Big Data on the Environment for Sustainable Development ......Development and Humanitarian Action...

Big Data on the Environment for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action

Data, Indicators and Knowledge for Decisions, Policy and Action

January 2019

Alexandre Caldas, Chief, Country Outreach, Technology and Innovation Branch, Science Division, UN Environment

World EnvironmentSituation Room

Value Proposition

Alexandre Caldas, Chief , Country Outreach, Technology and Innovation Branch, Science Division, UN Environment

1. Harnessing Big Data for DECISIONS, POLICY and ACTION

(UN Wide Strategy and Across UN Environment)

2. World Environment Situation Room: UN Environment outfit for the UN Environment Data

Revolution

3. It is about IMPACT ON PEOPLE and on the GROUND (countries)

4. Based on Solid SCIENCE and building the FUTURE: FORESIGHT

5. A Worldwide HUB PARTNERSHIP including the PRIVATE SECTOR

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE WORLD ENVIRONMENT SITUATION ROOM BY THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

UNEA, March 2019

Mission and Vision Statement


Harnessing Big Data on the Environment

for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action

“… The availability of quality, accessible, open, timely and

disaggregated data is vital for evidence based decision-making and

the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda and realization of its

ambitions of leaving no one behind ...”

4

Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals – 2018 Report of the Secretary-General

UN System Wide Initiative

environmentlive.unep.org/situation

Science and Data driving our Common Future

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/18541SG_SDG_Progress_Report

“… to demonstrate how UN Environment Programme of Work 2018 –

2021 integrates the 2030 Agenda using its Strategy to support data

collection, analysis and reporting. The UN Environment Live initiative

provides baseline data and monitors progress against the Goals ...”

5

UN Environment Executive Director, Compact report, 2018


UN Environment Wide Initiative


‘Core mandate of UN Environment …given by member countries


World Environment Situation Room

The United Nations Environmental Assembly is composed of the 173 constituent member states

sets and approves the medium-term strategy for UN Environment. UNEA, as part of its decision

for Delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, established the following

mandate, with regard to Environment Live:

‘Requests the Executive Director to ensure that Environment Live, which already covers the

internationally agreed environmental goals, provides credible, up-to-date information to support the

follow-up to and review of progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development

Goals, at all levels, by establishing a long-term plan for the maintenance of the programme and the

relevance of its content and ensuring good traceability of the data and information made accessible

through it.’

7

UNEA2 Resolution/Decision 5, May 2016


UN Environment Wide Initiative – Our Member States’ Deliberations


“We (Member States) are determined to ambitiously scale-up our efforts to overcome common

environmental and health challenges through fostering sustainable and efficient resource

management; ensuring the access and use of environmental data; engaging civil society, citizens,

private sector and academia; and therefore agree to take the following actions:

(f) We commit to harmonize international environmental data standards and we support the development of a global

environmental data strategy by 2025, under the auspices of relevant United Nations bodies;

(g) We will improve environmental monitoring systems, including air and water quality, deforestation, marine litter, and

environmental security, and we support the development of

national environmental data management capacities; we will also promote the use of data analysis models to support evidence-

based decision making at all levels and work towards ensuring transparency of and open access to environmental data;

…

(k) We encourage the disclosure of product information to consumers and communities and we will promote the development of

solutions, with special emphasis on digital solutions, to increase transparency in product chains;

(o) We will improve good practices of engagement to ensure the meaningful involvement of civil society, citizens, private sector

and academia in the policy making process; “

8

UNEA4 Draft Ministerial Declaration, 2019




Confirmation of our “worldwide partnership model”

…

“5. We agree that the effective implementation of these actions requires enabling policy

frameworks at the global, regional, national, subnational and local levels, and effective means of

implementation including finance, capacity-building, mutually beneficial partnerships and the

development, as mutually agreed in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda”

…

9

UNEA4 Draft Ministerial Declaration, 2019




‘Acting as One’ Initiative of UN Environment …



Under the overall coordination of the UN Environment Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director, UN

Environment should ‘act as one’ across the Divisions and Regional Offices as well as any other partnering

agencies to provide an effective participation in the UN System activities’ towards Harnessing Big Data on the

Environment for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action.

• Nomination of Division’ and Regional Offices’ Focal Points for active participation in the

Initiative (we already have a good list of ‘hook contact persons’ across UN Environment)

• 31st January: Meeting of the UN Environment Committee / Task Force …

• 11th February: 2nd Meeting of the UN Environment Committee / Task Force …


• UNEA Meetings

11

UN Environment ‘Acting as One’


UN Environment Wide Initiative – ‘Acting as One’


12 environmentlive.unep.org/situation

UN Environment Data Strategy – a wide spectrum of Information

Integrating a variety of Types of Data


UN Environment Wide Initiative – ‘Acting as One’

Science and Data driving our Policy, Priorities and Action

P o l l u t i o n

Sustainable Consumption and Production


UN Environment Data Strategy, Long-term Trends and Future

More than 40 Year’s investing in Transparent Access and Use of Data, Information and Knowledge

2000

B

E

F

O

R

E

T

H

E

I

N

T

E

R

N

E

T


Strategy and Action Plan - 2018 - 2021

Key Milestones for upcoming 4 Years

World Environment Situation RoomOfficial Launch of the Alliance

2018 2019 2020 2021

Big Data

Semantic Search

Data Analytics

Virtual Rooms

Data Intelligence

Intelligent Search

Artificial Intelligence

Internet of Things

Knowledge Discovery

Knowledge Search

Digital Companions

Virtual Reality

World Environment Situation RoomWorld Environmental Search

Big Data

SDG Hub Launch

Foresight

300 Hot Spots

World Environment Situation RoomSDG Hub on the Environment

World Environment Situation RoomForesight and Emerging Issues

10 Founding Partners 20 Alliance Partners 30 Alliance Partners 40 Alliance Partners

100.000 Users 500.000 Users 1.000.000 Users 3.000.000 Users

SEARCH WANGARI SDG HUB ENVIRONMENT FORESIGHT


A Growing Alliance Investing into a Common Future

Initial 4 Years Investment and Sustainability

$500,000

$3,500,000

$4,500,000

$5,250,000

$6,250,000

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Annual Funds in the Alliance (2018 - 2022)

$2,000,000

$6,400,000

UN Environment Investments (4 Years)

Funds In-Kind Staff

$1,250,000

$1,250,000

$1,500,000

$2,250,000

$-

$1,000,000

$2,000,000

$3,000,000

$4,000,000

$5,000,000

$6,000,000

$7,000,000

2019 2020 2021 2022

Growing Investment and Service Delivery

UN Environment Core Partners Alliance Members Services

it is about the best technology and Innovation…



18

World Environment Situation RoomA Digital Companion, gender-balanced and truly global personality


Darwin Wangari is UN Environment’s Digital Companion supporting and advising users finding information, navigating the Situation Room, and

personalizing their experience and interface.

• Darwin Wangari uses the best available technology of human computer

interaction, big data, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and data

analytics to be a digital companion on accessing and using the World

Environment Situation Room

• Darwin Wangari is a mobile APP, providing information and knowledge

on the Environment anywhere, anytime

• Darwin Wangari can learn with user preferences to personalize their

experiences, searching information, navigating the Situation Room or

assisting on new information available in the World Environment

Situation Room about specific topics of interestDarwin Wangari will have its own personality and animated character, assisting users all over the place

D W

it is about Data and Information …



20

World Environment Situation RoomA Single Entry Door to Geospatial Information connecting a HUB of Data Centers worldwide


21

World Environment Situation RoomA novel way of Communication, with high impact for decision making turning data into information and knowledge


22

World Environment Situation RoomSupporting timely decision making, using geospatial data for identifying Hotspot's (hope spots) of climate change, policy actions and decision making


Harnessing Big Data on the Environment

23

Foresight, Technology and Knowledge Initiative

• World Environment Situation Room

• Foresight Briefs

• Environment Live (Open data and Forecasting)

• Indicator Reporting Information Systems

• Library and Scientific Information Services

SDGs and Environment Statistics Initiative

• SDG Reporting and International Obligations

• Building national capacity on environment statistics and economic environmental

accounting

• Indicators informing policy - SDG Policy Briefs, Data Use and Analysis, and

Environment Live Database

Global Environmental Monitoring Initiative

• Global Environmental Monitoring Systems on Water

• Air Quality Monitoring

• Monitoring Land and Biota Systems

• Monitoring the Oceans

https://na.unep.net/atlas/google.php

http://environmentlive.unep.org/situation

https://environmentlive.unep.org/sdgs


https://na.unep.net/atlas/google.php

http://environmentlive.unep.org/situation

https://environmentlive.unep.org/sdgpolicybrief

it is about Impact on the Ground Countries …



Online Access to Research on the Environment (OARE) for Developing Countries

Set up by the United Nations Environment Programme in 2006 together with Yale University and major scientific publishers, OARE provides access to a collection of up to 11,500 scientific journals, 27,000 e-books, 40 databases and other information resources in 118 countries.

OARE helps bridge the knowledge gap between developing countries and the industrialized world, and build the capacity of researchers and experts to facilitate the development of science-driven policies for a sound management of the environment.

Worldwide Impact of the Indicator Reporting Information System*


27

Country Data: Data Analysis, Comparison across countries over time


28

Country Data: Maps and Geo-reference Information: Disaster Prevention


29

Country Data: Reporting International Obligations – MEAs and Reporting


it is about Impacting on People …


Update frequency: MonthlyTheme: ClimateData sources: NASA / GRID-Geneva

31

World Environment Situation Room: Impact on People


[Monthly (or yearly) temperature anomaly]

32



Update frequency: DailyTheme: ClimateData sources: NSIDC[Arctic Sea Ice Extent]

33



34

Impacting on millions of People: Water Quality and Health


35

Impacting on millions of People: Freshwater Pollution


it is about sustainable development …


37

Indicators Informing Policy – Synergies between SDGs and MEAs

Indicators informing policy - SDG Policy Briefs, Data Use and Analysis, and Environment Live Database

At the regional and global level, scientists, policy analysts, decision-makers, donors and the public rely on consistent, reliable, up-to-date information for guiding research, preparing assessments, developing regional and global approaches for sustainable development, facilitating policy action, allocation of funds and keeping informed on the state and trend of the environment. In order to promote data use, UN Environment plays a key role in providing easy access to a wealth of data and information needed to support and enable implementation of the environmental dimension of the 2030 Agenda through the functionality of Environment Live. Data visualization tools, including maps, charts and other graphics, also support users in understanding and using environmental data.


38

Reporting to SDGs, International Obligations and Capacity Building

SDG Reporting and International Obligations UN Environment has the formal mandate as custodian for 26 SDG Indicators. UN Environment works with countries and other UN agencies in the SDG indicator process through the Inter-agency Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDG).The SDG unit provides data on SDG indicators to the IAEG-SDG/UN Statistical Division as input into the Secretary General Progress report on SDG's. The SDG unit is responsible for the development of the metadata and methodology for Tier III SDG environmental indicators.

Building national capacity on environment statistics and economic environmental accounting UN Environment is working with the UN Statistics Division (UNSD) and all five UN Regional Commissions to address the lack of necessary environmental data and statistics for making evidence-based decisions, monitoring the SDGs and reporting on environmental agreements, including Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. The aim of this coordinated effort is to build and strengthen environmental statistical capacity at the national level in relevant institutions such as the Ministries of Environment and the National Statistical Offices. An increased capacity to produce environmental statistics forms a foundation for the delivery of high quality information to be integrated into the SDGs reporting.


IMPACT ON PEOPLE AND ON THE GROUNDit is about Global Environmental Monitoring…


Global Environmental Monitoring Systems

Science Division, January 2018

Global Environmental Monitoring Systems in WaterThe Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS Water) provides the world community with sound data on fresh water quality to support scientific assessments and decision-making on the subject. Surface and ground water quality monitoring data collected from the global GEMS Water monitoring network is shared through the GEM Stat information system. The Global Environment Monitoring System for freshwater (GEMS/Water) provides the world community with sound data on fresh water quality to support scientific assessments and decision-making on the subject. Surface and ground water quality monitoring data collected from the global GEMS/Water monitoring network is shared through the GEM Stat information system. GEMS/Water supports the Sustainable Development Goal for Water (SDG 6) with methodology support, data management, quality assurance, indicator calculation and capacity development.

Air Quality MonitoringThe Global Environmental Monitoring System for Air Pollution, commonly referred to as GEMS/AIR, is an urban air pollution monitoring and assessment program. It has evolved from a World Health Organization (WHO) urban air quality monitoring pilot project that started in 1973. Since 1975, WHO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have jointly operated the programme as a component of the United Nations system wide Global Environment Monitoring System (GEMS). GEMS is a component of the UN Earth watch system.



Proportion of bodies of water with goodambient water quality

6.3.2

Monitoring

CapacityDevelopment

Global Network

Data Assessments

Water Quality

• Renewed mandate: UNEA resolution 3/10 - Addressing water pollution to protect and restore water-related ecosystems

• Collecting and sharing freshwater quality monitoring data

• Maintaining the global water quality information system GEMStat

• Capacity development/training to empower countries to deliver authoritative and reliable data

• GEMS/Water is responsible for gathering data from Member States to support reporting against SDG indicator 6.3.2



Over 4600 stations (>4 million samples) in 75 countries with the longest time series since 1965.



Spatial-temporal patterns of global water quality



Nexus: Water Quality and Human Health

Modell-estimates of in-

stream concentrations

of faecal coliform

bacteria (FC) for Latin

America, Africa and Asia

for February 2008-2010.

Bar charts show

minimum and maximum

monthly estimates of

river stretches in the

severe pollution class

per continent in the 36-

month period from

2008-2010.

World Water Quality Assessment



The GEMS/Water programme: Exploring new sources of water quality data

• Development of water quality monitoring products using Earth Observation

• selected water bodies in Guatemala, Ghana, Finland, Japan and Tanzania

Landsat-8 RGB imageand reference stationlocations (left) andC2RCC backscatteringindex (right) for theAnabaena Sp. bloomin Lake Atitlan, August 4 2016



it is about Science and Assessments …


47

Data for Regional Assessments, State of Environment Reporting and Policy


48

Data for Regional Assessments, State of Environment Reporting and Policy


It is about Foresight, Early Warning and Resilience towards a common Future …


50

Foresight as a scientific validated “Process” combining different methodologies and techniques

Foresight is a process, combining a diversity of methodologies and techniques, which for sake of simplicity can be aggregated in

three major categories or phases of a same foresight life-cycle: Data Analysis, Consultation, and Expert Validation.

The more consolidated and integrated the approach combining the three categories, the more robust and “valid” is likely to

become the foresight activity and its results.

It is common practice to use a myriad of techniques and approaches within the three main categories, to characterize Foresight

processes, such as Scoping Studies, Horizon-Scanning, Trend Analysis, Emerging Issues Analysis, Scenario Building, Modelling, and

Simulation.

It is also very common to use a myriad of data sources to conduct the data analysis, consultation and expert validation, such as

scientometric data (bibliometric and patent data), webmetric data (data on the web), another sources of data (real-time, remote-

sensing, Geo-referenced data, earth observation data,…), as well as naturally data from consultations (survey, questionnaires, expert

interviews, usage data….), and finally scientific papers and reports directly produced for experts during validation.

It is about Foresight and Future

Data Analysis Expert Consultation Expert Validation

environmentlive.unep.org/foresight

51

Strengthens our strategy on delivering better information and warning systems on the Environment for poorer and more vulnerable countries.

· Delivering higher quality forecasts, early warning systems and climate information services to better

prepare 250 million people in at least 30 countries for climate risks;

· Supporting river basins with climate-informed management plans and/or improved river basin

management governance;

A major opportunity for our Initiative on Big Data on the Environment, Foresight and Early Warning

Systems.

It is about better Early Warning and Resilience in Vulnerable Places


52

Applications of Foresight in the Science Division

I - Foresight: Permanent and Dynamic Early Warning (PERMANENT FORESIGHT)

Dynamic Foresight processes attempt to identify particularly based upon data analysis of scientometric

and bibliometric data, big data repositories such as geospatial and earth observation data centers, large

and dynamic knowledge bases, as well as combined with expert analysis, topic related trends, with a view

to provide permanent support for early warning and timely decision making.

(Example: GEAS in the Past and Current Foresight Briefs, edited monthly)

II - Foresight: Frontiers and Emerging issues (ONE YEAR CYCLES FORESIGHT)

Based upon a selection of topics of emerging issues, an analysis is conducted to provide a robust

perspective of the likely scenarios of evolution of these topic areas. A combination of data analysis, with

survey techniques and expert analysis constitutes the usual methodology for providing such outlook and

assessment for the scenarios of evolution identified.

(Example: Frontiers, edited annually)

III - Foresight: Long Term Futures (LONG-TERM 5 YEARS AND LONGER FORESIGHT)

A long term study is conducted, combining data analysis, usually scientometric, bibliometric and patent

analysis, Delphi methods and similar techniques, scenario building and modelling, altogether with a large

consultation (survey and other techniques) of expert and expert analysis, to provide a long term

perspective on the evolution of an area or specialty of policy concern (such as broadly, the Environment.

(Example: 21 Issues for the 21st Century, edited every 5-10 Years)


it is about Foresight and Future

53

World Environment Situation RoomForesight, Early Warning and Rapid Response

The World Environment Situation Room is a high quality and impact research and development project.

The project is global with overarching environmental policy relevance and impact. It includes geo-reference, remote-sensing and earth observation information integrated with statistics and data on the environmental dimension of sustainable development. The themes of the Global platform cover complementary dimensions for Global Green Solutions for the Environment. It targets country policy makers, top environmental policy makers, the environmental scientific community, business and interested citizens. The platform is essential as a knowledge instrument to support progress on delivering the environmental dimension of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

World Environment Situation Room continuously updated through UN Environment Live in a very user friendly mode, accessible to Citizens, Business, Policy makers, and the Scientific community. A single worldwide entry point to high quality projects, on the ground, with real life geospatial data and impact on people and countries. Intelligent themes supported by foresight and data analytics will be focused around key strategic priorities such as Pollution, Environment and Health, Environment and Security, Oceans, Biodiversity and Eco-systems or Environment and Faith.


54

World Environment Situation RoomForesight, Scenario Analysis and Futures Modelling

Marine PlasticsThe global production of plastics has increased from 1.5 million tons in 1950s to about 300 million tons currently, at an average rate of 4 per cent per annum and is expected to continue growing (Boucher and Friot 2017). About 50 per cent of the plastics produced is for single use, and the literature estimates that 8 million tons (2.5 per cent) of the plastic produced are leaked into the oceans annually (Plastics Europe 2016). China is the dominant producer at 27.8 per cent of world production (Plastics Europe 2016).

Trends in Global Plastic Production (1950 – 2050)


55

World Environment Situation RoomEnvironmental Forecasting and Global Monitoring

Consumption of Ozone – Depleting substances – CFC’s (1990 – 2016)


it is about a Worldwide Partnership involving the Private Sector


Partnerships around the Globe

57

A Hub of Competence and Collaboration Centers distributed worldwide


GRID and Data Centers

Near to People

58

World Environment Situation Room in selected cities of the world


Alliance and Consortium Fund

59

A Consortium fund supports the long-term development of the Partnership

A Consortium of international partners, from the private sector, non-governmental

organizations and public and international institutions, endorses the long-term

development of the World Environment Situation Room. Through financial and in-kind

contributions, as well as expertise, competence and technology infrastructure and

services in their own areas of expertise, world Partners contribute to the research,

development and impact of this Programme and initiatives.


Alliance members… an evolving Partnership

60

A Hub of Competence and Alliance members distributed worldwide


Founders of the Alliance

Alliance Prospective members *

* Entities who have been consulted for collaboration in projects or activities of the Big Data on the Environment Initiative, including entities which already established or are in the process of establishing MoUs or Partnership Agreements with UN Environment

Alliance members… an evolving Partnership

61

A Hub of Competence and Alliance members distributed worldwide


Alliance Prospective members *

* Entities who have been consulted for collaboration in projects or activities of the Big Data on the Environment Initiative, including entities which already established or are in the process of establishing MoUs or Partnership Agreements with UN Environment

Outreach and DisseminationUNEA March 2019


Outreach and Dissemination for UNEA and parallel events

• UNEA Official Ceremony to Launch the WESR Initiative

• World Environment Situation Room and Boot Exhibitions

• Science Policy Business Forum Sessions on ‘Data and Technology’

• Innovation Expo ‘Data and Technology’ Session


• UNEA Leadership Dialogue Session

• Ministerial Declaration on Data

63

UN Environment ‘Acting as One’


UN Environment Wide Initiative – Outreach and Dissemination - UNEA


Thank you!Alexandre Caldas

Chief of Country Outreach, Technology and Innovation Branch,

Director of the United Nations Organization, D1

UN Environment

Science Division

P.O. Box 30552, Nairobi-00100, KENYA

Email: [email protected]

Tel: (+254 20) 762 2015

Mobile: (+254) 795107674

Mobile: (+351) 912587280

Skype: apcaldas

www.unenvironment.org



World EnvironmentSituation Room

Date post:	21-Feb-2021
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	4 times
Download:	0 times

Big Data on the Environment for Sustainable Development ......Development and Humanitarian Action...

Documents