[Literature Review] Estimating Networks of Sustainable Development Goals

"Estimating Networks of Sustainable Development Goals" by Luis Ospina-Forero

The paper "Estimating Networks of Sustainable Development Goals" by Luis Ospina-Forero focuses on the interlinkages and interactions between the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations. The paper presents a method for estimating networks of SDGs, which can be used to identify the most influential SDGs and how they interact.

 

The paper begins with an introduction to the SDGs and their importance in global development efforts. It then discusses the challenges in measuring the progress towards achieving the SDGs and the need to understand the interlinkages between them better.

 

The proposed method for estimating SDG networks involves using Bayesian networks, which can model the causal relationships between the SDGs. The paper describes the data used in the analysis, which includes data from the World Bank and the United Nations and the statistical methods used to estimate the network.

The analysis results show that the SDGs are highly interconnected, with some SDGs being more influential than others. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for policymakers and suggests that the approach can be used to prioritize interventions and measure progress towards achieving the SDGs.

 

Overall, the paper provides a novel method for estimating networks of SDGs and contributes to understanding the interlinkages and interactions between the SDGs. The findings have important implications for global development efforts and can inform policymakers' decision-making processes.

 

1. Introduction

• Background: Provides an overview of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their importance in global development efforts - introduction to the SDGs and their importance in global development efforts
• Research question: States the main research question addressed in the study -  challenges in measuring the progress towards achieving the SDGs and the need to understand the interlinkages between them better.
• Objectives: Outline the objectives of the study
• Contribution: Summarizes the contributions of the study
• Outline: Provides a brief overview of the structure of the paper

1. Literature review

• Describes the concept of the SDGs and their importance in sustainable development
• Discusses previous research on the SDGs, including studies that have examined their relationships and interdependencies
• Identifies gaps in the existing knowledge and explains how the current study addresses those gaps

1. Methods

• Methodologies mentioned in the paper
  • Bayesian networks are a probabilistic graphical model used to represent and reason uncertain relationships between variables. This paper uses Bayesian networks to model the causal relationships between the SDGs.
  • Partial correlation analysis: a method for identifying correlations between variables while controlling for the effects of other variables.
  • Ridge regression: a linear regression method used to analyze multiple regression data that suffer from multicollinearity.
  • Network inference using time-delayed mutual information: a method for inferring causal relationships between variables from time-series data.
  • Granger causality: a statistical method for inferring causal relationships between variables in time-series data.
  • Structural equation modelling: a statistical technique for modelling complex relationships between variables using a combination of observed variables and latent variables.
• Data sources: Describes the data sources used in the study, including the SDG indicators from the UN Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform
• Analytical techniques: Describes the analytical techniques used to estimate the networks of SDGs, including correlation analysis and network analysis
• Statistical models: Describes the statistical models used to estimate the networks of SDGs, including partial correlation and graphical LASSO

1. Results

• Describes the networks of SDGs estimated using the analytical techniques and statistical models described in the methods section
• Presents data visualizations of the networks, including network graphs and heatmaps
• Discusses the findings of the study, including the most important SDGs and their relationships to other SDGs

1. Discussion

• Interprets the results and discusses their implications, including the policy implications of the findings
• Highlights the strengths and limitations of the study
• Suggests avenues for future research

1. Conclusion

• Summarizes the main findings of the study
• Restates the objectives of the study
• Highlights the contributions of the study