Assessing Sustainable Development in Guilin: A Localized Indicator System for a Global Model

In the context of globalization and urbanization, urban ecological environments are becoming increasingly vulnerable, presenting significant challenges to ecological security. These challenges have a significant impact on the advancement of sustainable development. As an innovative demonstration area for sustainable development in China, Guilin serves as a global model for exploring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study focuses on Guilin's unique karst topography and employs social, economic, environmental, and geospatial data to develop a localized indicator system encompassing 15 goals and 70 indicators. Furthermore, the research utilizes Big Earth Data to monitor and evaluate Guilin's localized SDGs at the county level and to forecast future development pathways. The findings reveal a spatial distribution of Guilin's SDGs between 2010 and 2020, with higher scores concentrated in the central and eastern regions and lower scores in the northwest. The analysis indicates a 52.8% synergy effect and a 46.1% trade-off effect among the SDGs. Projections suggest that by 2030, all 13 counties will achieve their sustainable development goals, with average scores increasing from 75.99 in 2010 to 82.09, with some counties anticipated to exceed 85.00. This study provides important scientific evidence to support sustainable development initiatives in Guilin and other regions.