The COVID‐19 Pandemic Not Only Poses Challenges, but Also Opens Opportunities for Sustainable Transformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted social, economic, and environmental systems worldwide, slowing down reversing the progress made in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDGs belong to 2030 Agenda transform our world by tackling humankind's challenges ensure well-being, economic prosperity, protection. We explore potential impacts of on for Nepal. followed a knowledge co-creation process with experts from various professional backgrounds, involving five steps: online survey, workshop, assessment expert's opinions, review validation, revision synthesis. negatively most short term. Particularly, targets SDG 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 have will continue weakly moderately restricting impacts. However, few 2, 3, 6, 11 could also promoting negative resulted impeding factors linked pandemic. Many may subside medium long terms. key are lockdowns, underemployment unemployment, closure institutions facilities, diluted focus funds non-COVID-19-related issues, anticipated reduction support development partners. opened window opportunity sustainable transformation, which is short-lived narrow. These opportunities lessons learned planning action, socio-economic recovery plan, use information communication technologies digital economy, reverse migration “brain gain,” local governments' exercising authorities.