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Sustainability Indicators of sustainable development

Matemilola Saheed: 3260012Elegbede Isa: 3043039

31st of January, 2014

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Outline• Background• Sustainability indicators• A description of the CSD indicators• Criteria for selecting a good and viable SD

indicators• Case Study

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Background

• What is sustainable development?

"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."-the Brundtland Commission, 1987

Source: Pietro Gennari, 2007

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Background What to be sustained: NATUREEarthBiodiversityEcosystems

LIFE SUPPORTEcosystemsResourcesEnvironment

COMMUNITYCulturesGroupsPlaces

What is to be developed: PEOPLEChild survivalLife expectancyEducationEqual opportunity ECONOMYWealthProductiveSectors

SOCIETYInstitutionsSocial capitalStatesRegions

For how long?

Adapted from: Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward Sustainability, 1999

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Sustainability indicators

• What is an indicator?– An indicator is a parameter which help to explain

or show how a condition changes over time. – the basic functions of indicators

I. SimplificationII. QuantificationIII. Communication

Source: http://footage.shutterstock.com/

Thermometer speedometer

Examples of indicators

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Sustainability indicators• A sustainable development indicator (SDI) can generally be

understood as a quantitative tool that analyses changes, while measuring and communicating progress towards the sustainable use and management of economic, social, institutional and environmental resources

• How it came about– Chapter 40 of the Agenda 21, adopted at the United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992.

– The first set of sustainability indicators(CSD indicators) was developed in 1995 by the Division for Sustainable Development (DSD) and the Statistics Division of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

– It was a set of 134 indicators

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Sustainability indicators• From 1996 to 1999, 22 countries from across the world

voluntarily pilot-tested the indicator set• In 2000, the results of the national testing were evaluated,

and the indicator set was revised and slimed to 58.• The result of the pivot tests inspired calls for national-level

indicators to be developed• Several other indicators have been developed by various

organization but with care to ensure coherence with the CSD indicators. e.g.• MDG indicators• Eurostat Sustainable Development Indicators• OECD indicators of sustainable development

• The latest review of CSD indicators was that of 2006

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A description of the CSD indicators

• The newly revised CSD indicators contain a core set of 50 indicators

• These indicators set are further classified into thematic framework

• Core indicators must fulfill three criteria.I. they cover issues that are relevant for sustainable

development in most countries.II. they provide critical information normally not available. III. they can be calculated by most countries with data that is

either readily available or could be made available within reasonable time and costs.

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CSD indicator themes

• Poverty• Governance• Health• Education• Demographics• Natural hazards• Atmosphere• Land

• Oceans, seas and coasts• Freshwater • Biodiversity• Economic development• Global economic partnership• Consumption and production patterns

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CSD Indicators of Sustainable DevelopmentTheme Sub theme Core indicators

Poverty Income Proportion of population living below national poverty line

Income inequality Ratio of share in national income of highest to lowest quintile

Sanitation Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility

Drinking water Proportion of population using an improved water source

Access to energy Share of households without electricity or other modern energy services

Living condition Proportion of urban population living in slums

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Applying CSD Indicators of Sustainable Development

• In adapting CSD indicators to national sets, it may be useful to classify each indicator in one of four categories of data availability;– fully available– potentially available – related data available– not available

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Applying CSD Indicators of Sustainable Development

• To indicate their relevance, CSD indicators can be placed in any of the 4 categories:– relevant– related indicator relevant– relevant but missing – irrelevant.

04/18/2023 13Source: Indicators of Sustainable Development,2007

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• Desired outcomeSpecific

• Quantitative mannerMeasurable

• Practical & LocalizedPedagogical

• Change with circumstanceSensitive

• Systematic methodReliable

• Regularity and timingData accessibility

• Costing and benefitCost effectiveness

• Clear definition Relevant & usable

Criteria for selecting a good and viable SD indicators

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Section 2