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Accounting for interactions between Sustainable Development Goals is essential for water pollution control in China

Author

Listed:
  • Mengru Wang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Wageningen University & Research)

  • Annette B. G. Janssen

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Jeanne Bazin

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Maryna Strokal

    (Wageningen University & Research)

  • Lin Ma

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Carolien Kroeze

    (Wageningen University & Research)

Abstract

Meeting the United Nations’ (UN’s) 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become a worldwide mission. How these SDGs interrelate, however, is not well known. We assess the interactions between SDGs for the case of water pollution by nutrients in China. The results show 319 interactions between SDGs for clean water (SDGs 6 and 14) and other SDGs, of which 286 are positive (synergies) and 33 are negative (tradeoffs) interactions. We analyze six scenarios in China accounting for the cobenefits of water pollution control using a large-scale water quality model. We consider scenarios that benefit from synergies and avoid tradeoffs. Our results show that effective pollution control requires accounting for the interactions between SDGs. For instance, combining improved nutrient management, efficient food consumption, and climate mitigation is effective for simultaneously meeting SDGs 6 and 14 as well as other SDGs for food, cities and climate. Our study serves as an example of assessing SDG interactions in environmental policies in China as well as in other regions of the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengru Wang & Annette B. G. Janssen & Jeanne Bazin & Maryna Strokal & Lin Ma & Carolien Kroeze, 2022. "Accounting for interactions between Sustainable Development Goals is essential for water pollution control in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-28351-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28351-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. ChaoQing Yu & Xiao Huang & Han Chen & H. Charles J. Godfray & Jonathon S. Wright & Jim W. Hall & Peng Gong & ShaoQiang Ni & ShengChao Qiao & GuoRui Huang & YuChen Xiao & Jie Zhang & Zhao Feng & XiaoTa, 2019. "Managing nitrogen to restore water quality in China," Nature, Nature, vol. 567(7749), pages 516-520, March.
    2. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    3. Wang, Mengru & Ma, Lin & Strokal, Maryna & Chu, Yanan & Kroeze, Carolien, 2018. "Exploring nutrient management options to increase nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiencies in food production of China," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 58-72.
    4. Robin Naidoo & Brendan Fisher, 2020. "Reset Sustainable Development Goals for a pandemic world," Nature, Nature, vol. 583(7815), pages 198-201, July.
    5. Lan Xue & Lingfei Weng & Hanzhi Yu, 2018. "Addressing policy challenges in implementing Sustainable Development Goals through an adaptive governance approach: A view from transitional China," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 150-158, March.
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