Date: 22/05/2023

Relevance: GS-2: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.

Key Phrases: localization of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Indicator Framework (NIF), UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), Voluntary National Review (VNR), Bhopal's Voluntary Local Review (VLR), UN-Habitat, people's process.

Why in News?

• Bhopal has become 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).
• In 2015, the 193 member-states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets as a plan of action for ‘people’, ‘the planet’, and ‘prosperity’.
• The resolution specifies mechanisms for the monitoring, review, and reporting of progress as a measure of accountability towards the people.
• To this end, member-states submit a Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), and, more recently, VLRs as a means for driving and reporting local implementation of SDGs at the sub-national and city levels.

India’s progress:

• India has made significant progress in adopting, localizing, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• NITI Aayog, the policy think-tank of the Indian government, presented India's second Voluntary National Review (VNR) at the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in 2020.
• To monitor and review the SDGs, India's Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) has developed a National Indicator Framework (NIF) that contextualizes the global indicator framework to suit India's unique development journey.
• Local Efforts and Challenges:
  • According to a report by NITI Aayog, 23 states and union territories in India have prepared vision documents based on the SDGs, and most of them have taken steps to localize the goals.
  • However, it has taken some time for Indian cities to undertake their first Voluntary Local Review (VLR) since the efforts to localize the SDGs began.
• Importance of Cities in SDG Implementation:
  • Cities play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs, as at least 65% of the 169 targets require the active engagement of local urban stakeholders.
  • VLRs serve as a tool to showcase how local actions are driving equitable and sustainable transformations for people and building partnerships.
• Flexibility in VLR Process:
  • Cities have flexibility in aligning their Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) with state-level action plans and the country's Voluntary National Review (VNR).
  • Cities can choose their priority for the VLR process, either through a quantitative assessment using relevant city-level indicators or by presenting a narrative about their efforts and vision.
  • Comprehensive VLRs covering all SDGs can be challenging for Indian cities, especially non-metro urban areas with limited capacity, resources, and disaggregated data.
  • VLRs do not need to quantify all 286 indicators under India's National Indicator Framework (NIF).
  • Cities can select specific SDGs for detailed review based on their priorities and logistical comfort.
  • Cities can adapt and further localize national indicators under relevant SDGs to reflect their unique city-level realities.
  • Many cities globally align their reviews with the SDGs taken up for detailed review by the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in its ongoing cycle.

The Bhopal plan:

• Bhopal's Voluntary Local Review (VLR) was developed through collaboration between the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, UN-Habitat, and local stakeholders.
• The VLR mapped 56 developmental projects to the SDGs, focusing on
  • 'people' (SDGs 1, 3, 4, 5),
  • 'planet' (SDGs 6, 13, 15), and
  • 'prosperity' (SDGs 7, 8, 11) pillars.
• Building basic infrastructure and resilience emerged as a priority for the city based on the projects mapped to the SDGs.
• A quantitative assessment of city-level indicators under SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) highlighted Bhopal's strong performance in
  • solid waste management,
  • public transportation, and
  • per capita open spaces.
• However, the analysis also identified areas where the city needs to work harder in the future, including
  • adequate shelter provision,
  • addressing high air pollution levels,
  • improving city planning capacity, and
  • ensuring equal distribution and accessibility of open spaces.
• Mayor of Bhopal recognized the importance of the VLR and led efforts to engage the community in the process.

VLR Initiatives: Examples from Around the World:

• VLRs can be conducted by any city-level stakeholder, not just local governments.
• The example of Canterbury, UK, shows that residents and local groups formed a "spontaneous coalition" to perform the VLR.
• The coalition engaged with local governments to advance the SDGs, with the governments serving as interlocutors.
• Similar examples from the global South include Dhulikhel (Nepal), Singra (Bangladesh), and Amman (Jordan), where local governments published VLRs in 2022.
• VLRs represent a people's process and can be initiated within the framework of Agenda 2030.

Conclusion:

• Bhopal's VLR sets a precedent for Indian cities to track their progress towards the SDGs.
• It is a remarkable opportunity for Indian cities to tell their stories in their own vocabulary, using a framework of their choice to forefront their work on a global platform.
• We hope more Indian cities will follow Bhopal’s lead, to showcase urban innovations and collaborations emerging from India on the global map.

Source: The Hindu

Mains Question:

Q. Discuss the concept of Voluntary Local Review (VLR) in tracking SDG progress, with reference to Bhopal's experience and its implications for other Indian cities.