In conclusion, the management of access to land, tenure and property, and the definition of urban planning policies able to guarantee widespread and equal access to basic services are key for the achievement of Goal 1 on poverty reduction but, at the same time, have essential repercussions on the achievement of many other SDGs. This kind of comprehensive approach has been adopted by many of the countries reporting to the HLPF. Chile, for instance, has monitored a drop in poverty from about 40% in the 1990s to 14.5% today – but, at the same time, its VNR also points out that nearly 21% of the population suffers from multidimensional poverty in a context of high income inequality. In Colombia, the government reports that, in 2015, access to sanitation was as high as 87.4% of national households, and access to water and energy were up to 92% and 99% respectively. It also stressed, on the other hand, that rural-urban divides and territorial inequality remain crucial challenges. In the Netherlands, more people were living under the poverty line in 2015 than in 2006. Municipalities have competences on professionalization, skill creation and innovation policies, as a means to improve the workforce and make socio-economic opportunities more accessible for all. Poverty remains a fundamentally multi-dimensional issue that threatens the equality, inclusiveness, tolerance, security and resilience of cities, regions and territories around the world. Local and regional governance can play a fundamental and innovative role in housing, secure land tenure and poverty reduction policies. Goal 1 marks a crucial challenge – and an unprecedented opportunity – to foster policy coherence and an efficient cooperation framework with national governments, the territories and their communities.
5.4.2 Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture69 Despite the progress made with the implementation of the MDGs and the ongoing efforts of many countries, more than 790 million people still lack regular access to adequate food supplies and are vulnerable to malnutrition. Man-made climate change has had an increasing impact on the desertification of soils and the risk of flooding of coastal cities and their hinterlands. As a consequence, competition over resources, access to arable land and drinkable water is increasing, worsened by urban sprawl, waste, and inadequate water management. Local and regional governments, in partnership with all stakeholders in the territory, have committed to act for sustainable food-production systems, to reduce food waste, and promote resilient agricultural practices. A set of urban policy tools, such as land use and urban planning, has been used to enhance urban and peri-urban agriculture and preserve existing agricultural areas in the face of rapid urban expansion. LRGs can also be key supporters of the local food chain – from the farmers to local consumers – in local infrastructures such as hospital and schools and grant specific sources of food supply access to municipal food markets. Achieving Goal 2 at the local level, therefore, should be considered in a more integrated way. Securing the attainment of the Zero Hunger target is interlinked with several other SDGs: for example, nutritional stunting, i.e., stunted growth because of malnutrition during the nursing age, remains a crucial challenge in many developing and less developed countries, and has direct connections with and effects on the pursuit of SDG 1 on poverty, SDG 3 on health, as well as SDG 4 on education.
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69 The authors are grateful to Régions de France for their input and comments on the contents of this section.