A Proposed Methodology for an Integrated Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) Index for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus
Abstract
Measuring progress towards achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) requires the monitoring of indicators developed to assess
and quantify changes in the state of natural, social, economic, and
environmental systems structures within countries. Aggregated over
regions these indicators provide information to decision makers at
national, regional and international organizations to support policy
actions to ensure the sustainability of available resources. Frequently,
the SDG indicators are targeted at specific social or economic
subelements; they are not designed to consider the interaction between
sectors. Here, we propose an integrated index for the Water-Energy-Food
Nexus using a selection of sub-indicators from among the already defined
17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. The use of EO data streams and data
assimilation products is proposed as an essential part of the
methodology, especially in large parts of the globe where detailed
in-situ data are likely to be insufficient or lacking. Once the
methodology is validated and tested in a selection of pilot regions, it
can be made available to all interested national, regional and
international development organizations and programs. Primary Goal:
EO/RS WEF-SDG Index to monitor sustainability of natural resources and
socio-economic activity.