ABOUT THE SITUATION OF INDIA (CURRENT AND PAST):
https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/india
- At the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi noted, “Sustainable development of one-sixth of humanity will be of
great consequence to the world and our beautiful planet. It will be a world of
fewer challenges and greater hope; and, more confident of its success”
- NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier think tank, has been entrusted
with the task of coordinating the SDGs, mapping schemes related to the SDGs
and their targets, and identifying lead and supporting ministries for each
target.
- the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has been
leading discussions for developing national indicators for the SDGs.
- The UN Country Team in India supports NITI Aayog, Union ministries and
state governments in their efforts to address the interconnectedness of the
goals, to ensure that no one is left behind and to advocate for adequate
financing to achieve the SDGs.
https://india.un.org/en/sdgs
- Some notable achievements include:
- Goal 1: No Poverty: India has successfully lifted millions of people out of
poverty, reducing the poverty rate from 45% in 1993 to around 21% in 2011.
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger: The prevalence of undernourishment in India has
decreased from 18.2% in 2004-2006 to 14.5% in 2016-2018.
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being: India has made significant improvements
in maternal and child health, with a reduction in maternal mortality ratio from
254 per 100,000 live births in 2004-2006 to 113 in 2016-2018. Under-five
mortality rate has also declined from 89 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 34 in
2019.
- Goal 4: Quality Education: India has achieved near-universal primary school
enrolment, with a net enrolment rate of 98.3% in 2018.
- Goal 5: Gender Equality: The female labour force participation rate in India
increased from 22.5% in 2005 to 23.3% in 2019. The child marriage rate
declined from 47% in 2005-2006 to 30% in 2015-2016.
- Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: Access to improved drinking water
sources has increased from 73% in 1990 to 94% in 2017. Access to improved
sanitation facilities has also improved, rising from 21% in 1990 to 71% in
2017.
- How has social capital contributed in achieving these goals?
- Goal 1: No Poverty: India has made substantial strides in reducing
poverty rates. Social capital has played a role by enabling community-
driven initiatives, self-help groups, and microfinance networks that
provide financial assistance, skills training, and entrepreneurship
opportunities to marginalised populations.
- Goal 2: Zero Hunger: India has made notable progress in addressing
hunger and malnutrition. Social capital has facilitated the
establishment of community-based organisations, farmers'
cooperatives, and knowledge-sharing networks that promote
sustainable agriculture, improve access to nutritious food, and enhance
food security.
- Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being: India has made significant
advancements in improving health outcomes. Social capital has played
a role by enabling community health workers, volunteers, and support
networks that provide healthcare services, raise awareness, and
facilitate access to healthcare facilities, particularly in remote and
underserved areas.
- Goal 4: Quality Education: India has made considerable efforts to
enhance access to quality education. Social capital has been
instrumental in promoting community involvement, supporting
education initiatives, and fostering partnerships between educational
institutions, local communities, and NGOs to improve infrastructure,
teacher training, and educational outcomes.
- Goal 5: Gender Equality: India has undertaken various initiatives to
promote gender equality and empower women. Social capital has
played a role by fostering women's self-help groups, promoting
financial inclusion, providing vocational training, and creating platforms
for women's voices to be heard, leading to increased economic
empowerment and gender parity.
- Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: India has been working
towards creating sustainable and inclusive cities and communities.
Social capital has facilitated citizen engagement, participatory planning
processes, and community-led initiatives that focus on sustainable
urban development, waste management, renewable energy, and
improving access to basic services.
- These are a few examples of how social capital has contributed to
India's progress towards achieving the SDGs. Social capital has played
a vital role in mobilising communities, fostering collaboration, and
empowering individuals to actively participate in sustainable
development efforts. By leveraging social capital effectively, India has
been able to address multiple dimensions of sustainable development
and create positive change at both the local and national levels.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/indias-achievements-sustainable-development-
goals-role-smriti-walia/
- Ministries of the Government of India and other stakeholders, has developed a
National Indicator Framework (NIF) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for
facilitating the monitoring of progress of SDGs at national level. Based on the data
received from the data source Ministries, MoSPI releases “Sustainable Development
Goals National Indicator Framework Progress Report” on 29thJune every year
- NITI Aayog has developed the SDG India Index mainly based on the NIF. In the SDG
India Index, Baseline Report 2018, 13 goals comprising 39 targets and 62 indicators
were taken. In the SDG India Index Report 2019-20, 16 goals comprising 54 targets
and 100 indicators were taken. In the latest SDG India Index Report 2020-21, 16
goals comprising 70 targets and 115 indicators were taken.
-
- In this direction, various schemes such as National Health Mission to provide health
services, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY) to
provide health cover, Swachh Bharat Mission to provide access to toilets in
households, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme
(MGNREGA) for employment, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana (PMAY) for housing
in both rural and urban areas, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to
provide connectivity to unconnected Habitations, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna
(PMJDY) to provide access to financial services, National Social Assistance
Programme (NSAP) to provide financial assistance to the elderly, widows and persons
with disabilities in the form of social pensions etc. are being implemented.
https://www.iasparliament.com/current-affairs/specials/indias-progress-on-sustainable-
development-goals-sdgs
- A recent study assesses India’s progress on 33 welfare indicators,
covering 9 SDGs and the results are mixed.
- Positive trends - India is ‘On-Target’ to meeting 14 of the 33 SDGs,
including indicators for neonatal and under-five mortality, full
vaccination, improved sanitation, and electricity access.
- But, the national ‘On-Target’ designation does not apply equally across
all districts.
- Concerning trends - For 19 of the 33 SDG indicators, the current pace
of improvement is not enough to meet SDG targets.
- Despite a national policy push for clean fuel for cooking, more than two-
thirds (479) of districts remain ‘Off-Target’.
- Heightened concern - No district in India has yet succeeded in
eliminating the practice of girl child marriage before the legal age of 18
years.
- Despite the overall expansion of mobile phone access in India (93% of
households), only 56% women report owning a mobile phone.
- Lessons from India COVID19 to implement in SDGs
- Political-administrative synergy - Strong and sustained
political leadership supported by a responsive
administrative structure at all levels, from national to the
district level.
- This synergy which was willing to learn and undertake
course corrections in real-time was critical to the success of
vaccination programme and rollout of a comprehensive
relief package.
- Public data platform - The existing digital infrastructure,
as well as new, indigenous initiatives such as the Co-WIN
data platform made India’s success with COVID-19
possible.
- India must put in place a coordinated, public data platform
for population health management, by
- India must consolidate its many platforms into an
integrated digital resource for district administrators, as
well as State and national policy makers.
- Proactive Programmes - A targeted SDG strategy
delivered at scale must be executed with the same
timeliness of India’s COVID-19 relief package.
- For example, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
(March 2020) later augmented Pradhan Mantri Garib
Kalyan Anna Yojana (2023) covering 800 million people.
- The relief programme was a mix of spending to provide
direct in-kind and economic support, as well as measures
aimed at revitalising the economy, small businesses, and
agriculture.
- This was critical in blunting the adverse effects of COVID-
19, especially for vulnerable and the socio-economically
disadvantaged groups.
● It also measurably demonstrated the value of a proactive, government-
supported programme specifically aimed at improving people’s well-
being.
- What does India need to do?
- India needs to innovate a new policy path in order
to meet the aspirations of its people in the decade
ahead.
- India has proved that it is possible to deliver at
scale in such an ambitious and comprehensive
manner, in successfully delivering a real-time
response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To succeed in meeting its SDG targets, a similar
concerted, pioneering, nation-wide effort would be
the need of the hour.
-
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https://www.iasparliament.com/current-affairs/specials/indias-progress-on-sustainable-
development-goals-sdgs
The study was published in The Lancet Regional Health–Southeast Asia on
February 20, 2023
- The researchers used data from India’s 2016 and 2021 National
Family Health Survey to assess progress toward nine out of 17 SDGs
by looking at 33 indicators related to health and social determinants
of health
- Nationally, India is off target for 19 of the 33 SDG indicators, the
study found. more than 75% of districts were off target.
- The researchers estimated that India is only a year away from
meeting the target for improved water access but that other targets,
such as those regarding access to basic services and partner violence,
could take until 2062 to reach.
- “Meeting [the SDGs] would require prioritizing and targeting
specific areas within India,” the researchers wrote. “India’s
emergence and sustenance as a leading economic power depends on
meeting some of the more basic health and social determinants of
health-related SDGs in an immediate and equitable manner.”
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/india-behind-on-progress-toward-un-
sustainable-development-goals/
DATA TO ATTACK
- NIGER
on SDG 6 through the adoption of the National Action Plan for Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM). The National Action Plan will allow the creation,
installation and support of IWRM bodies at the level of the first 3 sub basins
The government of Niger further adopted the Water, Hygiene and Sanitation Sector
Program (PROSEHA 2016-2030). for the availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all, and it responds to the commitment of Niger to
implement the SDGs.
https://sdgs.un.org/basic-page/niger-24776
SDG 2 and 3: The main barrier to accessing health services when needed is lack of resources.
SDG 10: the Gini index saw a small increase of 0.05 to 0.35 in 2019.
The Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of
income or consumption among individuals or households within an
economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution.
SDG 13: However, the numberof flood victims increased between 2018 and 2020 from 142,715 to
639 870 and the number of deaths also increased from 40 to 65 over the same period.
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/niger
As a landlocked country located in the heart of the Sahel, Niger is one of the poorest countries in
the world. With limited natural resources and human capital, it faces immense challenges and
pressure.
This vast country of some 25 million people ranked 189th out of 191 in the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index in 2021, with a per capita GDP of
US$594.90, one of the lowest in Africa
Two thirds of its surface is desert. Only a strip in the south of the country is green. Access to
water is a problem for a large part of the population, even if water towers are gradually arriving in
the cities. The desert is growing by 200,000 hectares each year.
Government reforestation programmes are hampered by frequent droughts and the growing
demand for wood and agricultural land. Since 1990, the forest has lost a third of its surface and
now covers only 0.9% of the country.
Niger has faced political instability since its independence in 1960. Since then, it has experienced
seven republics and violent takeovers by the national army.
low human capital development, environmental degradation and climate change, high
population growth, low and erratic economic growth, food and nutrition insecurity, overall
insecurity in the country, and the impact of security problems in neighboring countries (Mali,
Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Libya), particularly in the form of migration flows.
Niger's economy is centered on food crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest
uranium deposits. It has changed little in 20 years and is not very diversified or specific.
The insecurity situation in the north, west and southeast of the country is a risk factor for the
economic and social development of the region. Growing regional insecurity and the presence of
violent extremist groups in the border areas threaten the country's stability and fuel pre-existing
inter- and intra-community tensions. They also exacerbate conflicts over natural resources, the
marginalization of youth and women in the labor market, and the weakness of public services in
the border areas.
43 percent of the households face moderate or severe food insecurity.
The increasing feminization of poverty results from gender inequalities,
notably for the access to the production factors. A
Poverty affects 59.5 percent of the population, 83 percent in rural areas.
https://luxdev.lu/en/activities/country/NIG#:~:text=Multiple%20economic%2C%20social%2C
%20environmental%2C,erratic%20economic%20growth%2C%20food%20and
The main issues for the development of the region are:
● A limited access to basic social services due to an insufficient
offer of service and supervision infrastructures, adequate with
the needs of a population whose growth is not controlled;
● A weak (or non-existent) revenue explained by the irregularity of
the rainfall, a limited access to the production factors such as
credit, leading to a weak capacity of agricultural production,
storage, processing and commercialization and food access;
● The difficulty in ensuring the stability of the price of cereals and
their access for the populations;
● Weak human and institutional capacities: the organisational
difficulties of local markets and the lack of real strategies of food
security in the local development plans in most municipalities;
● Problems in managing water and soil fertility with a continuous
decrease of crop yields in a large part of the Maradi region.
● PADEL aims at ensuring to the populations of the Maradi region
an access to financial and public services in order to promote
local economic development, improve food security by reducing
malnutrition. PADEL falls within the framework of the joint
programme of the SNU in Maradi and also establishes
operational and strategic partnerships with other actors. PADEL
is complementary and the development of synergies with the
other agencies of the UN in the respect of each other mandate.
The setting up of the Joint Programme facilitates
complementarity in so far as PADEL has chosen the
municipality as the privileged entry door for interventions, with
the municipal council as the project manager tasked with
providing the impulse, coordination and support to the
achievement of local development initiatives in the framework of
the local development plans. Therefore it is about making
coherent and complementary the different intervention so that
their impact is synergistic.
https://www.uncdf.org/f4f/niger
CANADA
“The cognitive load this has had on society has slowed down the attention
to the 2030 agenda and yet the urgency of our need for societal transition
and transformation continues and has been accelerated,” says Michelle
Baldwin, senior advisor at Community Foundations of Canada
When it comes to climate change, Canada has become exemplary of the
devastating impacts with forest fires, floods, and heatwaves. And yet,
according to the SDSN’s 2021 report, major challenges are still present in
terms of climate action development with “stagnating progress.”
“Why do we still have boil water advisories? Why is there still gender-based
violence predominantly in Indigenous communities? Why is there an
education gap between on-reserve and off-reserve? These are things that
don’t have to happen anymore. This shouldn’t happen in the first place, but
these things can be fixed,” says Herchak Katelynne Herchak, Indigenous
policy manager at VIDEA
Adopting a decolonization framework is key, according to Herchak.
https://futureofgood.co/canada-sdg-progress/
The University of Waterloo's Chair for SDSN Canada and incoming Dean for the
Faculty of Environment, professor Bruce Frayne,
fear that Canada will start to be left behind if we don't see more dedication to the
SDGs by all levels of government, in particular from provincial governments that are
largely absent at the SDGs table.
In my opinion, our biggest SDGs challenges highlighted in the ranking are:
● SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – with a focus on
electronic waste and our exports of plastic waste.
● SDG 13: Climate Action – with a focus on our CO2 emissions from fossil
fuel combustion and cement production, as well as our emissions embodied in
our fossil fuel exports.
● SDG 14: Life Below Water + SDG 15: Life on Land – with a focus on
our limited protected marine, terrestrial, and freshwater sites important to
biodiversity.
● SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – with a focus on our relatively low
Official Development Assistance as a share of gross national income (this
includes grants, loans, and the provision of technical assistance to lower-
income countries).
Spillover index increasing, The spillover index measures how our imports and
exports affect other countries' abilities to make progress on the SDGs, which means
that our actions are hindering the global pursuit of achieving the SDGs
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/q-and-experts-canada-falls-sdgs-
progress-rankings-whats
three million Canadians still struggle to satisfy their basic needs. Indigenous peoples, women, youth
and the elderly, the LGBTQ2 community, newcomers to Canada, and persons with disabilities are
more likely to face poverty, discrimination, and social exclusion.
In June 2017, Canada announced its Feminist International Assistance Policy, which seeks to
eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, inclusive and prosperous world. Canada firmly believes
that promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls is the most effective way to achieve
this goal and drive progress on all SDGs.
KAZAKHSTAN
Out of the 169 SDG tasks, only 99 targets, or 58.6 percent,
received funding from the state budget, with the bulk of the funding
being assigned to the following SDG areas:
– Poverty Eradication (SDG 1) – 23 percent of the state budget.
– Quality Education (SDG 4) – 16.1 percent of the state budget.
– Industrialization, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9) – 12.1
percent of the state budget.
Despite the progress made, challenges remain. In light of the 2023
results, Kazakhstan currently ranks 66th out of 166 countries in the
SDG Index, scoring 71.6 out of a possible 100 points – a drop of
seven positions from 2021, highlighting the need for greater efforts
in aligning budgetary allocations with SDG objectives.
SDG 2 “Zero Hunger,” SDG 7 “Affordable and Clean Energy,” SDG
13 “Climate Action,” SDG 15 “Life on Land,” and SDG 16 “Peace,
Justice, and Strong Institutions”. Primarily, these are the SDGs that
receive the least funding
https://www.undp.org/kazakhstan/blog/bridging-gaps-fostering-
progress-navigating-kazakhstans-sdg-journey
ARAL SEA - on the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
El que fue uno de los cuatro lagos más grandes del mundo y proveía de
sostenibilidad económica a la región, se encuentra en un estado de sequía continua
desde 1960.
https://www.unav.edu/web/global-affairs/detalle1/-/blogs/-guerras-del-agua-en-asia-
central
In 2016, a mission of UN experts called Mainstreaming Acceleration and Policy
Support (MAPS) made their first engagement with the region in Kazakhstan that led
to a Parliamentary Statement on SDGs by the Senate. This pioneered the way
forward for a “nationally-led and owned SDG coordination architecture,” or, the
Coordination Council on SDGs. Operating under the office of the Prime Minister and
chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, the Council has “five inter-sectoral working
groups" that were formed around five larger categories of SDGs (People, Planet,
Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership).
Kazakhstan, in 2019, submitted its first Voluntary National Review (VNR), which not
only reaffirmed its commitment to following the SDG model for progress but has also
allowed leaders to pinpoint key areas for improvement. Many of the identified areas
for improvement were related to logistics and budgeting.
