Tamil Nadu towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Sustainable Development Goals

Edited by: Prof. Dr. (Mrs) DHULASI BIRUNDHA VARADARAJAN

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Book chapterAbstract onlyPages 1-10

Chapter 1 — SDGs in TamilNadu- An Introduction

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. The objective was to produce a set of universal goals that meet the urgent environmental, political and economic challenges facing our world. The SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which started a global effort in 2000 to tackle the indignity of poverty. The MDGs established measurable, universally agreed objectives for tackling extreme poverty and hunger, preventing deadly diseases, and expanding primary education to all children, among other development priorities. For 15 years, the MDGs drove progress in several important areas: reducing income poverty, providing much-needed access to water and sanitation, driving down child mortality, and drastically improving maternal health. They also kick-started a global movement for free primary education, inspiring countries to invest in their future generations. Most significantly, the MDGs made huge strides in combating HIV/AIDS and other treatable diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. Key MDG achievements,

About the book

The 17 SDGs and 169 targets are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by 193 Member States at the UN General Assembly Summit in September 2015, and which came into effect on 1 January 2016. The SDGs and targets will stimulate action in the following critically important areas: poverty, hunger, education, health and well-being, gender equality, water and sanitation, energy, economic growth and decent work, infrastructure, industry and innovation, reducing inequalities, sustainable cities, consumption and production, climate action, ecosystems, peace and justice, and partnership. The Government of India’s development strategies adequately address key national priorities which are themselves inextricably aligned to the SDG targets. NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier think tank, has been entrusted with the task of co-ordinating the SDGs. NITI Aayog has undertaken a mapping of schemes as they relate to the SDGs and their targets, and has identified lead and supporting ministries for each target. They have adopted a government-wide approach to sustainable development, emphasising the interconnected nature of the SDGs across economic, social and environmental pillars. States have been advised to undertake a similar mapping of their schemes, including centrally sponsored schemes. States and UTs are the leading drivers of the SDGs. State Governments are a crucial driving force for SDG progress. State governments are key to India’s progress on the SDG Agenda as they are best placed to ‘put people first’ and to ensure that ‘no one is left behind’. The UN in India currently supports state governments in localising the SDGs to address key development challenges at the state level. Tamil Nadu, one of the leading states in India, is making efforts to achieve the targets of all 17 goals of the United Nations to attain sustainability. With the potential of skilled manpower, Natural resources, investment capacities, and well-developed infrastructure of roads, ports and communication, it would definitely achieve these goals with the right direction. This book addresses various initiatives taken in Tamil Nadu regarding the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through the contribution of 29 scholars in 22 chapters. This book is edited by Dr Mrs. Dhulasi Birundha Varadarajan and published by Mayas Publication, Tamil Nadu, one of the leading Publishers of Research and textbooks. A timely and important book that will interest economists, environmentalists, and policymakers.

Authors & editors

Editor

Prof. Dr. (Mrs) DHULASI BIRUNDHA VARADARAJAN

Emeritus Professor, Senior Fellow, ICSSR, New Delhi Former Chair Person, Senior Professor & Head Department of Environmental Economics School of Economics, Madurai Kamaraj University Madurai - 625 021, Tamil Nadu

Dr Dhulasi Birundha Varadarajan has 33 years of total university-level teaching experience, with 17 years as a Professor for M.A., M.Sc., and M.Phil. economics students. Her educational qualifications include M.A., M.Phil., PhD, M.B.A., M.C.A., PGDED, and PGDCA. She received Senior Fellowship from ICSSR, New Delhi. Her research includes 34 Ph.Ds awarded and 90 M.Phils completed. 158 research publications are to her credit in International and national journals, Edited Books and Monographs; 11 books are published by her on Energy Environment, Climate Change and Women. By travelling widely, she presented 342 papers in international, national and UGC sponsored regional level conferences, delivered guest lectures and acted as resource persons in workshops and refresher courses. For this reason, she had visited more than 30 times to countries including America, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Finland, Japan, Italy, Netherlands, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Srilanka, Spain, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Mauritius, China, Dubai (UAE) countries and Vietnam. She is a visiting Professor at the University of Chicago, Loyola University of Chicago and gave Guest Lectures on Climate Change and Environment. Under the UGC Visiting Programme, she acted as a visiting professor at Padmavathi Mahila University, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Ananthapur, Kannur University, Kannur, Sri Venkateshwara University, Tirupathy, Manonmaniam University, Tirunelveli, and presently a Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Saveetha University, Chennai. Throughout her career, she has undertaken 13 Major projects sponsored by ICSSR, University Grants Commission, New Delhi. She acted as a project member of UNEP, Bangkok World Bank sponsored project, Swiss Development Corporation sponsored project and Department of Telecommunication, New Delhi project, both National and International Level. She received two Post- Doctoral Fellowships from UGC and the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry. She acted as director for 14 seminars, workshops and extension activities on environment sponsored by national funding agencies.