Evaluating the Effectiveness of SDG 11 Monitoring and Implementation Frameworks at City Level: A Case Study of Mbabane, Eswatini

Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11) aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, yet implementation at the local level remains inconsistent, particularly in rapidly urbanizing contexts of the Global South. This study evaluates the progress of the City of Mbabane, Eswatini, toward achieving SDG 11 by assessing the effectiveness of existing monitoring and implementation frameworks. Employing a mixed- methods case study design, the research integrates spatial analysis, household surveys, and qualitative interviews with key stakeholders to examine housing adequacy, disaster vulnerability, institutional capacity, and participatory governance. Findings reveal that while Mbabane has integrated sustainability concepts into strategic planning documents, practical execution is hindered by limited data localization, institutional fragmentation, and insufficient community engagement. Informal settlements in flood-prone areas highlight the city’s vulnerability and the need for risk-informed spatial planning. Moreover, the absence of a city-level SDG tracking mechanism and misalignment between global indicators and local realities challenge effective monitoring. Drawing lessons from peer African cities, the study proposes a suite of contextually appropriate reforms, including GIS-based monitoring tools, participatory planning mechanisms, and dedicated urban SDG units. These recommendations aim to strengthen institutional resilience and foster inclusive urban development in Mbabane and similar contexts. The research contributes to the discourse on localized SDG implementation by bridging theoretical frameworks with grounded, actionable insights for urban sustainability.