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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global agenda adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to address various social, economic, and environmental challenges by 2030. Progress toward achieving the SDG goals varies across countries and regions. While it is challenging to pinpoint how each nation has so far fared on specific SDGs, a UN report tracks the progress each year based on available data and the probability of achieving the set targets by 2030.
Like other countries, Sri Lanka has committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals which help to mitigate climate change through various sustainable efforts. Here are the average performances of SDG practices in Sri Lanka by now.
Let’s consider SDG 2030 goals one by one.
SDG 1 – No Poverty
The first SDG goal, No poverty, is a timely critical topic. When considering the past, Sri Lanka has made significant positive strides in reducing poverty.
However, ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka reported that the poor has surged by 4 million to 7 million since 2019 to 31% of the population in 2023 due to the worst currency crisis hitting the country in the history of its central bank. The government has implemented various poverty alleviation programs, such as Samurdhi, to provide social welfare assistance to vulnerable populations.
A 10,000-person survey by LirneAsia, a regional policy research organization, found that 33% of the respondents had skipped a meal, and 47% reduced their meal sizes after the currency crisis. SDG goal one is a challenging task to achieve by 2030.
SDG 2: Zero hunger
Undernourishment and nitrogen management are on track to maintain SDG achievement. However, it shows that only three parties are on the way, but five sections are challenging. When considering climate change, extreme weather is a driver of world hunger. As global temperatures and sea levels rise, more heat waves, droughts, floods, cyclones and wildfires result. Those conditions make it difficult for farmers to grow food and for the hungry to get it. Sri Lanka is already facing many challenges with this. However, we succeeded in only three sub-goals, but five goals remain since SDG goal 2 is also challenging to achieve.
SDG3: Good Health and Wellbeing
According to this, five targets are on track to maintaining SDG achievement. However, it shows that nine sections are challenging. This transformation encourages critical investments in health and well-being. It aims to achieve all people’s access to the health services they need.
SDG Goal 3 also calls on all countries to strengthen their capacities for early warning, risk reduction, and managing national and global health risks. The WHO Climate Change and Health Unit supports countries implementing the Early Warning and Response System (EWARS). Early warning systems have proven to be an effective way to adapt to climate change by providing a cost-effective and reliable way of protecting lives and livelihoods from natural hazards such as floods, heatwaves, storms, and tsunamis.
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 4 concerns quality education, the most powerful mitigation and adaptation tool. Participation in pre-primary organized learning remains an untouched area. More research is needed to clarify whether Sri Lanka provides quality pre-primary education. However, the lack of information on Participation in pre-primary organized learning and net primary enrollment signals that we need to give more attention to this case. Lower secondary completion is increasing, and the literacy rate is also growing. IGI Global states that quality education is “the type of education which enables people to develop all of their attributes and skills to achieve their potential as human beings.” However, we could not see this kind of international guidelines on quality education follow-up on SDG 4 since it is time to consider it because, with the effects of climate change, there will be many challenges to face in the future.
SDG 5 considers gender equality and more attention paid to women. According to the UNDP analysis, Out of the 8.5 million economically active population, 72% are males, and only 35% are females. Women constitute 52% of Sri Lanka’s population, but female representation in parliament is only 5.3%. Women’s labor force participation as of 2021 is 33.6% of the total population. As women are found to be more vulnerable to poverty and exclusion, UNDP promotes women’s participation in the decisions that affect their lives and helps build resilience to disasters, climate change, and conflict.
SDG 6 and SDG 14: Water and life
We saw water and life as one of the main issues these reports drew attention to. Two topics were reserved for this so that we will consider both together.
Clean water and sanitation is a basic need for life. The primary problems concerning water resources in Sri Lanka are the depletion and degradation of the resource caused by various anthropogenic activities. Surface inland waters in urban areas are polluted heavily with domestic sewage and industrial effluents, and rural areas with agricultural runoff. More can be read here
Freshwater withdrawal and anthropogenic wastewater treatments need more data to investigate since it needs more research. However, the fishing industry contributes 17.6% of direct damage to water resources by its pollution. Since marine biodiversity is at high risk, water is a fundamental part of all aspects of life and can be a game-changer for poverty reduction, health and well-being. Globally, there are many innovative community-based projects in the WASH sector, not only in the humanitarian setting but also in the development context, mainly targeting rural and marginalised communities. For example, by introducing new technologies for data collection, WaterAid has developed a digital monitoring platform called ‘mWater’ (www.mwater.co) to map and monitor access to water using mobile devices, which will help to plan the water-related infrastructure. Follow this link for more info.
https://iesl.lk/SLEN/49/SDG7.php
However, it will take much work to achieve in 2030, considering water and life. Because only 2 out of 11 targets are on the track of the SDG path.
SDG7: Affordable and clean energy
The sustainable energy industry is expected to facilitate several economic activities and continue to proliferate in the coming years. Sri Lanka has several renewable energy resources, including biomass, hydropower, solar and wind. According to the National Energy Policy and Strategies of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka aspires to become a carbon-neutral country by 2050 by making the most out of the energy available and developing cleaner energy resources.
This Transformation aims to ensure people access to modern energy sources. Decarbonise the energy system by mid-century (in line with the Paris Agreement), and reduce industrial pollution of soil, water, and air. As a developing country, Sri Lanka will continue to see rising demand for electricity. Luckily, the country has abundant renewable energy potential, and SDG 7 is a somewhat achievable goal by 2030. Visit Sri Lanka’s sustainable energy authority for more such info. https://www.energy.gov.lk/index.php/en/
SDG 8 and 9 – Economic status
SDGs 8 and 9 focused on the economy. Its main objectives are to develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, focusing on affordable and equitable access for all.
Whether it is focused on GDP growth, it is becoming worse. The unemployment rate is also high. Sri Lanka’s current economic crisis and pandemic outbreak were also significant barriers to coming across such situations. Within seven years need to develop the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, particularly in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets. Establishing the University Business Linkage (UBL) Cell also helps. However, only 5 out of 14 targets are on the successful pathway. Many efforts are needed to achieve SDGs 8 and 9 in 2030.
SDG 11- Sustainable Cities and Communities
The Government of Sri Lanka (SLVNR 2018) reported the status of achieving SDG 11 in Sri Lanka in the recent review. It says 81% of the population lives in permanent houses, 18% live in semi-permanent dwellings, and less than 1% live in slums.
Engineers and engineering are essential for advancing imaginative city concepts by integrating green building technologies, intelligent transportation systems, innovative building services, and management systems, including efficient energy and water management. Making transport more efficient and building better homes are the two investment themes aligned with achieving SDG 11 to make cities and human settlements resilient and sustainable. We could see private sector has made several reasonable efforts in the transportation system by introducing an efficient electric vehicle system but need to use these products to achieve SDG goals. Because maintaining good air quality is a paramount important factor in city planning. Since climate change is one of humanity’s most significant challenges, it is essential to appropriate climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in the city and community development projects.
SDG 12 – Responsible consumption and production
Currently, an increase in the generating of MSW is caused due to population growth and increasing economic development. The total amount of solid waste Sri Lanka generates is around 7000MT daily. However, only the municipal council for proper garbage disposal procedure collects half of them. The majority of the waste s caused by the Colombo Municipal area accounting for 0.8kg of solid waste per head per day.
It is essential to handle solid waste daily to avoid accumulating waste without proper disposal. Sri Lankan reliable waste management system needs to be better established to address the waste systematically.
In 2008, the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) initiated the program “Pilisaru” to overcome solid waste problems within ten years to waste-free Sri Lanka by 2018. However, the lack of knowledgeable people and a unified, coherent strategy in the project handling could have been more successful even at the end of 2019.
Solid waste generation is continuously increasing over the years. Therefore, the landfill capacity must be calculated based on the future predicted waste-generating figures. More can be read here
While SDG 11 primarily addresses urban development and waste management, it also emphasises the importance of green spaces, parks, and urban forests. Sri Lanka has incorporated urban greening initiatives in its urban planning to promote biodiversity within cities. Efforts have been made to create and maintain green spaces, protected areas, and botanical gardens within metropolitan areas to enhance biodiversity and provide ecosystem services.
SDG 12 encourages sustainable consumption and production patterns to minimise environmental negative impacts, including biodiversity. Sri Lanka has promoted sustainable practices in agriculture, fisheries, and forestry sectors. These efforts include promoting organic farming, sustainable fishing practices, and responsible forest management to minimise the depletion of natural resources and protect biodiversity.
SDG goal 13 focused on climate action. Carbon dioxide emissions account for the largest share of greenhouse gases, mainly associated with climate change and global warming. Data for carbon dioxide emissions include gases from burning fossil fuels and cement manufacture but excludes emissions from land use such as deforestation.
This draft provides details of the CO2 Emissions of Sri Lanka per year. CO2 Emissions in Sri Lanka decreased to 23862.51 KT in 2021 from 24536.60 KT in 2020. Oil releases about 50 per cent more carbon dioxide than natural gas, and coal releases about twice as much. Carbon dioxide emissions are often calculated and reported as elemental carbon. The unit of measurement is KT (kiloton). Carbon dioxide emission directly impacts biodiversity, and SDG 13 emphasises the need to address climate change and its impacts. Sri Lanka has been working towards climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, such as reforestation and afforestation programs, to restore degraded ecosystems and create habitats for biodiversity. These initiatives contribute to preserving the country’s biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem resilience.
SDG 15 – Life on Land
Life on Land, SDG 15, specifically focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, including forests, wetlands, and biodiversity. However, Sri Lanka’s unique biological diversity is facing a general decline. Twenty-seven per cent of 240 identified species of birds are threatened, along with 66% of amphibian species, 56% of mammals, 49% of freshwater fish species and 59% of reptiles. In particular, one of Sri Lanka’s flagship species (elephant) has been affected by a population decline in dry and wet zones. As for flowering plants, 1,385 species of the 3,154 identified species are classified as threatened, most of which (594) are endemic to Sri Lanka. More can be read here
SDG 15 goals are in a dangerous status because almost all are in the category of challenging sector. However, Sri Lanka needs to implement strong policies, control invasive alien species, prohibit deforestation, save habitats for species and take necessary actions to conserve present ecosystems while restoring collapsed ecosystems.
SDG 16- Peace, Justice and strong institutions
SDG 16 specifically focuses on promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, providing access to justice for all, and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.
Sri Lanka has made significant progress in terms of peace and conflict resolution. Following the end of a long-standing civil conflict in 2009, efforts have been made to foster reconciliation, promote social cohesion, and address the grievances of affected communities. Various reconciliation mechanisms, such as truth and reconciliation commissions, have been established to encourage healing and national unity.
Sri Lanka has taken steps to enhance access to justice for all its citizens. Legal aid services have been expanded to assist vulnerable and marginalised populations, ensuring they can avail themselves of legal remedies. Efforts have also been made to strengthen the judicial system, improve court infrastructure, and reduce case backlogs.
All targets of SDG 16 are in a challenging sector since more efforts are needed to achieve peace and justice by 2030. Good governance and transparency are required. Initiatives include establishing anti-corruption bodies, implementing e-governance systems, and ensuring public access to information is necessary to achieve this goal.
SDG 17 – Partnerships for the goals
Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17): SDG 17 underscores teamwork’s importance in achieving sustainable development. Sri Lanka collaborates with international, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders to promote biodiversity conservation. Partnerships involve capacity building, knowledge sharing, and financial support to implement conservation projects effectively.
In a Nutshell
It’s important to note that while progress has been made in Sri Lanka, there may still be ongoing challenges and areas that require further attention. Achieving the SDGs requires concerted efforts from the government, civil society, and various stakeholders. Sri Lanka has progressed in some areas, such as poverty reduction, education, and healthcare. However, challenges remain, particularly about environmental sustainability, gender equality, and economic inequality. According to our research, only 4 SDG goals are achievable, while four are in progress and nine are challenging to achieve by 2030. It’s worth noting that local and global circumstances can change over time, which may impact a country’s progress towards the SDGs. Therefore, ongoing monitoring and adaptation of strategies are essential for successful goal achievement.
