Measurement, Indices, and Indicators for Sustainable Development and SDGs

Alternative Measures of Economic and Social Well-Being

  • Human Development Index
  • Canadian Index of Well-Being
  • Ecological Footprint
  • Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators
  • Genuine Progress Indicator
  • Happy Planet Index
  • Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare
  • Sustainable Society Index
  • Living Planet Index
  • Measure of Domestic Progress
  • Sustainable National Income
  • Environmental Performance Index

Malaysian Shariah Index

  • Scientific method to measure government's adherence to Maqasid Shariah principles.
  • Assesses government policies and programs against Islamic standards.
  • Identifies areas for improvement to benefit the people using universal Islamic values.

Human Factors (Poverty)

  • Life expectancy: Average age a person lives. Example: UK (79), Kenya (48).
  • Infant mortality rate: Deaths under age one per 1,000 live births. Example: UK (5), Kenya (61).
  • Poverty indices: Percentage of people below the poverty level.
  • Access to basic services: Availability of clean water and sanitation.
  • Access to healthcare: Number of doctors per patient.
  • Risk of disease: Percentage of people with diseases like AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis.
  • Access to education: Enrollment in primary, secondary, and higher education.
  • Literacy rate: Percentage of adults who can read and write. Example: UK (99%), Kenya (85%), India (60%).
  • Access to technology: Percentage with access to phones, mobile phones, television, and the internet.
  • Male/female equality: Comparison of literacy rates and employment between sexes.
  • Government spending priorities: Health and education expenditure vs. military expenditure and debt repayment.

Economic Factors

  • Gross Domestic Product (GDP): Total value of goods and services produced by a country in a year.
  • Gross National Product (GNP): Total economic output, including earnings from foreign investments.
  • GNP per capita: GNP divided by population.
  • Economic growth: Annual increase in GDP, GNP, GDP per capita.
  • Inequality of wealth: Income gap between richest and poorest.
  • Inflation: Increase in prices of goods, services, and wages each year.
  • Unemployment: Number of people who cannot find work.
  • Economic structure: Division of economy between primary, secondary, and tertiary industries.
  • Demographics: Study of population growth and structure, comparing birth rates to death rates, life expectancy, and urban/rural ratios.

Unsustainability of GDP

  • GDP measures market activity, not well-being or sustainability.
  • Scholars have devised "dashboard" indicators to steer societies towards desired futures.

UNCSD SDI Themes

  • Poverty, Governance, Health, Education, Demographics, Natural Hazards, Atmosphere, Land, Oceans, Seas & Coasts, Freshwater, Biodiversity, Economic Development, Global Economic Partnership, Consumption, and Production Patterns

CSD Indicator Themes

  • Poverty, Health, Education, Demographics, Atmosphere, Land, Economic Development

CSD Indicators - Examples include:

  • People at risk of poverty or social exclusion (% of total population).
  • Improved sanitation facilities (% of population with access).
  • Life expectancy at birth, total (years).
  • Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births).
  • GDP per capita, PPP (current international $).
  • Employment to population ratio, 15+, total (%).
  • Internet users (per 100 people).

Sustainability indicators

  • Quantitative tool analyzing changes; measuring and communicating progress towards sustainable use of resources.

Origin of Sustainability Indicators

  • Chapter 40 of Agenda 21, Rio de Janeiro, 1992.
  • First set (CSD indicators) developed in 1995.
  • Included a set of 134 indicators.

Types of Indicators:

  • Context indicators: Describe the context (e.g., poverty figures).
  • Input indicators: Information about resources used (e.g., financial resources).
  • Process indicators: Information about the organization or approach (e.g. turnaround time).
  • Impact indicators: Measure the impact, result, or output of an action (strategic goal).

What to be Sustained

  • Nature: Earth, Biodiversity, Ecosystems, Resources, Environment
  • Community: Cultures, Groups, Places

What is to be Developed

  • People: Child survival, Life expectancy, Education, Equal opportunity
  • Economy: Wealth, Productive Sectors
  • Society: Institutions, Social capital, States, Regions

SDGs

  • 17 Goals, 169 Targets, and 240 Indicators

SDG Pillars

  • Social Pillar: 6 goals, 55 targets, 88 indicators (e.g., No Poverty, Zero Hunger)
  • Economic Pillar: 5 goals, 4 targets, 61 indicators (e.g., Decent Work and Economic Growth)
  • Environment Pillar: 4 goals, 38 targets, 43 indicators (e.g., Climate Action, Life Below Water)
  • Inclusive Development and MOI: 2 Goals, 31 targets, 48 indicators (e.g. Partnerships for the Goals)

Example SDG

  • SDG2 “End hunger, achieve food security, improve food, and promote sustainable agriculture”.
    • Output (level of the action): the number of food parcels distributed in the municipality
    • Result (level of operational goal): malnutrition in the elderly or underweight children
    • Impact (level of strategic goal): improving the health of our citizens

SDG - Goal 1: No Poverty

  • Eradicate extreme poverty ( \$1.25/day) by 2030.
  • Reduce poverty by half according to national definitions.
  • Implement social protection systems.

SDG - Goal 2: Zero Hunger

  • End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious food.
  • End all forms of malnutrition.
  • Support small farmers.

SDG - Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being

  • Reduce maternal mortality.
  • End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5.
  • End epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, etc.

SDG - Goal 4: Quality Education

  • Ensure free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
  • Ensure access to early childhood development and pre-primary education.
  • Ensure equal access to technical, vocational, and tertiary education.

SDG - Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  1. Ensure everyone can freely choose a safe, fairly paid, secure and fulfilling job
  2. Businesses use natural resources wisely
  3. No one is excluded from work opportunities
  4. Unemployment is Reduced by providing Training
  5. To end and prevent child labor, forced labor and modern slavery
  6. Everyone can benefit from a growing economy

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  • Expand and improve infrastructure.
  • Promote sustainable industrialization.
  • Provide affordable internet access.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  • Production processes should minimize harm to nature and humanity.
  • Companies must be transparent and responsible.
  • Prevent food waste.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

  1. End all forms of violence
  2. Especially Violence Against Children
  3. Birth Registration and legal identities for all
  4. Equal access to justice and legal information for all
  5. Combat crime and corruption
  6. Strengthen Institutions So People Can Trust Them

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  • Include goals in national plans and policies.
  • All countries must work together.
  • Governments must work with concerned people.

Malaysia SDG Indicators Assessment Highlights:

  • Initial Assessment of SDG Indicators for Malaysia 2018
  • 17 goals, 169 targets and 244 indicators
  • Status of data availability (available, partially available, needs development, not relevant).

Malaysia SDG Indicators

  • Assessment 2019: data availability, proxt indicators, bilingual report.

Malaysia SDG Successes:

  • Increased participation rate in preschool (87.8\%(2018) to 89.7 \%(2019))
  • Improved Maternal mortality ratio from 23.5 (2018) to 21.1 (2019)
  • Improved annual growth rate of real GDP per capita from 3.6\%(2018) to 3.9 \%(2019)