22 April 2015: The Permanent Mission of Denmark, along with the UN Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), hosted a discussion on the role of geospatial data in the post-2015 development agenda. Presentations focused on the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how geospatial data can support their implementation, monitoring and review. The event took place on the sidelines of the fourth session of intergovernmental negotiations on the post-2015 development agenda.

Titled ‘Unleashing the power of the “Where” to make the world a better place: How geographic information contributes to achieving the SDGs,’ the side event was held on 22 April 2015, in New York, US. Laura Poulsen, Head of Division, Danish Geodata Agency, the Ministry for the Environment, Denmark, moderated the event.

Erik Laursen, Deputy Permanent Representative of Denmark, said many of the challenges taken up in the SDGs can be addressed by better study of their occurrence over space and time. He called for more extensive use of geospatial data in the post-2015 agenda, and stressed the ability of geospatial data to strengthen multifactor modelling, mapping and monitoring of change in a standardized way. He said worldwide data collection will be necessary, and called for more use of information technology and big data, as stated in SDG target 17.18.

Stefan Schweinfest, Director, UN Statistics Division, said geographic information can make possible the levels of integration sought in the post-2015 development agenda.

Yusuf Djajadihardja, Deputy Chair of Geospatial Information Agency, Indonesia, described how his government uses geospatial data to forecast impacts of hydro- and climate disasters, and to monitor accidents and developments. He highlighted Indonesia’s “one map policy,” the role of geospatial data in disaster and evacuation management through flood risk maps and forest fire maps, and the value of the data for future development planning, such as in land use, building zones and coastal zone planning. Djajadihardja also noted problems with geospatial data, such as its multi-layered nature and “the many actors collecting it, and the various interests” in obtaining access to it.

Nadine Brown, Sustainable Development and Regional Planning Division, Planning Institute of Jamaica, highlighted the use of geospatial data in addressing the unique vulnerabilities of Caribbean small island developing States (SIDS). She said Jamaica uses geospatial data to generate near-term and long-term climate scenarios, and that this information feeds into the government’s work with farmers. Such projections and planning will be critical for the SDGs, she said. She added that “environmental vulnerabilities often influence economic vulnerability” in the everyday lives of Jamaicans, and encouraged more use of geospatial data in the post-2015 agenda.

Lawrence Friedl, Director, Applied Sciences Program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), US, said NASA’s tools provide a wealth of observations and information about our home planet. Friedl explained the potential of earth-observing environmental satellites to track progress toward the SDGs, including by mapping trends in forest protected areas (SDG 15), crop conditions and food security (Goal 2), damage to housing units from disasters (Goal 11), coral reef bleaching (Goal 14), space-sensed air particles that affect human health (Goal 3) and land degradation (at least 5 Goals). He also noted that, once collected, the information serves multiple goals and added that at least 12 of the proposed SDGs have a close link to geospatial data.

Questions from participants centered around: competing interests in access to big data; the need for capacity building for collection and use of geospatial data; open access to geospatial data as “what really makes the new agenda universal;” and how to standardize measurement and increase collaboration between countries and regions for geospatial data. [IISD RS Sources] [UN-GGIM Website] [Side Event Information] [Video: ‘Everything that happens, happens somewhere’] [DESA Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage of Post-2015 Negotiations]