Four years into the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and despite early efforts in Nepal to raise awareness, adopt and assess status against the 17 Goals and 169 targets, there is still a long way to go to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure all people enjoy peace and prosperity. As a successor to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), if the 17 goals represent a more ambitious agenda, they also reflect the increased complexity of the development challenges that our world is facing. Their achievement requires therefore extra efforts and partnerships to mobilize all sectors of the Nepali society to deliver on the Agenda 2030 and address pressing issues such as climate change, inequalities, infrastructure development, governance and rule of law, while ensuring no one is left behind.

For Nepal, the SDGs offer a unique framework and opportunity for policy convergence and harmonization towards ending poverty and promoting equity, inclusion and well-being for all, which is perfectly aligned with the Government’s vision of “Prosperous Nepal, happy Nepali”.

If Nepal has registered a vibrant success against the MDGs, particularly in the areas of health and education, results at the sub-national level and more detailed analysis of the progress reveals persistent inequalities between regions and social groups.

The percentage of population living below the poverty line in Provinces 2, 5, Karnali and Sudurpashchim, for instance, far exceeds that in the other three provinces (see infographic on page 8). The least developed provinces also lag behind in access to health care and sanitation coverage. Infrastructure is poor, and very little private domestic investments flow to Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces, let alone foreign direct investments.

Unless these inequalities are addressed, there is a real risk that any progress against the SDGs will be hampered by the huge diversity across Nepal, and the core principle of leaving no one behind will not be realized.

The adoption in September 2015 of a new constitution and the transformation of Nepal in a federal state presents a great opportunity for all 761 local, provincial and federal governments to raise to this challenge. A meaningful localization of the SDGs, with a clear prioritization and adaptation to local challenges, can be a powerful strategy to address these inequalities and ensure Nepal as a whole achieves the Global Goals.

Of course, there is still a great deal to be done to sensitize both provincial and local representatives to the SDGs and provide the required guidance and assistance for them to adopt and mainstream the Goals in local development plans and sub-national budgets. But already, we are seeing a lot of enthusiasm in this regard, with elected representatives eager to localize and incorporate the SDGs and targets in their visions, supported by civil society groups and local communities that recognize the value of Agenda 2030 and its potential to deliver a prosperous Nepal for happy Nepali.

This edition of the Development Advocate looks at how Nepal is getting ready to implement and achieve the Global Goals, including the need to forge strong partnerships in recognition of the fact that fully realizing the SDGs will require concerted effort from every sector of society.

Key among these partners is the private sector, and we report on how several Nepali businesses have started a number of innovative initiatives to both spread awareness and internalize this call to action. Managing Director of the Chaudhary Group, Nirvana Chaudhary points out in his interview how aligning with the SDGs makes perfect sense for private companies, representing an investment in the business’ own longevity and sustainability as well as a key contribution to society.

Among the major stumbling blocks on the path to prosperity, climate change, natural disasters and conflict are some of the most critical. More than a decade after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, it is now climate-related hazards that threaten hard-earned development gains. ICIMOD’s Director General talks about how these effects are felt most disproportionately by mountain communities—people living in areas that are prone to higher-than-average temperature rises due to elevation-based warming, exerting even more pressure on already-fragile mountain ecosystems.

The SDGs also recognize that good governance and strong and accountable institutions are crucial to building lasting peace and prosperity. In this regard, Kedar Khadka from the Good Governance Foundation emphasizes the need for a “paradigm shift” in Nepal’s approach to human rights and better governance, calling for improved databases to bolster more evidence-based advocacy.

Much like governance, innovation and technology is another sector that offers huge potential for positive change. In this edition, we explore how the transformative power of new and emerging technological solutions can be applied to development challenges, and why this isn’t something limited to the purview of developed countries as generally assumed: it applies as much, if not more, to the developing world including Nepal.

And because the country is currently experiencing a youth bulge, where young people make up a sizeable portion of the population, engaging this age group is key to bring about social and political transformations needed for sustainable development. Binita Karki writes about how—in a context where over 300,000 young Nepalis are migrating overseas every year—more young people need to be acquainted with the SDGs, and initiatives designed to boost youth entrepreneurship and self-employment to better retain these agents of change in the country.

In line with the SDGs principle of “Leave No One Behind”, this edition of the Development Advocate brings to the fore different representative voices that need to be heard. From a former bonded laborer, to a transgender activist, to a member of the marginalized Dalit community, among others—these perspectives offer an inside view on the actual situation of equality, inclusion and human rights in Nepal.

This is certainly not an exhaustive account of all the aspects of the progress made so far and the challenges that remain in achieving the Global Goals, but I hope the insights and reflections captured in this publication will help in improved planning and accelerated implementation of sustainable development in the country, for the benefit of all.

More articles (Development Advocate 2019)