Localization of SDG?s

Localization of SDG’s

News: Recently, Bhopal(MP) became the first city in India to join the growing global movement on localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) following the release of its Voluntary Local Review (VLR).

Background:
 VLRs is a means for driving and reporting local implementation of SDGs at the sub-national and city levels.
 It is a bottom-up and participatory approach that involves multiple stakeholders, such as civil society, the private sector, academia and citizens.

What are SDGs?
 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015.
 A universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.
 It is a set of 17 SDGs which recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others and that development must balance social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
 The United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development - It consists of 17 Goals and 169 targets as a plan of action for ‘people’, ‘the planet’, and ‘prosperity’.
 Member-states submit a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the UN’s High Level Political Forum (HLPF)

What is India’s progress on SDG’s?
 India’s Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) has published a National Indicator Framework (NIF) for the review and monitoring of the SDGs.
 According to a NITI Aayog report at least 23 States and Union Territories have prepared a vision document based on SDGs.

What is the Bhopal plan?
 Bhopal’s VLR - It is a joint collaboration between the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, UN-Habitat, and 23 local stakeholders.
 It has mapped 56 developmental projects to the SDGs across the three pillars, of ‘people’ (SDGs 1,3,4,5), ‘planet’ (SDGs 6,13,15) and ‘prosperity’ (SDGs 7,8,11).
 The objectives of building basic infrastructure and resilience emerge as a priority for the city from the number of projects mapped to the SDGs.
 Quantitative assessment of city-level indicators (SDG 11) Sustainable cities and communities) - It records Bhopal’s stellar performance in solid waste management practices, public transportation, and open spaces per capita.
 The analysis points to areas where the city needs to work much harder in the coming years to close the distance from the goals provisioning of adequate shelter, high levels of air pollution, city planning capacity and even distribution and accessibility of open spaces.

Significance of Localizing SDG’s
 It allows developing local solutions and facilitates peer learning.
 Government’s at different levels shoulder different responsibilities. It promotes healthy competition at subnational level.
 Goals and targets are interpreted within the local context.
 With nearly 65% of the Indian population living in rural areas, the role of rural local bodies has become important component of local self-governance. This is where localization of SDG plays its part.

Way Forward
 Localizing SDG’s provides an opportunity for Indian cities to tell their stories in their own language and own people, using a framework of their choice to forefront their work at a global platform.
 VLR in true sense depicts the people’s process.