The SDGs present an unprecedented monitoring challenge, and the potential for ‘big data’ to support these efforts has incited considerable enthusiasm.
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Many cities are leading the path to ‘build back better,’ particularly “smart cities,” which use data and information technology to connect and integrate urban systems and services to enhance the efficiency of resource utilization, optimize urban management, and improve the quality of life for citizens. These data-driven cities responded better in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to smart infrastructure and data analysis. Fortunately, COVID-19 has accelerated the trend towards “smart cities,” and with the upcoming Urban 20 Mayors Summit, the G20, the wider international community should focus on allocating the necessary resources to increase smart city development globally to help ensure that cities are more resilient against future pandemics and crises.
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This new StoryMap highlights TReNDS’ work to strengthen the measurement of marine litter in Ghana using citizen science approaches.
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Reading the news, it is easy to be overwhelmed with dire environmental statistics and data. Yet these numbers can disguise the serious gaps that remain in our understanding of the environment and the impact humanity is having on the natural world. Although in some respects, more data are being produced now about the environment than ever before, there is a clear need to leverage existing data to produce meaningful statistics, and a greater focus should be placed on expanding our environmental data collection and production efforts using new methods and data sources. Fortunately, some noteworthy advances have been made recently, and today, on the 51st anniversary of Earth Day, we should commit to continuing this progress.
Read MoreIs real-time data for the SDGs possible in our time? Join TReNDS and the Global Partnership on Sustainable Development Data in identifying indicators with the most timely data for sustainable development.
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