Pakistan in ‘right direction’ in climate SDGs

Experts say country lags in most goals, needs strategy and action plan

ISLAMABAD:

As a national monsoon plantation drive was launched across the country on Sunday, a report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) showed that it is on the ‘right direction’ with regards to SDG-13: Climate Action.

However, it lags in most other goals and needs to devise a strategy and action plan to correct its course.

This was suggested by experts during a webinar on ‘Country Review: Pakistan’s Way Forward on SDGs”. The webinar had been organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan).

Research analyst Adil Rashid detailed the lacunas hampering Pakistan’s performance on SDGs, including bureaucratic hurdles and the habit of slowing processes.

“SDGs is not a separate phenomenon but a mechanism to measure the performance of different sectors on certain indicators to evaluate overall progress of the country,” Rashid said, adding that progress can be made by mainstreaming these indicators, monitoring and reporting through effective coordination amongst stakeholders.

He lamented the absence of a vertical monitoring and reporting system in the ministries while ‘baboocracy’ does not feel the urgency to do what is necessary, deeming it an additional task.

Rashid suggested including relevant technical experts on all SDGs at the federal and provincial SDG secretariats to handle each SDG.

“We need to promote partnerships and improve coordination and information technology (IT) - based networking and reporting system,” he said, adding that structures exist for supporting SDG efforts and their rapid assessment.

Devcom-Pakistan’s Munir Ahmed pointed out the lack of progress on eight SDGs in the five years since the United Nations (UN) SDGs regime was launched

“They include No Hunger (SDG-2), Quality Education (SDG-4), Gender Equality (SDG-5), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG-7), Industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG-9), Sustainable cities and communities (SDG-11), Life Below Water (SDG-14), and Partnerships for SDGs (17),” he said while quoting UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network’s (SDSN) Sustainable Development Report (SDR) 2020.

He noted that there was slight improvement reflected in Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG-3), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG-6), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG-8), and Peace Justice and Strong Institutions (SDG-16) while Pakistan was ranked at 134 with a total score of 56.17, much lower than even some poorly developed African countries.

Ali Kemal, an economic policy advisor on SDGs, said that while the report is based on data up to 2016 and some recent progress has not been reported.

Expressing reservation on the reporting mechanism, Kemal said there were many hitches and glitches in the systems which they are trying to improve for better data reporting.

National Institute of Oceanography’s Dr Nuzhat Khan was disappointed by the coordination and facilitation by the Planning Commission and suggested improving feedback and inclusion systems for stakeholders and partner organizations.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 10^th, 2020.