Introduction
Over the past two decades, the West Asia and North Africa region has witnessed remarkable developments in education (SDG 4), public health (SDG 3), and infrastructure expansion (SDG 9). However, whilst some progress is undeniable, it was unequally distributed within and between countries and, in some cases, these developments were fragile and unsustainable. Protracted conflicts, occupation, poverty and exacerbated inequality, along with water and energy insecurity are just a few of the barriers currently standing in the way of achieving SDGs in the region, all of which are exacerbated by the lack of a comprehensive and coordinated framework of environmental governance.
One of the largest challenges facing West Asia and North Africa today is the scarcity of renewable water resources (SDG target 6.3, SDG target 6.4, SDG target 6.5), which directly impacts the region’s ability to produce enough food to meet the population’s needs (SDG target 2.4). This challenge is further complicated by a rapidly increasing population due to both high birth rates and large numbers of migrants. This population growth places further strain on industrial development needs and urbanisation. As with all SDGs, the interconnected nature of the issues makes tackling sustainable development without a comprehensive, region-wide action plan untenable. This becomes abundantly clear if the region’s water and energy insecurity is looked at in greater detail. The provision of water to the region is directly reliant on energy in both traditional and more urbanized production, whilst the industrialized nature of many of the oil-rich states in the region means that there are sizable variations in water usage, quality, and the energy required for its provision (SDG 9.5). Whilst in recent years there has been more of an impetus placed on sustainable energy supply, this requires both significant investment and the continued use of current energy sources. Given the interdependency of these factors, it is critical to address priorities cohesively in order to increase the region’s social, political, and environmental security and stability.
Statistical availability and capacity
There has been significant evidence in West Asia and North Africa of regional support for the attainment of SDGs and the gathering of data in order to monitor their progress. Indeed, regional organizations have made significant progress in developing frameworks and tools that support countries and enhance their capacities to achieve the environmental dimension of the SDGs. A regional reporting platform called The Arab Working Group on Sustainable Development Indicators has been established and is chaired by the League of Arab States, and is therefore representative of all states in the West Asia and North Africa region.
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Through this initiative, a core set of 83 indicators aimed at monitoring the progress of the agreed regional strategic framework for sustainable development were agreed upon and adopted. However, many members of the initiative encountered difficulty in their ability to report on these agreed-,upon indicators and, as such, it was conceded that the number of indicators be reduced to 44. This differentiation in capabilities between nations seems to be the trend across the region that most limits West Asia and North Africa in gathering statistical data on the progress of the SDGs. However, there are several issues that are present within every nation in the region, the first of which is characterized by a lack of support. This need for additional support relates both to funding, the lack of which is a common theme throughout the region, and to capacity building. This is vital as additional support in these areas would allow for the assurance that the required data and information was being produced, as well as ensuring the sustainability of said production. Additionally, there is a marked lack of data underlining the need for field surveys conducted with the aim of bridging data gaps and allowing for the formulation of data flows to populate the agreed set of indicators laid out by the Arab Group on Sustainable Development Indicators. However, this issue is further aggravated by the unavailability of qualified researchers and environmental experts to collect, collate, and analyze data regarding the implementation of SDGs in the region. Some countries find themselves at a further disadvantage through their lack of processes for sharing data at the national level. This results in poor coordination between the institutions functioning within the nation. Whilst this may be more apparent in lower-income nations, it is nonetheless a trend across
Thermo-solar power plant in Morocco (World Bank 2010) Measuring Progress Report 2019
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