Interactions among the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka

The report finds that SDG implementation in Sri Lanka is highly synergistic, with only 2% of direct interactions between analyzed targets being restricting. Key 'accelerators' with the highest outward influence include policy coherence, reducing corruption, and climate change capacity. Conversely, targets like drinking water and housing show the lowest outward influence due to potential trade-offs with environmental and resource management. The study emphasizes that because targets are closely intertwined, Sri Lanka requires cross-sectoral collaboration rather than siloed approaches.

• The overall interaction between the 36 analyzed SDG targets in Sri Lanka is overwhelmingly positive, with only 2% of direct interactions identified as trade-offs.
• Three specific targets act as systemic 'accelerators' with the highest potential to promote progress across the entire set of analyzed goals: strengthening policy coherence, reducing corruption, and enhancing climate change capacity.
• Access to drinking water and expanded decent housing have the lowest outward influence, primarily because their implementation can create restricting influences on other targets.
• Agricultural and economic productivity are the targets most heavily influenced by progress in other areas, meaning they receive the highest degree of inward influence.
• Access to information and reduced corruption are the least influenced by other targets, suggesting they require specific, targeted interventions to achieve progress.
• Progress on social protection (target 1.3) promotes economic development, food security, and equality without restricting any other analyzed targets, though it is weakly restricted by sustainable resource management.
• Food, nutrition, and agriculture targets (2.1-2.4) are highly synergistic and promote most other targets, but increased agricultural productivity can create trade-offs with water quality and forest conservation.
• While improving access to drinking water (target 6.1) promotes health, education, and gender equality, it can restrict water quality, water-related ecosystems, and natural resources due to poor monitoring and institutional coordination.
• Improved housing (target 11.1) promotes poverty reduction and drinking water access but can restrict water quality, transportation efficiency, and natural resource management.
• The high level of interconnectedness among all analyzed targets suggests that Sri Lanka should avoid siloed, sector-based approaches in favor of collaborative processes representing all goals.

APA

Järnberg, L., Weitz, N., Maltais, A., & Carlsen, H. (2021). Interactions among the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sdg-synergies-in-sri-lanka-report.pdf

Chicago

Järnberg, Linn, Nina Weitz, Aaron Maltais, and Henrik Carlsen. Interactions among the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sdg-synergies-in-sri-lanka-report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Järnberg |first1=Linn |last2=Weitz |first2=Nina |last3=Maltais |first3=Aaron |last4=Carlsen |first4=Henrik |title=Interactions among the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=May 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sdg-synergies-in-sri-lanka-report.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jrnberg2021interactions, author = {Järnberg, Linn and Weitz, Nina and Maltais, Aaron and Carlsen, Henrik}, title = {{Interactions among the Sustainable Development Goals in Sri Lanka}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/sdg-synergies-in-sri-lanka-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }