Pandemic Lessons -- Devising an assessment framework to analyse policies for sustainability

Abstract: COVID-19 pandemic has sharply projected the globally persistent multi-dimensional fundamental challenges in securing general socio-economic wellbeing of the society. The problems intensify with increasing population densities and also vary with several socio-economic-geo-cultural activity parameters. These problems directly highlight the urgent need for accomplishing the interdependent United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure that in future we do not enter into vicious loops of contracting newer zoonotic viruses and need not search for their vaccines while incurring socio-economic havoc. Behavioural changes in human activities/responses are indispensable for achieving the interdependent SDGs. Using root cause analysis approach, we have developed a yearly assessment framework for viably analysing and identifying requisite region-specific downstream/upstream socio-economic policies to reach the SDGs. The framework makes use of an infographic bar chart representation based on the normalised values of 20 human activity/impact parameters classified under three categories as - negative, limiting and positive. With a holistic view encompassing the SDGs, we illustrate through this framework the impact and urgent need of region-specific human behavioural reforms. This framework enables the foresight about policies regarding their potential in bringing down the negative parameter values to the desired zero level for accomplishing the SDGs through planetary health.