Reaching out for the UNDP Sustainable Development Goals in Patagonia

Abstract

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes 17 Goals (SDGs) thatprovide a roadmap for joint action by world countries to fulfil human needs and expectations,with equity and with environmental sustainability. SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation,directly focuses on freshwater, while others include different water and sanitation targets(SDG 3, 11, 12 and 15). In Patagonia, the true challenge to meet the SDGs is not related tothe availability of resources, which are plentiful, but to the wise use of them, which needs thebacking of relevant science and strong governance. We present our view of the state of the artof both fields in the region. Specifically, we analyse how Chile and Argentina are not doingvery well in implementing integrated water resource management (IWRM), a specific goalwithin the 2030 Agenda, thus indicating significant weaknesses in both science andgovernance. Both countries have been slow at developing ecosystem-level science and have atradition of natural resource management as a top-down, closed-door, and bureaucraticprocess. We analyse some of the underlying causes for these weaknesses and identifyopportunities for promoting more integrated, multidisciplinary research, based on theperspective of ecosystem services, which promotes an environmental view of water securityproblems within a socioecological framework; it also provides an ideal support forscience-based governance structures, with strong consultation mechanisms and theparticipation of multiple stakeholders, and able to deal with the uncertainties associated toecosystem level studies.