Tracking the Progress of Sustainable Development Goals: Applying Three Approaches in South Asia

This study assesses sustainable development in South Asian economies based on their development stages, using three distinct approaches: the traditional "GDP approach," focusing on economic indicators; the "Beyond-GDP approach," incorporating social and natural resource indicators; and the "SDG-based approach," emphasizing quality-of-life metrics aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A composite indicator method was employed, selecting nineteen indicator groups for analysis. Key findings show that factors like the Corruption Index, foreign direct investments, government debt, energy imports, and vulnerable employment have the most significant impact on sustainable development. Bhutan and the Maldives rank highest across all approaches, while Pakistan and India rank lowest, with Pakistan scoring the lowest in both the GDP and SDG-based approaches. The study recommends using the SDG-based ranking to prioritize development efforts and funding allocation, with specific suggestions for enhancing sustainability in the region.