Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi have figured in the top five spots in the inaugural Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Urban Index and Dashboard 2021-22 released by the NITI Aayog.
Thiruvananthapuram ranked third alongside Chandigarh with a score of 72.36 while Kochi ranked fifth with 72.29 points. Shimla (75.50 points) topped the rankings followed by Coimbatore (73.29).
The index and dashboard, which ranked 56 urban areas on 77 SDG indicators, are a result of the NITI Aayog-GIZ and BMZ collaboration focused on driving SDG localisation in Indian cities under the umbrella of the Indo-German Development Cooperation.
Parameters
They assessed indicators, including poverty reduction, health, education, women empowerment, water and sanitation, clean energy, economic growth, industry, urban development, climate action and governance.
Both Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi were adjudged achievers (100 points) in ‘climate action.’
Thiruvananthapuram stood first in quality education, second in gender equality, and shared the third spot in peace, justice and strong institutions.
Weak areas
Thiruvananthapuram’s lowest score was in decent work and economic growth, scoring 38 points (Aspirant), which still was higher than that of many cities.
Kochi stood first in gender equality and second in quality education; clean water and sanitation; and peace, justice and strong institutions. Kochi had its lowest scores (Aspirant) in industry, innovation and infrastructure (19); decent work and economic growth (39) and sustainable production and consumption patterns (48).
CM lauds Corpns.
Lauding the Corporations of both cities for the achievement, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the rankings were a recognition of the efforts taken by the State Government for urban development. That the achievements came in spite of the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was a matter of pride, Mr. Vijayan said.
Of the 56 urban units assessed, 44 have populations of above 10 lakh. The remaining 12 are capital cities with populations of below 10 lakh.
According to the NITI Aayog, the index and dashboard “will further strengthen SDG localisation and institute robust SDG monitoring at the city level. It highlights the strengths and gaps of ULB-level data, monitoring, and reporting systems.” Such tools contribute to the creation of an ecosystem where all stakeholders were equipped to adopt and implement data-driven decision making, it said.
