Section 12. Thematic reviews
12.2. Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals
This section examines progress on selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 6, 7, 13, and 15), drawing on UN reports on sustainable development.
The recent data obtained at the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development indicate that many of the Goals are severely off track. The ongoing repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounded by other crises such as climate change and armed conflicts, have exerted a profound and widespread impact on poverty, food security, health, and the environment.
The Report 2023: Towards a Rescue Plan for People and Planet highlights that access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene improved significantly in rural areas, but stagnated or decreased in urban areas (SDG 6). Water use efficiency has risen by 9%, particularly in agriculture, but rising water stress in several areas is cause for concern. Central and Southern Asia experience high water stress levels, exceeding 75%, and Northern Africa faces critical water stress, surpassing 100%. 2.2 billion people still lack safely managed drinking. Sub-Saharan Africa is furthest behind.
The world continues to advance towards sustainable energy targets (SDG 7) – but not fast enough. Developing countries experience 9.6% annual growth in renewable energy installation.
With a climate cataclysm looming, the pace and scale of current climate action plans are wholly insufficient to effectively tackle climate change (SDG 13). Record-high GHG concentrations are pushing global temperatures higher, with approximately 90% of heat being absorbed by the ocean. This is causing sea levels to rise through ice loss on land, melting glaciers and ice sheets, and thermal expansion. The rate of global mean sea-level rise has doubled in the past decade – from 2.27 mm per year in 1993–2002 to 4.62 mm per year. Even with efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C, global sea levels are expected to continue rising over the coming century, creating significant hazards for communities worldwide. This requires global climate-resilient development action, accelerated adaptation and mitigation measures, as well as appropriate finance for climate action.
Despite some progress in sustainable forest management, protected areas, and the uptake of national biodiversity values and natural capital accounting, most improvements have been modest. Deforestation and forest degradation remain major global threats. Nearly 100 million ha of net forest area have been lost over the past two decades, and global forest coverage decreased to 31.2%. Agricultural expansion is the direct driver of almost 90% of global deforestation (cropland accounts for 49.6% and livestock grazing for 38.5%). The recently adopted Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides renewed impetus for Goal 15.
Progress assessment for the 17 Goals based on assessed targets is shown below. The picture is incomplete due to regular problems with obtaining timely data on all 169 targets.
Brief review of progress on SDG6 is shown below.
SDG 6
The eight targets of SDG 6 include: (1) drinking water (target 6.1), (2) sanitation and hygiene (6.2), (3) water quality (6.3), (4) water-use efficiency and level of water stress (6.4), (5) integrated water resources management (IWRM) and transboundary water cooperation (6.5), (6) water-related ecosystems (6.6), (7) international water cooperation (6.a), and (8) community participation (6.b).
According to the midterm review from the SDG 6 Synthesis Report on Water and Sanitation 2023, progress towards SDG 6 continues to be well below the pace needed to meet the targets by 2030:
• To meet the global target of universal access by 2030, progress needs to increase six times faster for safely managed drinking water, five times faster for safely managed sanitation and three times faster for basic hygiene.
• A significant portion (42%) of household wastewater is not treated properly. Data gaps make it difficult to assess global trends.
• Water stress has increased globally.
• Since 2017 to 2023, the global average degree of IWRM implementation increased from 49 to 57%, but the currents rates of progress need to be doubled to achieve the global target:
— at the regional level, significant efforts to accelerate IWRM implementation are needed in Central and Southern Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa since these regions have made limited progress and are lagging behind other regions;
— only 44 countries have achieved a high or very high degree of IWRM implementation. At the current rates of implementation progress, at least 107 countries will not achieve the target by 2030;
— the results show a need to accelerate transboundary cooperation: out of 153 countries that share transboundary waters, only 24 countries reported that all the rivers, lakes and aquifers they share are covered by operational arrangements for cooperation;
— Europe and North America, and sub-Saharan Africa are the most advanced SDG regions in terms of transboundary water cooperation. Progress in Latin America and the Caribbean, all Asian subregions and, more generally, for transboundary aquifers is significantly lagging behind.
• The extent of surface water available in one fifth of the world’s river basins changed significantly due to climate change and inefficient water management.
• On targets 6.a and 6.b ODA fell by 12% from 2015 to 2021, while disbursement decreased by 15% despite growing needs for financing. Although national laws and policies for community participation are increasing, their actual implementation is limited.
Progress on SDGs in the Central Asian countries
In 2023, the Central Asian region has shown mixed progress towards the SDGs.
Republic of Kazakhstan. As of 2023, Kazakhstan ranked 66th out of 163 countries in the SDG Index, scoring 71.7 out of 100. The only goal achieved since the adoption of SDGs is No poverty (SDG 1). Challenges persist in SDGs related to malnutrition (SDG 2), clean energy (SDG 7), climate change (SDG 13), terrestrial ecosystems (SDG 15), peace and justice (SDG 16).
For SDG 6, significant growth of IWRM implementation was recorded - from 30% in 2017 to 51% in 2023; the share of transboundary water basins covered by operational arrangements for cooperation reached 63.4%. At the same time, the proportion of rivers with good water quality decreased from 72.5% in 2020 to 48.9% in 2023.
The Carbon Neutrality Strategy 2060 was officially adopted by Kazakhstan in February 2023. Kazakhstan has also joined the Global Methane Pledge at COP28, committing to reducing its GHG emissions. The updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) was approved by governmental resolution. The country commits to reduce GHG emissions by 25% by the end of 2030 relative to 1990 base year (SDG 7 and 13).
The mean area that is protected in freshwater sites important to biodiversity (SDG 15) increased from 8.4% in 2000 to 20.5% in 2023, and the mean area that is protected in terrestrial sites important to biodiversity increased from 8.9% in 2000 to 28.5% in 2023.
Kyrgyz Republic. In the SDG Index Rank 2023 Kyrgyzstan was 48th out of 166 countries, and its SDC Index score reached 74.19, being the highest score for Central Asia. Positive dynamics is maintained for SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and SDG 13 (climate action).
The percentage of population using at least basin drinking water services reached 95.37%; the proportion of safely treated household and industrial wastewater is maintained at about 97% since 2021 (SDG 6). In 2023, the Republic showed a moderately low (38%) degree of IWRM implementation. The share of transboundary water basins covered by operational arrangements for cooperation reached 39%.
On SDG 7, the percentage of population with access to electricity increased from 70.82% in 2021 to 73.21% in 2023, including 19.93% of the population using mostly clean fuels and technology.
To preserve terrestrial ecosystems, the Republic has established a network of designated conservation areas covering 7.38% of the country's total area. The network includes 10 state natural reserves, 13 state natural parks and 64 wildlife sanctuaries (SDG 15).
Republic of Tajikistan. In the SDG Index Rank 2023 Tajikistan was 89th out of 166 countries, scoring 68.09. Tajikistan is on the way to achieve SDG 1 (poverty eradication) and SDG 10 (reduced inequalities). Significant progress was achieved on SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities).
Relatively moderate progress is observed towards other SDGs, including access to clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) and climate action (SDG 13). For example, Tajikistan currently generates 98% of its electricity from hydropower. The country ranks sixth in the world in terms of green energy, and will rise to the fourth position after the completion of the Rogun HPP. Tajikistan is also among the countries with almost zero contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
The degree of IWRM implementation in Tajikistan is 54%.
The mean percentage area of freshwater key biodiversity areas that are protected (SDG 15) increased from 27.9% in 2000 to 30.5% in 2023.
Turkmenistan. With 67.13 score, Turkmenistan was 94th out of 166 countries in the SDG Index Rank. Turkmenistan has achieved SDG 1 (poverty eradication).
Turkmenistan maintained a consistently high level of coverage of SDG targets and indicators in strategic and policy documents (85%). For example, the National Climate Change Strategy and the National Action Program for Combatting Desertification aim to improve efficiency of mitigation measures (SDG 13). Turkmenistan NDC provides for reducing GHG emissions by 20% in 2030 relative to the level of emissions in 2010.
In 2023, the degree of IWRM implementation (SDG 6) was 68%, and the proportion of transboundary river and lake basins covered by operational arrangements for water cooperation was 66.02%. The proportion of safely treated wastewater decreased from 57.4% in 2022 to 48.7% in 2023.
There was a decline in the transition to sustainable forest management in 2022, which continued in 2023 (from 34.78 thousand ha in 2021 to 3.4 thousand ha in 2023). The proportion of land that is degraded over total land area was 17.7% (SDG 15).
Republic of Uzbekistan. With a score of 71.1, Uzbekistan has secured the 69th rank out of 166 countries in the SDG Index Rank 2023, thus climbing eight positions from its preceding year's rank.
According to the World Resources Institute, the country was ranked 25th out of 164 in the ranking of countries suffering from water stress. The critical level of pressure on water resources in Uzbekistan results from the use of 169% of water reserves. Drinking water supply in Uzbekistan is provided through increased access of population to centralized drinking water supply. The share of population provided with safe water services (SDG 6) increased to 99.8%. The share of transboundary water basins covered by operational arrangements for cooperation is 70% and the degree of IWRM implementation is 64%.
According to UNDP, the alignment of global Sustainable Development Goals with national strategic development planning in Uzbekistan is currently at 79%. The least integration is found to be in SDG 13 – 60%.
In line with the "Concept for the Development of the Forestry System of the Republic of Uzbekistan until 2030" expansive measures were taken to establish protective forest plantations over the desiccated bed of the Aral Sea (SDG 15). Between 2019 and 2023 alone, initiatives spanned across more than 1.7 million hectares. The forest area out of total land area of Uzbekistan increased from 8.6% (2019) to 10.6% (2023).
Uzbekistan's heavy reliance on natural gas continues to pose energy security risks, exacerbated by depleting gas production and increasing net imports (SDG 7).