Integrated Approaches for Sustainable Development Goals Planning
The Case of Sustainable Development Goal 6 on Water and Sanitation
This publication provides an overview of methods available to describe, understand and measure interlinkages between the SDGS and options for their application. Further it highlights how systems thinking approach applied by ESCAP complimented tools by earlier scholars, as the most comprehensive method to develop strategies and plans for integrated and holistic implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGS. The short overview of the analytical framework developed by ESCAP describes how interlinkages were analyzed using systems’ thinking approach of causal loop interactions combined with the theory of leverage points to identify effective and impactful interventions at the policy level. The framework was developed with SDG 6 at the core, since implementation of SDG6 naturally requires the use of systems thinking approach to enhance planning of water use or the anthropogenic water cycle to support and restore natural water cycle balance to ensure sustainable water availability for human, industrial and natural ecosystems. Examples of pilot applications in Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Fiji are provided, as well as applications beyond SDG 6 and how the framework could be further used to support member states in Asia-Pacific to implement 203 Agenda on Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
