Prioritising Sustainable Development Goals, characterising interactions,
and identifying solutions for local sustainability
Reihaneh Bandari

Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, VIC, 3125, Australia, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, VIC, 3125, Australia
Corresponding Author:rbandari@deakin.edu.au
Author ProfileEnayat A Moallemi

Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, VIC, 3125, Australia, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne Burwood Campus, VIC, 3125, Australia
Author ProfileRebecca E Lester
Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia, Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
Author ProfileDavid Downie
Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia, Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
Author ProfileAbstract
The United Nations 2030 Agenda brings a holistic and multi-sectoral view
on sustainability via the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However,
a successful implementation of this agenda is contingent on
understanding the multiple, complex interactions among SDGs, including
both synergies and trade-offs, for informing planning for sustainability
at the local level. Using a case study of the Goulburn-Murray region in
Victoria, Australia, we prioritised global goals and targets for the
local context, characterised the interactions between them, analysed the
main synergies and trade-offs, and finally identified potential policy
solutions to achieve local sustainability. We identified the five
highest priority SDGs for the region as clean water and sanitation (SDG
6), agricultural activities (SDG 2), economic growth (SDG 8), climate
action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15). Across these five priority
SDGs and their 45 targets, we found 307 potential interactions, of which
126 (41%) were synergistic, 19 (6%) were trade-offs, and 162 (53%)
were benign. We highlight the most salient trade-offs, particularly how
unsustainable agricultural practices could negatively affect water
resources, the environment, and sustainable economic growth. Also,
critical ongoing uncertainties like climate change, local policies on
environmental water recovery, international markets, and emerging new
technologies could present risks for the future of agriculture and the
economy. Our results provide important insights for local and regional
sustainability policy and planning across multiple sectors, and our
methodology is broadly applicable for prioritising SDGs and assessing
their interactions at local scales, thereby supporting evidence-based
policy-making for achieving the SDGs.