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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.