Presented by IWMI's Chris Dickens at the session on 'Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals' at the 22nd International River Symposium, October 21, 2019, Brisbane, Australia.

1. Setting Quantitative
National-level Targets
for Management of
Natural Resources to
Achieve the SDGs
Chris Dickens
Matthew McCartney

2. Why have targets / objectives?
“If you don’t know
where you are going,
then any road will
get there”
(Any Road –
George Harrison)

3. Agenda 2030 Targets
• Targets are defined as aspirational
and global, with each government
setting its own national targets
guided by the global level of
ambition but taking into account
national circumstances (55)
• We recognise that there are
different approaches, visions,
models and tools available to each
country, in accordance with its
national circumstances and
priorities (59)
• The Goals and targets will be
followed-up and reviewed using a
set of global indicators. These will
be complemented by indicators at
the regional and national levels
which will be developed by
member states (75)

4. 11.5
Disasters
6.4
Water use
and
scarcity
6.5
Water
manage-
ment
6.3
Waste-
water and
water
quality
6.6
Eco-
systems
6.1
Drinking
water
6.2
Sanitation
and
hygiene
6.a and 6.b
Cooperation
and
participation
Sustainable Development Goal 6 Targets
Goal: “Ensure availability
and sustainable
management of water and
sanitation for all”

5. What are SDG targets?
Target 6.3: By 2030,
improve water quality by
reducing pollution,
eliminating dumping and
minimizing release of
hazardous chemicals and
materials, halving the
proportion of untreated
wastewater and
substantially increasing
recycling and safe reuse
globally
Indicator 6.3.1 - Proportion
of wastewater safely
treated
Indicator 6.3.2 - Proportion
of bodies of water with
good ambient water
quality

6. SDGs that measure natural resources
Resource Direct measure Inferred measure
Land Land consumed, degraded land (incl land
cover, productivity, soil carbon), green
mountain cover, forest area
Proportion of agric land “sustainable”; solid
waste management; recycling; expenditure
on sustainable forests; material
consumption in industry
Water – fresh Efficiency of use, sustainable withdrawal,
spatial extent of water ecosystems,
quantity, quality
IWRM policy and cooperation
Water - marine Acidity, plastic, eutrophication, fish stocks Research on marine tech; protected areas;
regulation of fishing; countries
participating in sustainable use;
Air Particulate matter Clean energy
Biodiversity Mountain and other protected areas, red-
data list, poaching vs legal trade
Expenditure on sustainable use; ecosystem
and biodiversity values in planning

7. 0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1
EcologicalFootprintperperson(gha)
U.N. Human Development Index (HDI)
Africa
Middle East/Central Asia
Asia-Pacific
South America
Central America/Caribbean
North America
EU
Other Europe
Global Sustainable Development
Quadrant
World Biocapacity in 1961
World Biocapacity in 2014
High Human
Development
Very High
Human
Development
Ecological Footprint per person and HDI of
countries by world regions (2014)
Source: Ecological Footprint per person: National Footprint Accounts 2018 Edition, Global Footprint Network.
Human Development Index: Human Development Report, UNDP 2016
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987)
What is sustainable development?

8. Planetary Boundaries – a safe
operating space for humanity
Rockström et al, 2009

9. Targets for different scales – global to local
Google earth zoom

10. SDG 15 – Red List Index

11. Setting targets – Ecological Management Classes
EMC
Most likely ecological
condition
A
(natural)
Natural rivers with minor modification of in-stream
and riparian habitat
B
(largely natural)
Slightly modified and/or ecologically important
rivers with largely intact biodiversity and habitats
C
(moderately modified or
“fair” condition)
The habitats and dynamics of the biota have been
disturbed, but basic ecosystem functions are still
intact.
D
(largely modified)
Large changes in natural habitat, biota and basic
ecosystem functions have occurred.
E
(seriously modified)
Modifications have reached a critical level and
ecosystem has been completely modified with
almost total loss of natural habitat and biota. In the
worst case, the basic ecosystem functions have
been destroyed
.

12. Setting targets – Ecological Management Classes
EMC
Most likely ecological
condition
A
(natural)
Natural rivers with minor modification of in-stream
and riparian habitat
B
(largely natural)
Slightly modified and/or ecologically important
rivers with largely intact biodiversity and habitats
C
(moderately modified or
“fair” condition)
The habitats and dynamics of the biota have been
disturbed, but basic ecosystem functions are still
intact.
D
(largely modified)
Large changes in natural habitat, biota and basic
ecosystem functions have occurred.
E
(seriously modified)
Modifications have reached a critical level and
ecosystem has been completely modified with
almost total loss of natural habitat and biota. In the
worst case, the basic ecosystem functions have
been destroyed
.

13. Indicators and targets for natural resources at the local scale
DICKENS, C.; SMAKHTIN, V.; MCCARTNEY, M.; O’BRIEN, G.;
DAHIR, L. (2019). Defining and Quantifying National-Level
Targets, Indicators and Benchmarks for Management of Natural
Resources to Achieve the Sustainable Development
Goals. Sustainability , 11, 462
https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020462

14. Target values for e-flows
Example of a sub-basin target for water quality

15. Target values for e-flows
Example of a sub-basin target for e-flows

16. Objectives for river ecosystems

17. Voluntary national review
• Countries review all goals and progress/obstacles
• In-depth analysis of priority issues
• Own targets and indicators
• Emerging issues
• Plans for future
Also:
• Has baseline been set?
• Progress to achieve goals and targets
• Trends?
• Plans to address issues
• Governance of SDG monitoring

18. Thank You