Localization of sustainable development goals: The case of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality

The Industrial Revolution started in Western Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries and led to radical economic and social changes on a global scale. Technological innovations and increases in production capacity in this process paved the way for the emergence of the concept of development, and thus countries adopted a road map that included the goals of economic growth, industrialization and increasing social welfare. While the meaning of the concept of development has been expanding, natural resources have begun to be used excessively in order to meet the increasing raw material needs of industry, while at the same time the population has increased and the natural environment has begun to be destroyed. At this point, scientists' ideas about development have transformed towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development first emerged with a study published by the Club of Rome and later became an international issue. Global recognition of the concept increased with the report prepared by the World Commission on Environment and Development. It has frequently participated in the Rio conferences on the environment and sustainable development organized by the United Nations. This study analyzes the awareness, planning, stakeholder management and activities of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality and district municipalities towards sustainable development goals. The research is based on the parliamentary decisions between 2015-2024, strategic plans 2020-2024, annual reports between 2015-2023, and sources on the websites of the organizations. 17 sustainable development goals identified within the scope of "Agenda 2030" adopted by the United Nations in 2015 are analyzed in terms of how they are implemented at the local government level and which strategies are adopted. Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality's activities in various fields such as environmentally friendly projects, renewable energy utilization, waste management, protection of water resources and enhancement of social welfare are evaluated. In addition, district municipalities' efforts to achieve these goals are also analyzed. In the study, the projects implemented by municipalities in the process of realizing their sustainable development goals are analyzed in detail. In this context, significant findings have been obtained on the applicability and success of sustainable development at the local level through the example of Balıkesir Metropolitan Municipality.