Bringing Agenda 2030 to Life. Zambia Sustainable Development Report

This report considers four principles which underpin the transformative aspirations of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda: ‘leave no-one behind’; ‘tackling inequalities’; ‘integrating the environment and development’ and ‘participation and dialogue’. To explore these principles on the ground, the report considers nine case studies that provide examples that participants in the ‘Bringing Agenda 2030 to Life’ research felt particularly illustrated good policies, projects or processes. These case studies help guide future work and promote forms of transferable learning across sectors. They integrate not only some of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals but the four principles themselves. This report reveals the alignment between Zambian national development agendas with the principle of ‘leave no-one behind’, in their 7th National Development Plan: ‘Accelerating Development Efforts towards Vision 2030 without Leaving Anyone Behind’. It highlights that in particular low socioeconomic status and persons with disabilities are seen as at risk of being left behind, and outlines a range of policy interventions that cut across the SDGs. Our research echoed this understanding of leaving no-one behind but specifically emphasised that ‘one size fits all’ approaches must be adapted for diverse contexts. In our research, links were very clearly made between the first principle of ‘leaving no-one behind’ and the second of ‘tackling inequalities’: gender inequalities or political inequalities that foster corruption all hamper progress towards inclusive development. Tackling inequalities is one of the ‘strategic areas’ of Zambia’s 7th National Development Plan, with a focus on income, gender and the urban-rural divide that is aligned with the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. Our research highlights that inequalities are a question of power; tackling them requires both political will and well-targeted and monitored funds. Aligned with the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, Zambia’s 7th National Development Plan treats the principle of integrating the environment and development as an urgent concern, with a focus on the agricultural sector among others. Our research emphasises the importance of measures to halt and address deforestation, the subject of both case study 6 and 7. In both urban and rural settings, our research participants emphasised that environmental degradation is of more concern for the poorest, making links to the principles of tackling inequalities and leaving no-one behind. Zambia’s 7th National Development Plan is closely aligned with the fourth principle of the 2030 Agenda, arguing for the importance of citizen’s participation on all fronts – political, economic, social and environmental. In both this Plan and our research, explicit inclusion of groups at risk of being left behind was emphasised. Participation and dialogue includes a range of actions, including voting, monitoring funds or campaigning. It should engage politicians at all levels but also vested interests such as those of multinational companies.