The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the UN Summit in September 2015, came into force on 1 January 2016. Implying that nations will individually or collectively make efforts and attempts to end poverty, fight inequalities and take steps to tackle climate change so that the World becomes a better place to live for us and for the future generations to come. Monitoring the SDGs is not simple a task. A total of 169 targets have been set to monitor the SDGs and the review mechanism is done using a set of global indicators. Mauritius has pledged also to the SDGs.

Now where are we in Mauritius? This is a good question to ask for every Mauritian. But statistics on the 17 SDGs need to be grabbed in brief from various sources from the various Ministries websites, including Ministry of Environment and Social Security. The National Budget Speeches contain some indicators as well. But the figures are not indicative. Statistics Mauritius attempts to provide some indicators under its section “Quality of Life and Sustainable Development (QOL&SD)” which is but a brief of socio-economic and environmental indicators for the last three years. The QOLSD indicators are a first set of indicators and needs to be explored in the light of other indicators. Anyhow it’s difficult for the common man to read it and understand it.

What we are concerned is how a common person can measure progress on the SDGs. The main indicator is whether the quality of life of the individual and that of the families been improved? Well other question are whether forestation increased, are we planting more trees and increasing green spaces, is drinking water available 24/7 to every Mauritian, are we more on organic food, is energy clean, have sanitation improved, are the local endangered species population been preserved and increased, are decisions taken by government transparent and governance good, have health facilities improved, is education accessible to all cross cutting gender and inclusive, is employment sustainable, … All these questions are basic indicators.

AHEAD | 18.11.2018