The papers of the Special Issue have been published in 1_2021

Guest Editor (s):

1. Dr. Gaurav Sikka
   Secretary-General and Treasurer, IGU Task Force for Young and Early Career Geographers
   Assistant Professor, University Department of Geography, L.N. Mithila University, Bihar
   Email: gauravsikkageo@gmail.com
   
   
2. Dr. Komali Yenneti
   Chair, IGU Task Force for Young and Early Career Geographers
   New Generation Network Scholar, Australia India Institute
   Email:komalirani.y@gmail.com
   
   
3. Prof. R.B. Singh
   Secretary-General and Treasurer, IGU
   Professor, Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi
   Email: rbsgeo@hotmail.com
   
   
4. Prof. Vladimir Tikunov
   The head of Complex Mapping laboratory, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University
   Email: vstikunov@yandex.ru
   

Short description

The rapid human development and the contradiction between human and society, and economy and environment has greatly hindered the implementation of sustainable development strategy (Zhao and Wu, 2019). In order to draw more attention on sustainable development from governments, the United Nations adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), 169 sub-goals and 232 targets at the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development in 2015. Ever since then, many experts and researchers have been making great efforts to monitor, assess and realise SDGs. For example, while some researchers analysed the application of SDGs to ecology and environment (Salleh, 2016; Yenneti et al., 2016), others applied SDGs to humanities and education (Chowdhury and Koya, 2017; Sterling, 2014). Yet there are many difficulties. The sheer volume of geospatial data and the different understanding of the SDG indicators make this task more difficult. Further, there are relatively limited studies that attempt to more holistically capture the varieties of geospatial factors and contexts behind the articulation of SDGs.

In order to develop a vision for ensuring sustainable development, a discussion of the SDGs needs careful examination through new concepts, approaches and solutions to the problems. This special issue will include, but not limited to, studies on SDGs, monitoring and evaluation of SDGs, the use of geospatial technologies in assessing challenges in implementation of SDGs, the geospatiality of social and gender dimensions in SDG research and other development-related themes. The issue will promote integrated transdisciplinary approaches in SDGs research.

While this issue invites papers from all parts of the world, we keenly encourage and see this as an opportunity for young scholars in the developing world. This special issue will provide a publication platform for papers presented by outstanding young and early career geographers at the sessions organised by the IGU-Task Force for Young and Early Career Geographers (IGU-YECG) since from its establishment (Beijing, 2016) to the upcoming 34th IGC at Istanbul (2020). There is a cutting-edge research by young and early career scholars which deserves to be recognised and popularised.

We also invite submissions which can help enhance the understandings and conceptualisations of the SDGs. In particular, we are interested in submissions that explore ‘new geographies of theory’ and ‘new conceptual vectors’. The submissions may be concerned with addressing SDGs at the local, regional, and global scales, in various geographical contexts and at multiple dimensions (economic, social, political, developmental, and environmental). The contributions may be generic in nature or specific to a particular geographical region, with regard to regional diversity in climate, development, economic structure, and socioeconomic characteristics, among other factors. Original work that adopts a relational perspective and showcase how to address theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues in implementation of SDGs is particularly welcome.

Potential topics include, but are not restricted to, the following:

• New concepts and approaches to SDG implementation (across the global South and the global North, and bridging the gap between them).
• Innovative techniques and methodologies to measure and to differentiate the goals and indicators of SDGs.
• History, evolution and discourses of SDGs in different scalar/geographical dimensions.
• Smart and ground-breaking technologies, strategies and real-time applications in achieving or implementation of SDGs in different geo-spatial and social contexts (global/local; everyday life with an emphasis on urban scale, for developing and developed world).
• Role of institutions, macro and micro level actors, action agents, policy options and effects, laws and regulations, governance and planning and other policy, industry and action initiatives in SDGs.
• Best practice initiatives (individual, behavioural and community-led) and successful examples.

Submission of full papers: 1 November 2020

Submission closed