Introduction to Measuring the Environmental Dimension of the SDGs: The case of Afghanistan

Location: Kabul, Afghanistan

Date: 2^nd October 2017 to 5^th October 2017

Partners: ESCAP

SDG Indicators: 6.6.1, 15.3.1

Type: Fresh water and land accounting

Having a broad natural environment and biodiversity, the environmental challenges and opportunities in Afghanistan are extremely diverse across the country. The Government has developed the Afghanistan SDGs (A-SDGs) and attempted to align the SDGs with national development plans and national level monitoring. However, the monitoring of the environmental dimension of the SDGs is still an area for future development.

Afghanistan requires environment statistics for monitoring national plans and for the national monitoring of the sustainable development goals. In terms of the environmental aspect of sustainable development, a few of the key issues include natural resource management, climate change awareness and disaster management. The linkage between natural resources, economic development and access to basic services are noted as priority issues.

The United Nations Environment Programme in partnership with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific held an Afghanistan Environment Statistics Training on Measuring the Environmental Dimension of the SDGs. This was held hosted in Kabul from the 2nd of October 2017 to 5th of October 2017. In attendance were key stakeholders from the government and relevant ministries.

The objective of this training was to provide an overview of the environment-related SDG indicators and some examples of statistical methodologies which the Government of Afghanistan could use to improve the evidence base for SDG monitoring. This was executed through four modules with the key focus being understanding the role of geospatial information and the link between statistics and geospatial data. As well as knowledge of the UN Environment Indicator Reporting Information System approach in sharing data.

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