policymakers, stakeholders, and practitioners, guiding Europe’s regions towards a sustainable future and contributing to the global effort to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

The SDGs Provide Limited Evidence That Environmental Policies Are Delivering Multiple Ecological and Social Benefits

AbstractThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aiming for global targets by 2030, are tracked by a monitoring framework comprising 231 environmental, social, and economic indicators. The framework provides data to assess whether, across countries, environmental policies are: (a) Addressing environmental pressures, (b) Linked to environmental improvements, and (c) Linked with social benefits delivered by healthy environments. While several studies have analyzed the implementation and impacts of the SDGs, there remains a critical research gap in assessing the linkage between environmental policies and their potential to deliver multiple ecological and social benefits. This study examines the efficacy of environmental policies and their implications for global environmental health and social wellbeing. We use a generalized linear modeling approach to test for correlations between SDG indicators. We show that some environmental policies, particularly protected areas and sustainable forest certification, are linked with environmental improvements, mainly in forest and water ecosystems. However, we find no evidence that environmental improvements are linked with positive social impacts. Finally, environmental pressures, including freshwater withdrawal, domestic material consumption, and tourism, are linked with environmental degradation. Environmental policy responses are generally increasing across countries. Despite this, the state of the environment globally continues to decline. Governments must focus on understanding why environmental policies have not been sufficient to reverse environmental decline, particularly concerning the pressures that continue to degrade the environment. To better track progress toward sustainable development, we recommend that the SDG monitoring framework is supplemented with additional indicators on the state of the environment.

GIS-Based Progress Monitoring of SDGs towards Achieving Saudi Vision 2030

The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serve as a blueprint for securing a sustainable, healthy, and just future for people and the environment. Through the implementation of various policies and initiatives for Vision 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has significantly advanced its SDGs. Geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technologies can play vital roles in tracking and assessing the progress of various government measures. This study investigated the potential of satellite-based RS and GIS technologies for planning, evaluating, and monitoring the status of SDGs. The significance of GIS in Saudi Vision 2030 was examined through a comprehensive literature review and expert interviews. In addition, we reviewed a case study to discuss the role and challenges of utilizing GIS big data for achieving SDGs in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, we explored the use of large datasets from community scientists and satellite monitoring of SDGs. Overall, we aimed to provide insightful recommendations regarding the utilization of GIS in the effective monitoring of the progress of the SDGs in achieving Saudi Vision 2030. This can aid decision-makers and country leaders in developing assessment frameworks.

A Satellite Imagery Dataset for Long-Term Sustainable Development in United States Cities

Cities play an important role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) to promote economic growth and meet social needs. Especially satellite imagery is a potential data source for studying sustainable urban development. However, a comprehensive dataset in the United States (U.S.) covering multiple cities, multiple years, multiple scales, and multiple indicators for SDG monitoring is lacking. To support the research on SDGs in U.S. cities, we develop a satellite imagery dataset using deep learning models for five SDGs containing 25 sustainable development indicators. The proposed dataset covers the 100 most populated U.S. cities and corresponding Census Block Groups from 2014 to 2023. Specifically, we collect satellite imagery and identify objects with state-of-the-art object detection and semantic segmentation models to observe cities’ bird’s-eye view. We further gather population, nighttime light, survey, and built environment data to depict SDGs regarding poverty, health, education, inequality, and living environment. We anticipate the dataset to help urban policymakers and researchers to advance SDGs-related studies, especially applying satellite imagery to monitor long-term and multi-scale SDGs in cities.

Challenges of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria: Lessons for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This study examines the challenges of implementing the MDGs in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the secondary method of data collection and evaluative method was employed in this research work especially data from the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the president on MDGs (OSSAP), the National Bureau of statistics (NBS), National poverty Eradication programme (NAPEP), text books, internet etc. while content analysis was used to analyse the data collected. This study revealed that poor infrastructural development, poverty, bad governance, corruption, inadequacy and misapplication of Fund, leading to lack of value for money and many more have impeded the implementation of MDGSs in Nigeria. Although, Nigeria has made appreciable progress on Goals 2 and 8, as well as some partial progress on Goals 3 and 6, but faces serious challenges on Goals 4, 5 and 7 and some indictors of Goals 6. Therefore, there is the need to consolidate on areas where progress has been made in the SDGs project while concrete effort is required to get the country back on track in the areas where it faces serious challenges during the implementation of the MDGs. This underscores the need to address implementation bottlenecks and defects in current SDGs implementation policies. Finally, government should provide opportunities for greater involvement of the private sector, civil society organizations and development partners in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SDGs – related projects.

8.F. Workshop: SDG indicators: country scenarios and the way towards 2030

Abstract Background The UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a global action plan aimed at achieving a better future for all. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the core of this Agenda, balancing the economic, social and ecological dimensions of sustainable development. The 17 SDGs were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a blueprint for reducing inequalities, eliminating extreme poverty, rehabilitating the natural environment, ensuring access to justice for all, improving health and well-being, and building global partnerships supporting sustainable development. From the beginning, data availability was widely discussed. Previous have covered the issue of SDG data gaps; we will concentrate on SDG 3, Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, though there are health-related indicators under other SDGs, e.g. 2.2.2 and 5.2.2. Developing SDG Indicators The UN General Assembly adopted the global indicator framework in 2017 with a set of 231 indicators, published in the UN SDG Reports, where countries are grouped according to geography. From the perspective of Europe, this makes sense, as i.e. neglected tropical diseases and births not attended by health personnel are uncommon. Indicators demonstrating social inequalities in health, or risk factors for non-communicable disease, such as insufficient physical activity and low fruit and vegetable consumption, are more relevant and demonstrate persistent threats to population health. In accordance with the UN's original mandate, some countries are therefore developing new local indicators. Addressing data gaps In the WHO European Region, the biggest challenge regarding SDG data is time lag. 6 of the 53 Member States (MS) in this region report mortality data from 2017 or earlier, and 39 MS have at least one year of missing mortality data, making it difficult to monitor demographic trends. Until MS are able to report timely and complete data, SDG reporting is unlikely to get better. Often flaws in the underlying health information systems (HISs) are the causes of the gaps. Major barriers to the optimal functioning of HISs are fragmentation of data sources, limited accessibility and unclear rules around use and reuse of data; barriers in the implementation of electronic health records; governance issues related to unclear responsibilities, including funding gaps and weak collaboration; legal gaps and misinterpretation of laws surrounding data protection, and limited number of skilled staff for implementation. These three abstracts show very different scenarios from three countries that illustrates how diverse the European Region is and how differently the countries work towards the SDGs, demonstrating what is currently happening in Europe regarding defining, collecting and reporting SDG indicators. Finally, WHO along with MS will offer some ideas for the best ways to optimize the years until the 2030 SDG achievement deadline. Key messages • Examples from three countries demonstrate challenges connected to SDG monitoring, including data gaps and reporting issues. • Flaws in HISs can lead to data gaps; WHO proposes some ways to alleviate this.

The contributions of citizen science to SDG monitoring and reporting on marine plastics

The accumulation of plastic litter in marine environments is a major environmental challenge along with the difficulties in their measurement because of the massive size of the oceans and vast circulation of plastic litter, which is being addressed as part of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Citizen science, public participation in scientific research and knowledge production, represents a potential source of data for SDG monitoring and reporting of marine plastic litter, yet there has been no evidence of its use to date. Here, we show how Ghana has become the first country to integrate existing citizen science data on marine plastic litter in their official monitoring and reporting of SDG indicator 14.1.1b for the years 2016–2020, which has also helped to bridge local data collection efforts with global monitoring processes and policy agendas by leveraging the SDG framework. The results have been used in Ghana’s 2022 Voluntary National Review of the SDGs, and reported on the UN SDG Global Database, as well as helping to inform relevant policies in Ghana. In addition, here, we present a pathway that can be adopted by the relevant government authorities in other countries that have an interest in following a similar citizen science data validation and reporting process for this indicator and potentially others.

The information society and socio-economic sustainability in european regions. Spatio-temporal changes between 2011 and 2020

Due to the lack of research on the progress of the Information Society and the transition towards socio-economic sustainability from a spatio-temporal perspective, this paper analyses the evolution of the combination of information society in households and for individuals (ICT-H + i) and sustainable development goals (SDGs) of a socio-economic nature in European regions (NUTS 2) for the years 2011, 2018 and 2019–2020. The European Union is immersed in a rapid digital transformation of its territory in order to progress in the SDGs, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, and despite the fact that there are spatial differences between both dimensions, there has still not been a sufficiently in-depth analysis of their interrelationship at regional level. This scale of analysis is relevant in that we are dealing with areas with specific social and economic interactions and it coincides with the primordial unit of European regional policy. To this end, specific objectives have been established: a) measure the evolution of the variables that characterise the ICT-H + i-SDG combination in the years indicated; b) identify the factor models that define the interrelationships between ICT-H + i and SDGs, and the variability among European regions; and, c) measure, from a spatio-temporal perspective, the changes that have occurred in these factor models at European regional level. A database was developed with variables at NUTS 2 level taken from the “ICT usage in households and by individuals” (isoc_i)” survey and the SDG monitoring indicators of Agenda 2030 from Eurostat. The following were conducted: 1): a descriptive statistical analysis and an analysis of spatial distribution to measure the evolution of these variables; 2) a factor analysis to identify the models of interdependence between these variables for each year; and 3) the creation of a series of maps of the factors obtained in order to measure the changes at European regional level. The results indicate that European regions progressed in the implementation of ICT-H + i and in the achievement of SDGs in their socio-economic dimension (with the exception of GDP per capita) from 2011 to 2020; the COVID-19 pandemic modified the use of ICT-H + i and the achievement of the SDGs of an economic and social nature, leading to opposite behaviour to the period 2011–18; and regional differences in 2020 were due to the sustainable development indicators, producing convergence in the levels of digitalisation of individuals and households.

Satellite Earth Observation for Essential Climate Variables Supporting Sustainable Development Goals: A Review on Applications

Essential climate variables (ECVs) have been recognized as crucial information for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is an agreement on 54 ECVs to understand climate evolution, and multiple rely on satellite Earth observation (abbreviated as s-ECVs). Despite the efforts to encourage s-ECV use for SDGs, there is still a need to further integrate them into the indicator calculations. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify s-ECVs used in SDG monitoring. Results showed the use of 14 s-ECVs, the most frequent being land cover, ozone, precursors for aerosols and ozone, precipitation, land surface temperature, soil moisture, soil carbon, lakes, and leaf area index. They were related to 16 SDGs (mainly SDGs 3, 6, 11, 14, and 15), 33 targets, and 23 indicators. However, only 10 indicators (belonging to SDGs 6, 11, and 15) were calculated using s-ECVs. This review raises research opportunities by identifying s-ECVs yet to be used in the indicator calculations. Therefore, indicators supporting SDGs must be updated to use this valuable source of information which, in turn, allows a worldwide indicator comparison. Additionally, this review is relevant for scientists and policymakers for future actions and policies to better integrate s-ECVs into the Agenda 2030.

SDG monitoring framework for rural settlements mapping interactions with the Spanish Urban Agenda

2023 is the midpoint between the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 target date. Therefore, the scope must be effectively addressed because time is running out. Alignment with local agendas gives rise to the incorporation of measurable indicators since the relevant data are more closely linked to the territory itself. Currently, the Spanish Urban Agenda (AUE) is the only one that includes standards for municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants. Thus, its alignment is mainly focused on achieving SDG outcomes in rural settlements. Consequently, the aim of this paper was to understand the trade-offs, integrating the AUE into the “5Ps" of the SDGs and the “3 pillars” of sustainable development to have a decision-making tool. In this way, the descriptive local data of the AUE are used as indicators for the diagnosis of the SDGs. The methodology applied is the scientifically validated “RMap” methodology, consisting of knowing the context of the reference sources and locating the synergies of linkages. The main result is the SDG monitoring framework based on the AUE, with specific standard values for rural settlements, suitable to carry out voluntary local reviews (VLRs) for governments that until now, had no official reference data.

Priorities, Scale and Insights: Opportunities and Challenges for Community Involvement in SDG Implementation and Monitoring

Monitoring progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mainly relies on national voluntary review mechanisms, which often depend on regional spatial data and statistics. While it is critical that governments take ownership of SDG implementation and reporting, many communities are proactively driving changes towards sustainability through local action. This paper explores the potential implications of bridging national and local implementation and reporting through the lens of SDG indicators data. It presents a community-driven case study for sustainability monitoring in the Republic of Ireland, exploring how local priorities and associated data scalability and insights provide opportunities and challenges towards a comprehensive and accurate understanding of SDG progress in implementation and achievement. Systemic data availability and scale limitations weaken the evidence-base needed for informed community-driven sustainable development initiatives. Similarly, local efforts to track changes on relevant indicators are uncommon but necessary for filling in data gaps and contributing to a more accurate national reporting. The achievement of the SDGs requires invested commitment across national, regional, local, and community levels. The implementation of sustainability interventions and tracking any changes these may enact on relevant indicators is equally a joint effort, which calls for strategic data and knowledge exchange partnerships.

A comprehensive method for refining essential SDGs variables for land degradation monitoring based on the DPSIR framework

ABSTRACT The United Nations adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address societal, economic and environmental sustainability issues. The efficiency of SDGs monitoring could be improved by essential variables (EVs), which can help to better deal with massive data, interdisciplinary knowledge and workloads. However, in practice, effectively combining EVs with SDGs monitoring remains challenging. In this paper, we proposed a refining method of essential SDGs variables (ESDGVs) to land degradation. Firstly, we selected northwest China as our experimental region and extracted a group of variables related to land degradation from SDG indicators based on the DPSIR framework. Next, we identify the essential ones using a combined qualitative and quantitative methods with the criteria of feasibility, spatialization, and relevance which considered the issues of data acquisition, monitoring scale, and closeness to the land degradation. Finally, we analysed the monitoring role of ESDGVs. Results show that, compared to conventional observations, ESDGVs facilitate the monitoring and evaluation of regional SDGs with reduced efforts. And both climate and human activities have a facilitating or inhibiting effect on land degradation processes. In the future, we hope to have more mature data sets and consider adding more SDG indicators for ESDGVs’ refinement.

Preliminary Steps of Urban Farming Spatial Database Development for SDGs Monitoring and Evaluation in Bogor City

<div class="WordSection1"><p><em>The mandate of Presidential Regulation 111/2022 states that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) need to be synchronized with the five-year National Development Plan (RPJMN) at the central government level, and the five-year Regional Development Plan (RPJMD) at the provincial and city/district levels. Further synchronization at the national level will eventually be completed in the National Action Plan (RAN), while at the provincial/city/district level it will produce a Regional Action Plan (RAD). This study aims to prepare the first steps for the development of urban agriculture spatial databases to support the monitoring and evaluation of SDGs and the formulation of RAD in Bogor City. The method used is a descriptive method through a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with a synchronization analysis between the SDGs and the five-year development plan (RPJMD) of Bogor City 2019-2024. The FGD activity was also attended by 114 representatives of women's farmer groups (KWT). The results of the analysis show that the development of a spatial database of urban agriculture to support the subsequent monitoring and evaluation of SDGs in Bogor City was carried out through an analysis of the role of KWT locations in poverty reduction within a certain radius in each KWT plantation location. This can be an indication that urban farming spatial databases can be used to evaluate SDGs 1 (No Poverty) and 2 (No Hunger).</em></p></div>

The global human settlement layer sets a new standard for global urban data reporting with the urban centre database

Monitoring of sustainable development goals (SDGs) requires a wealth of updated, reliable, and comparable data on planet Earth with respect to societal activities and society–environment interactions. Despite the massive big-data archives available today, salient data are missing for key thematic domains and geographical areas. Even for cities, which are the most prominent manifestations of human agglomeration, the data are scarce, sectoral, and scattered. Earth observation may help reconcile the disparities between data-rich and data-poor territories. The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) project of the European Commission has generated an open-source global dataset on cities—the GHSL Urban Centre Database (GHS-UCDB). This database describes more than 10,000 Urban Centres in 2015, with their locations, extent, and sets of geographical, socio-economic, and environmental attributes, as well as multi-temporal data records (covering a time span of up to 40 years) (Figure 6). The database combines information extracted from satellite imagery with physical and socio-economic information from several voluminous and heterogeneous sources provided by researchers and institutions as open geospatial data. The paradigm introduced with the GHS-UCDB relies on massive geospatial data integration and harmonisation conducted in the GIS environment (mainly via spatial joins and zonal statistics). The range and depth of geospatial and statistical variables in this dataset represent a new standard foundation for information on cities—more than doubling the number of cities usually reported by international organisations and offering the capacity to understand dynamics, e.g., on population, greenness, economic productivity, night-time light, and pollutant emissions. Moreover, the database offers the basis to estimate SDG indicators and other essential variables for the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

Can Citizen Science in the Humanities and Social Sciences Deliver on the Sustainability Goals?

Both the sustainability discourse and the debate on citizen science are strongly focused on the natural and technical sciences. Yet, numerous participatory research activities can be identified in the social sciences and humanities that address sustainability issues of various kinds. These have hardly been studied so far, and their contribution to addressing sustainability challenges is poorly known. The study investigates which sustainability topics are taken up by citizen science in the humanities and social sciences, which factors influence the choice of topics, and their implications. For this purpose, the concept of Citizen Social Science (CSS) is taken up and sustainability is operationalized via the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and its specific targets. Based on a collection of CSS activities in Germany, the addressed sustainability topics are identified accordingly. It is then analyzed how these patterns depend on the main characteristics of CSS projects. The findings indicate a focus on three SDGs related to education, sustainable cities, and partnerships for the Goals, while at the same time the project consortia are very heterogeneous. CSS shows particular strengths here through its multi-stakeholder approach. Going forward, the linkage of Citizen Science to the SDGs needs to be further formalized so that its transformative effects can be incorporated into SDG monitoring and the scientific institutions need additional incentives to participate in CSS.

Economic Agents’ Behaviors During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Theoretical Overview and Prospective Approach

In economics, several theories have focused on the study of decisions made by economic agents. Recent branches in economics have even revealed some controversies with the theoretical findings of the basic neoclassical model. Indeed, the growing uncertainty characterizing certain contemporary risks leads to various biases in the economic agents’ behaviors. The relevance of decisions under uncertainty calls into question the assumption of absolute rationality of the neoclassical economics. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing an unprecedented human crisis. This paper aims to provide a theoretical examination of the behaviors of economic agents faced with uncertainty and catastrophic situations. In its first contribution, this study provides a theoretical overview of behaviors under uncertainty. In its second contribution, the paper highlights the need for a prospective approach in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. Hence, we delve into the theoretical foundations of a prospective approach to health. All around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic approved the need for rethinking the preparation of “public health” systems to deal with pandemics. A good response to the present and a better preparation for the future require a revision of behaviors in terms of international cooperation and monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals.

The 50x2030 Initiative and production of SDG 2 indicators: Country challenges and experiences

An important objective of the 50x2030 Initiative to Close the Agricultural Data Gap is to empower partner countries’ statistical systems for evidence-based decision-making, especially to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2. The reference survey instruments of the Initiative allow the monitoring of SDG 2, particularly through indicators 2.3.1, 2.3.2 and 2.4.1. As the lead agency of the Initiative’s Data Production component, FAO assists countries in collecting the required data. The paper discusses the experiences, challenges and solutions encountered in the partner countries engaged in the 50x2030 Initiative and one of its preceding survey programs, the AGRISurvey Programme – namely Cambodia, Ecuador, Georgia, Indonesia, Nepal, Senegal, and Uganda. The experiences encompass data collection and the computation and dissemination of the Indicators.

Territorializing and Monitoring of Sustainable Development Goals in Italy: An Overview

The 2030 Agenda defined 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) divided into 169 targets, applicable everywhere and based on the “No one left behind” principle. Goals and indicators to measure the achievement of the 2030 Agenda have to be localized. The paper presents the Italian current evolution of the territorialization of the SDGs, starting from the global level up to the local one, and wonders if the implementation of the 2030 Agenda takes concrete form with the quantitative monitoring of the SDGs at the local level (municipalities and not only capitals). A comparison among indicators proposed at different levels is set by using an ad hoc comparative reading grid. The analysis highlights that, in Italy, the principle barriers in the territorialization of the SDGs are the lack of data open sources, the proposal of new not adequately validated metrics by institutional/non-institutional subjects and the progressive loss of relationship with Global indicator framework and targets of the 2030 Agenda. The strategies needed to reach sustainable development are obviously site-specific, but we need to maintain common metrics in measuring performances in relation to the 2030 Agenda. In the Global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, it is possible to find indicators suitable to measure performances at the local level—albeit in a smaller numbers—but in Italy, there is no awareness about this. Italy is completely losing both the opportunity to compare the results of the effort performed by the Municipalities in a rigorous way and the possibility to use strong metrics to support decision-makers’ policies for the future.