Municipal SDGs in Latin America: Case Study of a Youth Training Program for the Localization of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda through Open Mapping (2022–2024)

Abstract

In Latin America, there is a pressing need for practical tools to initiate the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and strengthen state capacities at the municipal level. The purpose of this study is to analyze the design, implementation, and results of the Municipal SDGs Program (2022–2024), a youth training-action initiative that aims to facilitate the localization of SDGs in Latin American municipalities through open mapping.

The study adopts a program-level (multi-site) case study design, using a documentary analysis of four institutional inputs from the Arnaiz Institute: the activity schedule, the full program report, the summary of SDG indicators, and the executive summary. Data on coverage, participant characteristics, hourly structure, cartographic products, and operational reflections on governance and the use of results by local governments were systematized.

The program trained a significant cohort of 4,195 active young people in 42 municipalities across 7 countries, certifying 2,000 participants in basic SDG and GIS competencies. Individualized SDG map layers and comparable territorial indicators were generated, published on UrbiGIS, enhancing municipal capacity to prioritize and communicate evidence-based decisions. Governance tools (SDG-goals-policy matrices, guides, and programming) were developed to facilitate the conversion of maps into decisions. Figures 2, 3, and 4 illustrate examples of these products, showing municipal participation by country and detailed poverty, health, and education indicators.

The Municipal SDGs Program proves to be a replicable and low-cost methodological model for democratizing and socializing the territorial understanding of the SDGs. It enables the translation of global goals into local metrics by training youth, and its "learning by doing" approach fosters institutional appropriation and the use of digital cartography. Challenges lie in the digital divide, institutional heterogeneity, and the need for administrative validation of indicators for official use.