Ranking Regional Sustainability: A National Perspective on Measurement and Evaluation (Based on Materials from Kazakhstan)

Achieving the UN sustainable development goals is most effectively realized through the participation of each country and each individual region. Within the framework of regional governance, this requires aligning the social needs, economic feasibility, and environmental constraints of each region. Kazakhstan’s regions vary significantly in their levels of socio-economic progress, based on the differences in resources, infrastructure, population, and industry specialization. Currently, there is no clear system for assessing the feasibility of achieving the sustainable development goals in the country’s regions. This hinders the development of systemic measures to implement the SDGs and achieve the accepted commitments. This study aims to develop a methodology for rating regional development sustainability based on existing assessment methods and approaches. A study of leading global research and expert assessments served as the basis for the National Rating of Sustainable Development of Regions (NRSD), which was tested using empirical data from Kazakhstan. The results of the analysis of the economic and social development of regions confirmed the need to use environmental, social, and economic indicators as key criteria for the NRSD. The paper identifies the main limitations encountered during the research process, provides ways to mitigate them, and suggests paths to expand opportunities. The main emphasis is placed on recommendations for updating the methodology for collecting sustainable data at the regional level.