Towards Peace & Prosperity
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S D G s
Preamble to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, also called SDGs envisages the Agenda as a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. While recognizing that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, it reiterates that all countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. The Agenda expresses the collective resolve to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and secure planet. It manifests collective determination to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path.
The Preamble further says: “As we embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental. The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.”
[In the wake of adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which has come to be identified as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by the UN General Assembly and the critical role water will play in realizing these goals, Shweta Tyagi Associate Editor Focus Global Reporter (FGR) interviewed Dr Arvind Kumar, President, India Water Foundation in this regard. Excerpts from the interview are reproduced below for our readers.]
FGR: The UN has adopted an extensive and inclusive list of SDGs. There are 17 goals and 154 targets. What were your initial reactions to this adoption? Are you happy with the adopted list? Is this wide-ambit a good strategy or will it be too big a bite to chew?
Dr. Kumar: It is a happy augury that the UN has adopted an exhaustive and inclusive list of SDGs and we at India Water Foundation heartily welcome this. We are not only happy but feel satisfied with the adopted list. It is good strategy and keeping in view the vagaries of natural and man-made catastrophes, the SDGs are likely to promote resilience because most of the nations have already experienced the onslaught of these vagaries and they now seem determined to safeguard their interests.
FGR: With regard to the goal on water and sanitation, considering that there was only partial success with the MDGs especially in our region, is the target good? What is missing in your opinion?
Dr. Kumar: The targets fixed in the SDGs for water and sanitation sectors are definitely good. Undoubtedly, the targets of water and sanitation under the MDGs could only meet partial success; nevertheless, nations have learnt the ways of improving upon the past mistakes and this will enable them to be more careful in avoiding past mistakes while implementing SDGs, especially those pertaining to water and sanitation.
FGR: The thrust areas in most goals including water and sanitation are adequate & equitable access, efficiency and conservation. Can these targets be met practically, considering our tremendous population and high water-stress? What would be required for successful adoption of the goal on water and sanitation? Monitoring of the progress is a difficult proposition in our country, what are your views on the UN’s planned stress on household surveys for this purpose?
Dr. Kumar: We are quite optimistic that the targets focused in the SDGs will be met practically in India as well, despite the fact that it is endowed with burgeoning population and high water-stress. It is known fact that water is a finite source. The successful adoption of the goal on water and sanitation warrants capacity building of all stakeholders, with specific emphasis on judicious use of water, water conservation, and recycling of wastewater for re-use. There is also urgent need for convergence and synergy between various ministries/departments dealing in water and sanitation sectors, between Centre and the States, between the state and municipalities and between the municipalities and neighbouring Panchayats etc.
Monitoring is very essential and this part has been lacking in India thus far. There should be an independent national level apex body to monitor the progress on quarterly basis on almost all SDGs, with specific emphasis on water and sanitation. There ought to be a review of the data thus collected and remedial measures need to devised to correct lacuna if any.
We strongly feel that government agencies alone cannot undertake the tasks of capacity building of all stakeholders; hence, the involvement of the civil society is necessary in this regard. We fully support UN’s planned stress on household surveys in this regard. As a non-profit civil society, we at India Water Foundation are willing to cooperate with agencies of the UN and government agencies in this regard
FGR: One of the big questions in the run-up to the adoption was the financial aspect, What do you suppose is the best way to bridge this gap?
Dr. Kumar: Undoubtedly, the implementation of the SDGs is expected to cost $3.5 trillion to $5 trillion every year until 2030; nevertheless, the SDGs are the result of years of negotiations by all member-states of the UN and as such these nations should have a stake in their achievement. Broadly speaking, there is a wide chasm between the world we live in and the world we want and these SDGs represent collective aspirations of the people throughout the globe and these can be realized through collective cooperation. Financial resources have to be raised through increased contribution to the UN by each member nation, especially by the developing countries, and increased role of the corporate sector with due emphasis on public-private partnership.
