Sustainable Development Goals

SDG index measures the performance of the country in achieving a better and sustainable future by monitoring 17 Goals and 169 targets for 193 countries. The 17 goals are: no poverty, zero hunger, good health and wellbeing, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, “industry, innovation, and infrastructure”, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life on land, life below water, “peace, justice and strong institutions”, partnership.

The SDGs Index calculation is based on the average performance of the indicators of the each 17 Goals. The Index is scoring the data of each indicator from worst (0) to best (100) and then ranking the countries accordingly. The final result of the index is extracted according to equal relative weights for each of the 17 goals.

Bahrain’s ranking in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index has seen a significant decline from 76th in 2019 to 111th in 2023. The underlying factors contributing to this decline are:

• SDG 13: Climate Action: The primary contributor to Bahrain’s decline in this area is the high level of CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion and cement production and high level of CO2 emissions embodied in imports. As a nation heavily reliant on fossil fuels, Bahrain faces challenges in reducing its carbon footprint
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The deterioration in this goal is largely driven by the decreasing Red List Index of species survival, indicating a decline in biodiversity. Urbanization, habitat loss, and environmental degradation are key factors affecting Bahrain’s terrestrial ecosystems.
• Stagnation in Multiple Goals

The goals experiencing stagnation include:

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 14: Life Below Water
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Decline in Specific Indicators

Several specific indicators have seen a decline, adversely affecting Bahrain’s overall SDG performance:

• Prevalence of Obesity: Increasing obesity rates point to public health challenges and lifestyle-related issues.
• Sustainable Nitrogen Management Index: Poor nitrogen management practices contribute to environmental degradation.
• Quality of Trade and Transport-related Infrastructure: Deterioration in infrastructure quality impacts economic development and connectivity.
• Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Index of Service Coverage
• Ocean Health Index: Declines in this index reflect pressures on marine ecosystems.
• Fish Caught that are Then Discarded: Inefficiencies in fisheries management lead to waste and harm marine life.
• Government Spending on Health and Education: Reduced investment in these critical areas affects human capital development and social welfare.
• Improvements in Key Indicators

Despite the overall decline, Bahrain has made progress in several important indicators:

• Digital Access: Increases in the population using the internet and mobile broadband subscriptions indicate improved digital connectivity.
• Health Outcomes: Reductions in the prevalence of stunting in children under 5, neonatal mortality rate, mortality rate, new HIV infections, and traffic deaths reflect better health and safety outcomes.
• Urban Living Conditions: A decrease in the proportion of the urban population living in slums highlights improvements in housing and urban infrastructure.
• Educational Indicators: An increase in articles published in academic journals shows an advancement in education.
• Environmental Indicators: An increase in exports of plastic waste shows an advancement in waste management.
• Basic Services: Enhanced access to basic sanitation services, drinking water, and electricity, underscore progress in living standards.

Conclusion

The significant decline in overall ranking of Bahrain highlights the urgent need to address key challenges, particularly in climate action and biodiversity. The stagnation in multiple goals suggests that Bahrain must intensify its efforts to achieve sustainable development across various sectors.

In general, Bahrain should focus on:

1. Enhancing Environmental Sustainability: Implementing more effective climate action strategies and improving nitrogen management practices and investing in renewable energy.
2. Investing in Health and Education: Increasing government spending on healthcare and education to build human capital. Developing comprehensive strategies to tackle obesity and other lifestyle-related health challenge.
3. Infrastructure: Upgrading trade and transport-related infrastructure to support economic growth