Objectives Of The Sustainable Development Goals - 1168 Words

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which expire in 2015. Focusing on goal 15 of the SDGs, the measurability and overall effectiveness of the targets will be assessed. Targets 15.2 through 15.5 and 15.8 focus on conserving specific ecosystems and reducing biodiversity loss. Each specifies a deadline year (2020 or 2030) for being in progress or completed, which helps to measure the timeline for the goal. Each target can be quantified in several ways but they don’t specify how exactly to quantify it. The target year makes the deadline measurable but the method of measuring the target itself is not specific enough. 15.1 and 15.6 have similar intentions to the aforementioned targets†¦show more content†¦15c discusses enhancing global support for 15.7 but does not state by which method(s) it will be measured nor any specific thresholds to meet. Therefore it is too ambiguous to measure. 15.9 is ideal but it’s difficult to measure how much of biodiversity and ecosystem values are integrated into planning. The target is measurable but not specific enough. Financial resources in 15a are quantifiable but the financial resources used and the amount of money is not stated anywhere, therefore it is not explicit enough. 15b mentions mobilizing all resources but it does not mention which resources and how much of each resource is needed. Thus, 15b is not measurable; it is much too vague. Community support in 15c is also quite vague and not specific enough. Targets 15.2 through 15.6 and 15.8 are generally measured on an international scale but the criteria are not specific enough and/or are lacking in some areas. For example, deforestation in target 15.2 can be directly measured using technology like remote sensing but are usually only studied in small regions at once. Namely, a global study of deforestation rates in humid tropical forests was last done in 2002 (Achard et al., 2002). The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently monitors deforestation, however, like the SDGs, they employ measurable but not specific enough targets, such as â€Å"encourage