population monitoring — What's TReNDing

The Potential for Data-Driven Policymaking in Africa: Success Stories Across the Continent

“Policymaking without data is a rudderless ship.” Indeed, data and statistics are fundamental to improving evidence-based decision-making. And while statistical capacity and the use of data for decision-making have improved across the globe, Africa still lags far behind other regions. This is especially true for civil registration and vital statistics (where only eight out of 50 African countries have a system to register deaths), climate data and environmental monitoring, and health data. In addition, even in African countries that have the data available, its use is often hindered by weak data literacy and data-driven policy design cultures. Fortunately, in recent years there have been some bright spots, including the rise of big data innovations and a number of regional and multi-stakeholder partnerships to tackle COVID-19 and other complex challenges. This African Statistics Day, we’ve highlighted a few of the noteworthy cases in which data-driven decision-making is improving development outcomes and decision-making on the continent.

Insights, OpinionGuest ContributorNovember 18, 2022data, population monitoring, SDGs, GIS, sdg6, World Water Week, remote sensing, satellite

The Role of Data Partnerships in Paving the Road Ahead for Secondary Cities

Local action is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. According to the UN, 3.5 billion people – nearly half of humanity - currently live in cities. And this number will only continue to increase over the next several decades. The latest UN-Habitat World Cities Report reports that the world will continue to urbanize over the next three decades - from 56 percent in 2021 to 68 percent in 2050 - an increase of 2.2 billion urban residents, living mostly in Africa and Asia. Cities are also becoming increasingly interconnected. As such, cities, particularly “Secondary Cities,” will play a critical role in advancing the sustainable development agenda in the years ahead.

Insights, OpinionGuest ContributorOctober 31, 2022data, population monitoring, SDGs, GIS, sdg6, World Water Week, remote sensing, satellite

An UNGA Data Snapshot: Data Financing, Digital Transformation, and Data Use Take Center Stage

This week marked the official end of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA), where leaders from across the globe convened in New York to confront the world’s biggest challenges, including the war in Ukraine, global supply chain and economic issues, rising interest rates and debt levels, climate change, and ending the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide a high-level snapshot of the data-related highlights from the week below.

Insights, OpinionGuest ContributorSeptember 29, 2022data, population monitoring, SDGs, GIS, sdg6, World Water Week, remote sensing, satellite

Innovating with GIS Technologies: Emerging Insights from Countries on Expanding Access to Clean Water

Since the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution, government agencies have used digital tools and technologies to support decision-making. More recently, tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which create, manage, analyze, and map all types of data, have become increasingly popular. And the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their use, with recent innovative GIS applications ranging from the John Hopkins’ COVID-19 dashboard to the Pan American Health Organization’s (PAHO)’s spatio-temporal analysis of the COVID-19 outbreak in the Amazon region to the World Health Organization’s use of GIS tools for contract tracing in Zimbabwe. One area of sustainable development where GIS is receiving significant attention is around SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). Nearly two billion people globally still lack access to safely managed drinking water, and recent data shows that the world is not on track to meet SDG 6 by 2030.

Insights, OpinionGuest ContributorAugust 29, 2022data, population monitoring, SDGs, GIS, sdg6, World Water Week, remote sensing, satellite

Getting Back on Track: Calls for More Localized Approaches and SDG Financing

This year’s session of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) culminated earlier this week, with 44 countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) and hundreds of country delegates, leaders, and key stakeholders convening to discuss progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We review some of the key highlights discussed, including the importance of data infrastructure and timely, disaggregated data, the need for greater investments and financing for countries, and the value of localized and customized approaches to achieve the SDGs.

Insights, OpinionAlyson MarksJuly 21, 2022data, HLPF, population monitoring, SDGs, data financing

The Quest for Fit-for-Purpose Earth Observation and Remote Sensing Data

New data sources and innovative approaches using big data techniques, spatial analysis, predictive modeling, and other technologies are creating a range of new datasets that can help measure and monitor SDG-related targets and indicators. And while data availability is vital to tackling any global agenda, more data does not always guarantee good decision-making. To take meaningful action--whether it be a global crisis, like the COVID-19 pandemic, or the recent earthquake in Haiti--policymakers and other SDG stakeholders must understand what data are fit-for-purpose. Earth observation (EO) and remote sensing products have emerged as an important source of data that present an opportunity to monitor environmental, agricultural, and other SDG-related indicators in fine temporal and spatial resolutions. With the increase of near real-time information, how do users identify the best-suited data source for their application of interest?

TReNDS' Hayden Dahmm Featured on International Science Council & Nature Podcast

TReNDS' Manager, Hayden Dahmm, was recently featured on "Working Scientist," a podcast series co-hosted by Nature and the International Science Council on the topic of diversity in science. In the episode, Hayden discusses the importance of gridded population data, having accurate and timely data on persons with disabilities, and shares his perspective on how to make sustainable development practices more inclusive.

NewsGuest ContributorMarch 11, 2021SDGs, gridded population data, inclusivity, population monitoring

How Disaggregated Data Can Pave the Way for a More Equitable Recovery

Around the world, racial and ethnic disparities are rampant across all sectors of society; from inequities in healthcare, education, and employment to housing, wealth, and criminal justice. Indigenous peoples and racial minorities are also systematically undercounted in censuses. COVID-19 has exacerbated these issues, as people of color, especially Black people, have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, both in terms of cases and deaths. Yet much of the COVID-19 data, including on vaccinations, is still not being disaggregated by race or ethnicity, further hampering governments’ ability to formulate effective policies to respond to the pandemic. With over a year since the first COVID-19 case and the rise of new variants and a resurgence in cases globally, countries must do better to disaggregate their data by race and ethnicity.

Making Everyone Count: An Examination of the Global Census Undercount Issues of Indigenous Populations

2020 was supposed to be a critical year for census enumeration in many countries around the world. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in disruptions to censuses in more than 60 countries worldwide and prompted many nations, including Brazil, Ecuador, and the Seychelles to postpone their census to 2021. However, in 2021, conducting a safe and accurate census is likely to still pose a significant challenge for many countries. This issue is particularly concerning for marginalized groups, including indigenous populations, who are already systemically undercounted.

InsightsTReNDS StaffJanuary 6, 2021census, indigenous peoples, population monitoring

Mixing the Old with the New: Integrating New Data into Traditional Data Systems for Sustainable Development

New methods of data collection have the opportunity to create a timelier, more detailed understanding of sustainable development challenges. For example, earth observation (EO) data has been identified as a tool for monitoring a wide range of issues, including agriculture, health, cities, and biodiversity at often more frequent and granular levels, and has also proven essential during the current pandemic. Additionally, last month, SDSN in collaboration with Esri launched SDGs Today, a platform of timely data sources related to the Sustainable Development Goals to provide users with a snapshot of the state of sustainable development. Although new methods can provide valuable insights, they need to be treated with caution as they are not replacements for existing methodologies.

Covid-19 and Gridded Population Data: New Models, Data Platforms, and Research Highlights

As we continue to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, one could argue that never before has timely and accurate population data been so critical. Population data is necessary to understand everything from the spread of the virus and who is impacted, to where vulnerable populations are located, and levels of population density for establishing effective social-distancing measures. And gridded population data are playing an important role in helping researchers access this type of information. Gridded population maps distribute data using grid cells, combining census results with additional information, such as geospatial data from satellites, to ensure more frequent and granular estimates, which are vital during a constantly evolving epidemic. In this blog, we explore how gridded population data are being used by researchers to inform the COVID-19 response.

Engaging the Scientific Community in the Use of Gridded Population Data

As the world continues to face the immense challenges posed by Covid-19, nontraditional data sources, including gridded population data, play an important role in tracking the virus’ spread and ensuring that no one is left behind. Gridded population maps distribute data using grid cells, combining census results with additional information, such as geospatial data from satellites, to provide more accurate and timely population estimates. However, as our recent report on gridded population data and joint webinar with the International Science Council revealed, while they offer great promise, many policymakers and researchers are still largely unaware of gridded population data, particularly their nuances and potential applications for sustainable development and Covid-19.

Gridded Population Data for Sustainable Development: Q&A with SDSN TReNDS' Analyst Hayden Dahmm

In advance of SDSN TReNDS’ webinar on gridded population data with the International Science Council, TReNDS’ Analyst, Hayden Dahmm, spoke with Lizzie Saylor of the International Science Council for a Q & A on how gridded population data can be used to respond to emergencies and move towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

COVID-19: A Look at Global Geospatial Challenges and Achievements

While geospatial data and technology are helping governments worldwide answer critical COVID-19 questions, each country deals with unique but related constraints that impact response efforts. Many world leaders are forging partnerships and creating collaborative strategies to gather data and analysis to address their constraints and deliver data-driven responses. This work builds on a 2015 commitment from nearly 200 countries to strengthen resilience to environmental, social, and economic challenges—outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework, and the Paris Climate Agreement. Five years later, the world confronts a devastating pandemic that could significantly hinder these efforts and alter strategies moving forward. Before an agency or government can act, it needs accurate information about population count, movement, and accessibility to essential services. But, gathering robust data during a pandemic is no easy feat.

Leveraging Population Data in a Time of Crisis

During the current health crisis, knowing where people are located, what conditions they are facing, and their access to basic services and infrastructure is essential. Helping to answer these key needs, gridded population data have emerged and can play an important role in mapping individuals’ vulnerability and ensuring that no one is left behind. Gridded (or raster) population maps represent the distribution of population in rows and columns of grid cells, typically defined by their latitude-longitude coordinates. Population data is redistributed across these grid cells and combined with satellite imagery and other sources to provide more accurate and timely population estimates. Yet, as TReNDS’ recent report, Leaving No One Off The Map: A Guide To Gridded Population Data For Sustainable Development, demonstrates, many policymakers and other users remain largely unaware of these tools, including their nuances and strengths and weakness for potential application. There is a critical need for more validation work and capacity-building in countries. These issues were highlighted during a recent virtual debate, “How Can We Leverage Population Data In A Time Of Crisis,” hosted by TReNDS in partnership with SciDev.net.

Gridded Population Data Has a Role to Play in Ensuring an Inclusive Response to COVID-19

Like any health issue, the impacts of Covid-19 are strongly gendered. Men are believed to be more susceptible to the virus, while women are more exposed in other ways: to an increased care burden, to heightened incidences of gender-based violence, to limited work opportunities, and to job losses. Understanding these gendered experiences and responding accordingly requires data that is disaggregated. It means going beyond the totals of people accessing facilities or losing their jobs, but disaggregating figures on the balance of men and women facing these challenges, including inequalities and discriminatory effects.

Insights, OpinionJessica EspeyJune 1, 2020population monitoring, POPGRID, leave no one behind, gender

In the Fight Against Covid-19: What Do We Know and to Whom Can We Turn for Answers?

One could argue that during the current global pandemic, data has never played such an important role. It is relied on for life and death decisions that are impacting billions of people around the globe. In particular, the need for accurate and real-time data, which many in the data for sustainable development community have been advocating for years, has come to the forefront of mainstream conversations. Yet in the haze of the countless Covid-19 data dashboards and discussions on data, much of the data being reported (especially in the United States) is incomplete, confusing to the general public, and being miscommunicated by journalists and politicians alike. As the spread of Covid-19 continues to increase at an alarming rate, policymakers and citizens each face numerous limitations.

InsightsAlyson MarksApril 22, 2020real-time data, COVID-19, data4now, population monitoring, POPGRID, dataprivacy

Data Experts Say New Sources Must Not Replace Traditional Data

TReNDS hosted an expert discussion on data for development on the sidelines of the 51st session of the UN Statistical Commission. The breakfast event took place on 3 March 2020, and featured remarks by several experts from the TReNDS network. The discussion highlighted as a key issue the lack of data currently available on SDG indicators, saying significant gaps exist in data timeliness, represented geographies, and other factors.

Navigating New Roles, Technology, and Ecosystems

As 120+ National Statisticians and hundreds of stakeholders across the globe convened at the UN for the 51st session of the Statistical Commission last week, how to manage the increasing breadth of new data and technologies, new responsibilities, and the changing data ecosystem was at the forefront of the conversation.

Gridded Population Data is Key to Leaving No One off the Map

The 2030 SDG Agenda promises to leave no one behind, but to fulfill this promise we need quality, timely, and accurate population data to account for everyone everywhere. Recent innovations in geospatial technology and remote sensing have paved the way for gridded population datasets to help fill these important gaps, but information is still lacking on their unique characteristics, potential, and limitations. These issues were highlighted during this week’s webinar, “Leaving No One off the Map: Gridded Population Data for Decision-Making,” hosted by TReNDS in partnership with Geospatial World Media featuring TReNDS Co-Chair and Director of CIESIN, Bob Chen, and TReNDS Manager, Maryam Rabiee.

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