Background

In 2015, 193 member-states of the United Nations embraced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets as a plan of action for 'people', 'planet', and 'prosperity'. Since 2018, this information has been collected through Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN). The SDSN Survey was conducted in February 2022.

The SDG Report is a global assessment of countries’ progress towards achieving SDGs. An SDG score of 60.3 placed India at 121st position out of 163 countries. Global movement on localization of SDGs led to the release of Voluntary Local Review (VLR) by Bhopal. The resolution specifies mechanisms for the monitoring, review, and reporting of progress as a measure of responsibility towards the people. Accordingly, the member states shall submit a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the UN's High-Level Political Forum (HLPF). VLRs is an urban planning tool in order to drive and report the original perpetration of SDGs at the sub-national and metropolitan levels.

India’s Progress in Achieving SDGs 2030 Agenda

India has made significant strides towards the adoption, localization, and attainment of the SDGs.

About 23 States and Union Territories have prepared a vision document based on SDGs as indicated in a NITI Aayog report. While a majority of them have started the process of localizing the SDGs, it has taken a while to attain the status of India's first Voluntary Local Review at the city level. As per Agenda 2030, Cities are the most important stakeholders. Without the participation of local urban stakeholders, at least 65% of the 169 targets could not possibly be achieved.

What is Voluntary Local Review?

• A VLR is a tool to demonstrate how ‘local’ conduct is leading the way in equitable and sustainable transformation for people and erecting a coalition of partners towards this bid.

• While it is desirable to align the city's VLR to the state-level action plan and the country's VNR, the process requires a fair amount of plasticity for the cities to reveal their state within a framework of their choice.

• VLR does not have to be total in quantifying each of the 286 indicators under India's NIF, which restate the global targets under the 17 SDGs into local indicators at the public position.

• Cities may select specific SDGs for a detailed review as per their goals and logistical convenience. While doing so, they may adapt and further localize the public pointers under the applicable SDGs to reflect the megacity-level realities. Universally, cities have chosen to align their reviews with the SDGs that the HLPF is reviewing in detail in its ongoing cycle.

How to make a Bhopal bridge over the SDGs chasm?

• The VLR in Bhopal is the result of the combined efforts and participation of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, UN-Habitat, and the beneficence of over 23 original stakeholders. It has counterplotted 56 experimental systems 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 in-depth quantitative assessment of city-level pointers under SDG 11(Sustainable cities and communities) records Bhopal's astral performance in solid waste operation practices, public transportation, and open spaces per capita. Nevertheless, the analysis also points to areas where the metropolitans need to work much harder in the coming times to close the distance from the goals: acceptable sanctum, high levels of air pollution, city planning capacity, and even the distribution and accessibility of open spaces.

• To fast-track progress towards all SDGs while guaranteeing ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas’, India must have a combined focus to address issues at every stage, right from planning to collaboration, monitoring, and capacity structure at the state and lower situations.

Roadblocks

Conclusion

It is a remarkable occasion for Indian metropolitans to tell their stories in their own vocabulary, using a frame of their choice to forefront their work on a global platform. We expect that more Indian metropolitans will follow Bhopal's lead, to show civic inventions and collaborations arising from India on the global chart.

With just a decade left for all countries around the globe to realize the goals, critical action needs to be called for before it becomes too late. Schemes & strategies should be modified in alignment with the larger SDGs while keeping in mind the local & indigenous challenges specific to India.

Way Ahead

India has made a paradigm shift to a “whole- of- society” approach with the Government of India engaging sub-national and local governments, civil society associations, local communities, people in vulnerable situations, and the private sector.

References

1.     India sustainable development knowledge platform United Nations. Available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/india (Accessed: 27 July 2023).

2.     K.V.S.  Choudary, P.A.& P.S. (2023) Tracking SDG progress the bhopal way, Tracking SDG progress the Bhopal way - The Hindu. Available at: https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/tracking-sdg-progress-the-bhopal-way/article66871463.ece (Accessed: 27 July 2023).

3.     Sustainable development goals: India needs an urgent push to achieve the sdgs (2022) Times of India Blog. Available at: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/sustainable-development-goals-india-needs-an-urgent-push-to-achieve-the-sdgs/ (Accessed: 27 July 2023).

4.     SDG India index | NITI Aayog. Available at: https://niti.gov.in/sdg-india-index (Accessed: 27 July 2023).