Geo4SDGs: Addressing Agenda 2030

The SDGs, made up of 17 separate goals, targets a wide-range of global issues, from extreme poverty to climate change. Location and geography are significant to most of the issues, making geospatial data as equally important to SDGs as the demographic and statistical data. Understanding SDGs from spatial point of view is essential for governments in order to identify where the citizens are and where the root of the problem lies. Accordingly the right development strategies can be formulated. The session will feature 4 panels on the following topics:

• Geospatial Empowering the People
One key aspect of the SDG is to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and equality and in a healthy environment. Geospatial data, paired with artificial intelligence and crowdsourcing, becomes a powerful tool to monitor and improve citizen wellbeing. The panel will discuss how geospatial technology plays a role in eradicating poverty, and in improving food security, healthcare, education quality and gender equality for the overall wellbeing of the people.

• Geospatial Insights for a Changing Planet
Another key aspect of the SDG is to protect the planet from degradation, including through sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change. The panel will discuss geospatial contribution in evaluating impacts, monitor progress and improve accountability in natural resources management, including water, ocean, and biodiversity, as well as its role in climate adaptation.

• Geospatial for Economic Growth & Social Prosperity
The SDGs are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in harmony with nature. Key economic areas such as energy, infrastructure, and cities rely on technology to increase efficiencies. Panel will discuss geospatial data and the critical role it plays in creating the prosperity and wellbeing of future generations.

• Policy-Data Integration for Bridging Data Gap
Geospatial technologies and services, strengthening data production and the use of better data in policymaking and monitoring, are becoming increasingly recognized as fundamental means for global development. Such data and services have the real potential of forming a new and emerging 'data ecosystem' for development with integrated information systems that are comprehensive and coordinated. With the enabling global mechanism of the 2030 Agenda, the challenge is how to most effectively transfer the available technology, data richness, and connectivity to the technology and data poor. Panel will discuss the needs for data to be more open, and platforms to be more usable and integrated, so they can reach even the poorest of the poor in the least developed countries.