Using Local Spatial Biodiversity Plans to Meet the Sustainable Development Goals

AbstractThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent global development ambitions, but achieving these goals depends on local-level application. Many local governments, especially in countries with emerging economies, lack the capacity and resources to integrate SDGs into municipal planning. The feasibility of local implementation is particularly challenging in areas with rugged topography and international borders, such as the Thabo Mofutsanyana District Municipality, South Africa, into which the city of Phuthaditjhaba falls. Here we explore the suitability of existing spatial biodiversity plans for local application in the six local municipalities within Thabo Mofutsanyana District. We considered four plans related to biodiversity and ecosystem services, including international maps of (1) Key Biodiversity Areas and (2) Strategic Water Source Areas; a national (3) Protected Area Expansion Strategy; and a provincial map of (4) Critical Biodiversity Areas. Although these plans were not designed specifically to meet the SDGs, we show that they can be repurposed to address seven of the 17 SDGs. Next, we summarised the spatial coverage of each plan across the six local municipalities and evaluated the opportunities and shortcomings of using these plans for local application. Our findings guide local officials on the most efficient way to plan for the SDGs using currently available spatial products.