“Localization of Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of The Marmara Region” Report Published

The report "Localization of Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of the Marmara Region", which covers the findings of "Local Governments Sustainable Development Goals Activities Research” conducted by the Marmara Municipalities Union between May-June 2021 in 12 provinces, has been published in Turkish and English.

The research, which aims to reveal the awareness of the municipalities for global purposes and to what extent they integrate the SDGs into their institutional structures and works in Turkey, includes municipalities of different sizes located in the provinces of Balıkesir, Bilecik, Bolu, Bursa, Çanakkale, Edirne, Istanbul, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Tekirdağ and Yalova.

The report consists of two parts. In the first part of the report, the results of the survey in which a total of 106 municipalities participated, were evaluated under the titles of "SDG Awareness Level of Municipalities", "SDG Activities of Municipalities" and "SDG Governance of Municipalities".

15 Good Practices to Inspire Municipalities

The second part of the report focused on SDG-related good practices developed by municipalities as a solution to a problem and/or problems in their own regions. The applications were collected within the scope of the research and  evaluated according to 7 criteria titled "replicability", "scalability", " budget efficiency", "identification of performance indicators", "quality of content" and "quality of supporting document". Taking into account this evaluation and the diversity of municipalities, 15 good practices were selected. These practices are discussed in detail in the second part of the report to inspire other municipalities.

Some Findings From the Report

According to the answers of municipalities filled out the survey questions;

• In 6 % of municipalities, the majority of the employees are aware of SDGs, refer to the SDGs and use SDGs as an important reference in their strategies.

• 32 % of municipalities have units and individuals responsible for SDGs.

• 37 % of municipalities conduct awareness raising activities on SDGs for their activities.

• 5 % of municipalities have a national and international declaration document related to 2030 Agenda or SDGs adopted by the mayor of municipal council.

• 3 % of municipalities have prepared a report on localization of SDGs.

• 14 % of municipalities have a strategy, policy document, action plan or roadmap related to SDGs adopted by the mayor and municipal council.

• 53 % of municipalities utilized SDGs in the preparation of their strategic plans.

• 51 % of municipalities have linked the indicators/targets in their strategic plans to the SDGs

• The top three SDGs prioritized by municipalities in their strategic plans are SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities (61%), SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being (58%) and SDG 4: Quality Education (49%).

• 34 % of municipalities participate in the activities carried out at the national level.

• The institutions which municipalities cooperate on to implement SDGs the most are public institutions, civil society organizations and private sector.

You can download the report here: https://mbbkulturyayinlari.com/raporlar/localization-of-sustainable-development-goals-the-case-of-the-marmara-region/

You can send your questions and comments on the report to the following e-mail address: [email protected]