ktmagar's blog :): Developmental Issues

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nepal by the 2030 deadline is a major national aspiration but also a complex challenge. While Nepal has made some progress, numerous structural, economic, governance, and environmental hurdles continue to hinder full realization. Below is a comprehensive and structured explanation of why achieving SDGs is difficult in Nepal, supported by recent data and analysis.

🟩 Overview of SDGs and Nepal

Nepal is committed to achieving all 17 SDGs, and has localized them through national plans such as the 15th Periodic Plan (2019–2024), and formulated a National SDG Framework. However, only a few indicators are on track, while many are either stagnant or regressing.

As per the Sustainable Development Report 2024:

Nepal ranks 118 out of 166 countries.
SDG achievement score: 63.7 (out of 100)
Only SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption) are moderately improving.
Major challenges remain in SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Health), SDG 6 (Water and Sanitation), and SDG 9 (Infrastructure and Innovation).

🔶 Key Reasons Why SDGs Are Difficult to Achieve in Nepal

1. 🔸 Poverty and Inequality (SDG 1 & 10)

Despite progress, 20.27% of Nepal's population still lived under the national poverty line as of 2023.
Income inequality persists across regions, castes, and genders.
Migration has increased remittance income but not sustainable development outcomes in all provinces.

Impact: Reduces equitable access to services and weakens overall SDG performance.

https://kathmandupost.com/money/2024/02/13/nepal-sees-less-than-expected-decline-in-poverty

2. 🔸 Weak Institutional Capacity and Governance (SDG 16)

Frequent changes in government, poor inter-governmental coordination (especially under federalism), and bureaucratic inefficiencies hinder SDG implementation.
Lack of reliable data systems, especially at local levels, makes monitoring and evaluation weak.
Corruption remains a systemic issue—Nepal scored 34 out of 100 in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 (Transparency International). Nepal has been ranked in 107th position out of 180 countries and territories in the Corruption Perceptions Index

Impact: Policies are not implemented effectively, and resources are misallocated.

https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/56942

3. 🔸 Underfunding and Budget Constraints

Implementation of SDGs requires an estimated Rs. ... billion annually, but there is a significant resource gap. An annual investment of Rs. 3,023 billion is required to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the periodic update report prepared by the National Planning Commission, about Rs. 29,965 billion is required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2024-30.
In addition, 34.35 per cent is expected to be mobilised from the private sector, 4.18 per cent from the cooperative and non-governmental sector and 3.95 per cent from the household level.Heavy reliance on donor funding and foreign aid, which can be unstable and conditional.

Impact: Limits infrastructure expansion, social protection, and service delivery.

4. 🔸 Low Industrial and Technological Development (SDG 9)

Nepal has weak manufacturing and research capacities.
The contribution of manufacturing to GDP is only around 6.8%, which is very low for meaningful SDG 9 progress.
Innovation and digital infrastructure remain underdeveloped, especially in rural areas.

Impact: Limits job creation, value addition, and sustainable growth.

5. 🔸 Geographical and Environmental Vulnerabilities (SDGs 2, 6, 13, 15)

Nepal is highly prone to natural disasters like floods, landslides, and earthquakes.
Climate change has intensified glacier melt, changing rainfall patterns, and water scarcity.
Agricultural productivity is inconsistent due to fragmented land, poor irrigation, and overdependence on rainfall.

Impact: Reduces food security, increases disaster risk, and disrupts rural livelihoods.

6. 🔸 Health and Education Inequities (SDGs 3 & 4)

While literacy and basic education have improved, quality remains low and dropout rates are high in rural and marginalized areas.
Health services are understaffed, under-equipped, and urban-centered.
Nepal spends only 5.4% of GDP on health and 4.1% on education, below SDG-recommended levels.

Impact: Hinders human capital development.

7. 🔸 Migration and Brain Drain

Large outmigration for employment (over 4 million Nepalis abroad), especially youth and skilled labor.
Brain drain affects innovation, education, and public service delivery.
Internal migration also creates urban overcrowding and pressure on infrastructure.

Impact: Limits local capacity to achieve long-term development.

8. 🔸 COVID-19 Pandemic Setbacks

The pandemic reversed several gains made on SDGs, especially in health, poverty, and employment.
School closures widened the learning gap, and healthcare systems were overwhelmed.
Economic recovery remains slow and uneven across sectors.

🔶 Additional Challenges:

Issue	SDG Impacted
Gender-based violence, child marriage	SDG 5
Poor road and electricity access in hills	SDGs 7, 9
Inadequate WASH infrastructure	SDG 6
Weak public-private partnerships	SDG 17

🔵 In Summary:

Nepal’s SDG progress is hindered by a combination of economic constraints, institutional weaknesses, environmental risks, and social inequalities. While the country has committed strongly to the 2030 Agenda, lack of financing, data, governance capacity, and resilience-building mechanisms make full achievement of SDGs extremely challenging under the current trajectory.

📌 Way Forward Suggestions:

Strengthen local government capacity under federalism.
Mobilize private sector and diaspora financing.
Improve health, education, and digital infrastructure.
Build robust monitoring and data systems for SDG tracking.
Integrate disaster resilience and climate adaptation into all plans.

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Saturday, 26 July 2025

SDGs in Nepal