- Bhopal has become the first city in India to join the growing global movement.
- In 2015, the 193 member-states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets as a plan of action for ‘people’, ‘the planet’, and ‘prosperity’.
- Following the release of its Voluntary Local Review (VLR), Bhopal has become the first city in India to join the growing global movement on localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- A VLR is a tool to demonstrate how local actions are leading the way in equitable and sustainable transformations for people.
- Cities are the most important stakeholders in Agenda 2030 as at least 65% of the 169 targets could not possibly be achieved without the engagement of local urban stakeholders.
- Bhopal’s VLR is the result of a collaboration between the Bhopal Municipal Corporation, UN-Habitat, and a collective of over 23 local stakeholders.
- It has mapped 56 developmental projects to the SDGs across the three pillars i.e., people, planet and prosperity.
- As the first city in India to join the growing global movement on localisation of Sustainable Development Goals, Bhopal’s drive should encourage other Indian cities to tell their own stories.
SOURCE: THE HINDU, THE ECONOMIC TIMES, PIB