The Development of a Framework for the Integrated Assessment of SDG Trade-Offs in the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their corresponding targets are significantly interconnected, with many interactions, synergies, trade-offs between individual goals across multiple temporal spatial scales. This paper proposes a framework for the Integrated Assessment Modelling (IAM) of complex deltaic socio-ecological system in order to analyze such SDG interactions. We focused on Sundarban Biosphere Reserve (SBR), India, within Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta. It is densely populated 4.4 million people (2011), high levels poverty, strong dependence rural livelihoods. adjacent growing megacity Kolkata. area also includes Indian portion world’s largest mangrove forest––the Sundarbans––hosting iconic Bengal Tiger. Like all systems, this subject drivers environmental change operating IAM designed investigate socio-environmental under range explorative and/or normative scenarios explore associated policy impacts, considering broad subthematic indicators. following elements were explicitly considered: (1) agriculture; (2) aquaculture; (3) mangroves; (4) fisheries; (5) multidimensional poverty. Key questions that can be addressed include implications changing monsoon patterns, agriculture aquaculture, or future Sundarbans’ mangroves sea-level rise different management strategies. novel, high-resolution analysis interactions allowed by will provide stakeholders makers opportunity prioritize most relevant SBR foundation further integrated analysis.