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Abstract

This paper argues the need and the mechanism to localize the  indicators of SDG[Sustainable Development Goals] for Indian Himalayan States  in the context of SDG Goal 13 and SDG Goal  15.Goal 13 of the SDG is to  take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts  while  Goal 15 of SDG aims to  protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. These two goals out of the seventeen goals are directly related to environment, ecology and climate change. The Indian Himalayan Region[IHR] being the life sustaining  system of millions of people and vast species of flora and fauna in uplands and much more in lowland areas  due to its vast bio physical diversity also acts as a climate regulator for the continent. This paper first develops the context arguing why Goal 13 and 15 should be topmost priority  for the Indian   Himalayan  states. The paper then recommends some sequential suggestive steps  to develop a schema for monitoring the indicators suggested by UN, MoSPI, NITI Ayog. The  paper suggests that the same can be substantiated into actual monitoring mechanism by mapping the relevant  Centrally Sponsored Schemes( CSS),State Schemes ( SS) and EAP( Externally Aided Projects)in consonance with such indicators.  The paper thus proposes the need for localized implementation of schemes for achieving the Goals and thereafter relevant monitoring of the same considering the basic characteristic of Himalayan states. The paper also insists for the research and study needs to  identify the data gaps in each indicator proposed , by taking a case of  Uttarakhand  as a representative of Himalayan states of India  and presents a model on  how a Himalayan state should decentralize  the monitoring mechanism of each indicator  in different departments by following the model of the State of  Uttarakhand. The paper finally presents policy asks for achieving those time bound targets by substituting SDG with HDG[Himalayan Development Goal].Indicators of UN, MoSPI, NITI Ayog, DES of Uttarakhand and some other Indian Himalayan states and various state government  level  departments have been used to carry out the study.

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How to Cite
Datta, D. R., & Jaiswal, D. B. (2019). Localizing indicators of Sustainable Development Goals : A model in the context of Indian Himalayan States for SDG 13 and 15. Thematics Journal of Geography, 8(8), 122-143. Retrieved from https://thematicsjournals.org/index.php/tjg/article/view/8139