Your search found 12 records
1 Martinez-Santos, P. 2017. Does 91% of the world’s population really have “sustainable access to safe drinking water”? International Journal of Water Resources Development, 33(4):514-533. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/07900627.2017.1298517]
Drinking water ; Water availability ; Water resources development ; Sustainable development ; Millennium goals ; Development indicators ; Water supply ; Water security ; Water quality ; Biological contamination ; Chemical contamination ; Pollutants ; Health risks ; Population ; Human rights
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048111)
(1.39 MB)
Halving the number of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water was a core target of the Millennium Development Goals. This led to an unprecedented effort in the water sector, improving the livelihoods of millions of people. While the goal has officially been accomplished, unsuitable benchmarks have led to overstatement of the results. Indicators overemphasize improved water sources, disregarding the fact that many continue to be contaminated, unreliable or unaffordable. The alleged success needs to be reframed to avoid confusion, prevent investments from being reallocated away from the water sector and obtain more accurate estimates of water access.
2 Gimelli, F. M.; Bos, J. J.; Rogers, B. C. 2018. Fostering equity and wellbeing through water: a reinterpretation of the goal of securing access. World Development, 104:1-9. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2017.10.033]
Water resources development ; Water supply ; Water availability ; Water rights ; Equity ; Welfare ; Public health ; Sanitation ; Development indicators ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Millennium Development Goals
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048700)
(0.53 MB)
Current approaches to the development of water services such as water supply, sanitation, and hygiene in the Global South are driven by the aim to secure people’s rights to access such services. In this literature-based paper, we illustrate how such an interpretation of access limits the ability of development efforts in the sector to (i) address power inequities mediating access to water services, and; (ii) acknowledge and strengthen wellbeing factors implicated with water services beyond basic health. We argue that maintaining the current interpretation of access limits the ability of development initiatives in the water sector to address pressing issues mediating people’s ability to benefit from water services. To address these limitations, we propose a reinterpretation of the goal of securing access in international development frameworks grounded in Ribot and Peluso’s (2003) theory of access and Amartya Sen’s (1999, 2008, 2013) Capability Approach to human development. Such a reinterpretation strengthens the capacity of global efforts to improve water services to not only foster good health, but also address inequity and other dimensions of human wellbeing such as livelihoods and education.
3 Dickens, Chris; Nhlengethwa, Sibusiso; Ndhlovu, Brown. 2019. Mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals in developing countries. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 23p. [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2019.212]
Sustainable Development Goals ; Mainstreaming ; Developing countries ; UN ; Development indicators ; Multi-stakeholder processes ; Public-private cooperation ; Partnerships ; Awareness raising ; Economic development ; Development policies ; National planning ; Government agencies ; Institutions ; Governance ; Financing ; Budgeting ; Monitoring ; Impact assessment ; Accountability ; Adaptability ; Risk assessment ; Strategies / Southern Africa / South Africa / Botswana / Malawi / Namibia / Eswatini / Zimbabwe
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049245)
(2.03 MB)
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development promises to achieve change in almost every aspect of life on Earth. Encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets, the Agenda marks the first time in history when all nations have agreed on how to chart their future. The SDGs are not just a global reporting exercise, however, but rather involve a global program that embraces country-led efforts. Guided by the ideas contained in the 2030 Agenda, each nation must seek to become more prosperous and sustainable, while contributing to the global effort at the same time. If all the countries achieve this, we will have a sustainable planet and a secure future for all.
This document offers guidance on how developing countries can adapt the SDGs to their own contexts and priorities. It indicates important areas for developing countries to consider when creating their own program to achieve the SDGs, and provides examples of success to demonstrate concrete possibilities for progress.
This document offers guidance on how developing countries can adapt the SDGs to their own contexts and priorities. It indicates important areas for developing countries to consider when creating their own program to achieve the SDGs, and provides examples of success to demonstrate concrete possibilities for progress.
4 Merino-Saum, A.; Baldi, M. G.; Gunderson, I.; Oberle, B. 2018. Articulating natural resources and sustainable development goals through green economy indicators: a systematic analysis. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 139:90-103. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.07.007]
Natural resources ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; Economic indicators ; Frameworks ; Environmental factors ; Social aspects ; Institutions ; Resource management
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049323)
(2.96 MB)
Natural Resources are essential inputs for economic and social development. However, unsustainable resource use has led to environmental degradation and resource depletion, endangering the well-being of humanity and the environment. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a plan of action to address these issues. The Green Economy (GE) concept is described by various institutions as a vehicle to move towards sustainable resource management. This paper demonstrates the linkages between SDGs and Natural Resources though the systematic analysis of 494 GE indicators, derived from 12 distinct frameworks focusing on GE or on Green Growth. This articulation provides insights to gain an improved understanding of the links between SDGs and Natural Resources and interpret their inherent complexity. GE indicators focus unevenly on SDG, although each SDG is related to at least one resource category. Two complementary typologies were applied to the Materials subcategory to highlight additional characteristics, leading to the proposal of an adaptable analytical framework for the assessment of sustainability issues and GE transitions
5 Gennari, P.; Navarro, D. K. 2019. The challenge of measuring agricultural sustainability in all its dimensions. Journal of Sustainability Research, 1(2):e190013. (Special issue: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Underpinning and Contributing to Sustainability Research). [doi: https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20190013]
Sustainable agriculture ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; Assessment ; Monitoring ; Policies ; Farm surveys ; Economic aspects ; UN ; FAO
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049572)
https://sustainability.hapres.com/AddDownload.aspx?id=1101&type=pdf&action=JSR
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049572.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049572.pdf
(0.40 MB) (404 KB)
SDG indicator 2.4.1, the “Percentage of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture” aims to measure the degree of sustainability of each farm with reference to 11 distinct sustainability attributes, and hence provide an overall national assessment through a dashboard approach. Today, this indicator has an internationally agreed methodology, and dozens of countries around the world are receiving technical assistance from FAO in its measurement and implementation. However, what we may now take as a given is the result of a long and arduous process of methodological development that involved a series of difficult decisions on numerous methodological aspects. This paper reviews and provides supporting documentation for these key methodological decisions, particularly with regard to the definition of agricultural sustainability, the choice of the scale of the sustainability assessment and the data collection instrument; the sub-indicators within each dimension; the criteria to assess the sustainability level of the farm with respect to each sub-indicator; and the modality of synthesizing the information. These decisions were further encumbered by the need to faithfully capture progress towards a multidimensional SDG target determined by a political process, with negligible input from statistical experts.
6 Nhamo, L.; Mabhaudhi, T.; Mpandeli, S.; Dickens, Chris; Nhemachena, C.; Senzanje, A.; Naidoo, D.; Liphadzi, S.; Modi, A. T. 2020. An integrative analytical model for the water-energy-food nexus: South Africa case study. Environmental Science and Policy, 109:15-24. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.010]
Decision support systems ; Water availability ; Energy ; Food security ; Nexus ; Water productivity ; Climate change adaptation ; Resilience ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; Living standards ; Agricultural productivity ; Cereals ; Models ; Performance evaluation ; Case studies / South Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049710)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462901119315618/pdfft?md5=6a58952488ffee2f1221f91a0beb1156&pid=1-s2.0-S1462901119315618-main.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049710.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H049710.pdf
(0.89 MB) (912 KB)
The missing link between cross-sectoral resource management and full-scale adoption of the water-energy-food (WEF) nexus has been the lack of analytical tools that provide evidence for policy and decision-making. This study defined WEF nexus sustainability indicators, from where an analytical model was developed to manage WEF resources in an integrated manner using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The model established quantitative relationships among WEF sectors, simplifying the intricate interlinkages among resources, using South Africa as a case study. A spider graph was used to illustrate sector performance as related to others, whose management is viewed either as sustainable or unsustainable. The model was then applied to assess progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in South Africa. The estimated integrated indices of 0.155 and 0.203 for 2015 and 2018, respectively, classify South Africa’s management of resources as marginally sustainable. The model is a decision support tool that highlights priority areas for intervention.
7 Dickens, Christopher; McCartney, Matthew; Tickner, D.; Harrison, I. J.; Pacheco, P.; Ndhlovu, Brown. 2020. Evaluating the global state of ecosystems and natural resources: within and beyond the SDGs. Sustainability, 12(18):7381. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187381]
Sustainable Development Goals ; Ecosystems ; Natural resources management ; Evaluation ; Water resources ; Water quality ; Land resources ; Biodiversity ; Air quality ; Monitoring ; Marine environment ; Freshwater ; Development indicators ; Social development ; Economic development
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H049942)
(0.47 MB) (480 KB)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) purport to report holistically on progress towards sustainability and do so using more than 231 discrete indicators, with a primary objective to achieve a balance between the environment, social and economic aspects of development. The research question underpinning the analyses presented in this paper is: are the indicators in the SDGs sufficient and fit for purpose to assess the trajectory of natural resources towards sustainability? We extracted the SDG indicators that monitor the state of natural resources, or alternately support policy or governance for their protection, and determined whether these are adequate to provide the essential data on natural resources to achieve the aims of the SDGs. The indicators are clustered into four natural resource categories—land, water (both marine and freshwater), air and biodiversity. Indicators for monitoring land resources show that the most comprehensive land resource indicator for degraded land is not fully implemented and that missing from land monitoring is an evaluation of vegetation health outside of forests and mountains, the condition of soils, and most importantly the overall health of terrestrial ecosystems. Indicators for monitoring water resources have substantial gaps, unable to properly monitor water quality, water stress, many aspects of marine resources and, most significantly, the health of fresh and salt water ecosystems. Indicators for monitoring of air have recently become more comprehensive, but linkage to IPCC results would benefit both programs. Monitoring of biodiversity is perhaps the greatest weakness of the SDG Agenda, having no comprehensive assessment even though narrow aspects are monitored. Again, deliberate linkages to other global biodiversity programs (e.g., CBD and the Post-2020 Biodiversity Framework, IPBES, and Living Planet) are recommended on condition that data can be defined at a country level. While the SDG list of indicators in support of natural resource is moderately comprehensive, it lacks holistic monitoring in relation to evaluation of ecosystems and biodiversity to the extent that these missing but vital measures of sustainability threaten the entire SDG Agenda. In addition, an emerging issue is that even where there are appropriate indicators, the amount of country-level data remains inadequate to fully evaluate sustainability. This signals the delicate balance between the extent and complexity of the SDG Agenda and uptake at a country level.
8 Warner, S.; Chapman, D.; Dickens, Chris. 2020. Good ambient water quality. In Filho, W. L.; Azul, A. M.; Brandli, L.; Salvia, A. L.; Wall, T. (Eds.). Clean water and sanitation. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 11p. (Online first). (Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70061-8_83-1]
Water quality ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; Water resources ; Groundwater ; Rivers ; Lakes ; Freshwater ; Geology ; Ecosystems ; Anthropogenic factors ; Biological processes ; Topography ; Monitoring ; Assessment ; Wastewater
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050048)
(0.25 MB)
9 Mukuyu, Patience; Lautze, Jonathan; Rieu-Clarke, A.; Saruchera, D.; McCartney, Matthew. 2020. The devil’s in the details: data exchange in transboundary waters. Water International, 45(7-8):884-900. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2020.1850026]
International waters ; Data management ; Information exchange ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; River basin management ; International cooperation ; River basin institutions ; River flow ; Water quality ; Groundwater table ; Water extraction ; Water management ; Dams / Africa / Europe / Americas / Asia
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050122)
(1.12 MB)
Data exchange in transboundary waters is fundamental to advance cooperative water management. Nonetheless, the degree to which data are shared is not well understood. To gauge this degree, an assessment framework was developed and applied in 25 international river basins. The framework captures the degree to which a set of data parameters is exchanged among countries. A reasonable proportion of surveyed basins exchange some data, but the breadth of such exchange is often limited, and not regular. This paper highlights where data exchange can be improved and provides guidance on how indicators used in global assessment frameworks can motivate this improvement.
10 Linnerud, K.; Holden, E.; Simonsen, M. 2021. Closing the sustainable development gap: a global study of goal interactions. Sustainable Development, 16p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2171]
Sustainable Development Goals ; Development indicators ; Environmental policy ; Social aspects ; Climate change ; Ecological factors ; Greenhouse gas emissions ; Poverty ; Models
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050252)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/sd.2171?download=true
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050252.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H050252.pdf
(3.72 MB) (3.72 MB)
Meeting one sustainable development goal on human needs, social justice, or environmental limits can make it harder (or easier) to meet others. The extent to which countries succeed in reconciling these goals is context specific but depends largely on how we organize society and on what policy options and strategies we use. We present a model for sustainable development consisting of six indicators and assign thresholds that define a sustainable development space. The distances between the indicator values and their corresponding thresholds constitute the sustainable development gap. We then apply a cluster analysis technique to group 117 countries into six clusters that face similar challenges in closing this gap. Finally, we use illustrative spider web diagrams to assess the performance of these clusters at two points in time. We show that some countries have clearly been better than others at reconciling these goals, and many have reduced their sustainable development gap over time.
11 Dickens, Chris; McCartney, Matthew. 2021. Water-Related Ecosystems. In Filho, W. L.; Azul, A. M.; Brandli, L.; Salvia, A. L.; Wall, T. (Eds.). Clean water and sanitation. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 10p. (Online first) (Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70061-8_100-1]
Freshwater ecosystems ; Ecosystem services ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Goal 6 Clean water and sanitation ; Goal 13 Climate action ; Goal 15 Life on land ; Aquatic ecosystems ; Biodiversity ; Environmental flows ; Wetlands ; Rivers ; Water quality ; Development indicators
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H050496)
(0.39 MB)
12 Simpson, G. B.; Jewitt, G. P. W.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Taguta, C.; Badenhorst, J. 2023. An African perspective on the water-energy-food nexus. Scientific Reports, 13:16842. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-43606-9]
Water resources ; Energy security ; Food security ; Nexus approaches ; Assessment ; Development indicators ; Policies ; Sustainable Development Goals ; Food production ; Freshwater / Africa
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H052321)
(1.52 MB) (1.52 MB)
There is a need to address resource security and distributional justice in developing countries. People need water, energy, and food to sustain their livelihoods, grow economies, and achieve sustainable development. The interactions between these resource sectors form the crux of water-energy-food (WEF) nexus assessments. In this study, we have utilised the WEF Nexus Index to analyse the WEF nexus of 54 African nations. The results from the analysis were used to illustrate the opportunities and constraints for future development. Generally, African countries are performing sub-optimally in the WEF Nexus Index due to the insecurity of water, energy and/or food. The performance of countries varies with context, highlighting the need for contextual analysis in identifying challenges and potential solutions. Implementation of interventions for achieving WEF security needs to be planned from an integrated perspective to optimise synergies and minimize trade-offs. Implementation of the WEF nexus approach towards simultaneous security of WEF resources has potential to improve the WEF nexus. For example and for many African countries, policies that undergird investments in energy supply projects are needed to unlock available freshwater resources and meet food requirements—energy is shown to be a critical enabler of development. Such projects can be utilised to enhance the ability of farmers to manage water through drought-proofing rainfed agriculture, an increase in irrigation development, or both. WEF nexus-based studies, policies, and projects must be focused on the direct and indirect achievement of SDGs 1, 2, 6, 7, and 13, both in terms of access and availability, to ensure distributional justice, especially in the African context. Such actions, combined with broad public participation, can have a ripple effect on other SDGs such as SDGs 5, 10, and 17, thereby reducing inequalities and building partnerships to attain these aspirational goals. The assessment of Africa’s relatively low scores in terms of the WEF Nexus Index does not represent a negative narrative. Instead, it provides an entry point to identifying hotspots and understanding the underlying challenges, through which more detailed analyses can lead to identified solutions and policies. Many African countries are trapped in an environment that could be termed a ‘poverty-unemployment-inequality nexus’ (due to the interlinkages that exist between these ‘wicked’ problems). The WEF Nexus Index provides high-level insights into these opportunities.
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