On September 28, 2021, CBAS held a press conference to introduce the report Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (2021) released on September 26 by China at the Sustainable Development Forum 2021. It is the third straight year since 2019 that China has released a report in the series by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
Organized by CAS, the report was drafted by a research team from CBAS as well as the Big Earth Data Science Engineering Program (CASEarth).
Focusing on 18 targets involved six SDGs, including SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land), the report presents 26 case studies on harnessing Big Earth Data for developing data products, new evaluation methodologies, and models to monitor progress and inform policymaking.
Furthermore, based on Big Earth Data research results for six SDGs over the past three years, the report evaluates the 2010-2020 preliminary progress of China. The results show that China is on track to achieve these six SDGs by 2030.
The report showcases China's efforts in using innovation-driven technologies to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is confronted with new challenges since the world today is under the compounded impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, unseen in a century, and other profound changes.
Guo Huadong, Director General of CBAS, said at the press conference that it is necessary to explore more effective ways to deal with data challenges related to monitoring the progress of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He pointed out that Big Earth Data technology is an effective way to close the data gap and make up for the lack of information and tools.
The report provides a new analytical tool and accurate evaluation of SDG-related issues in China, and it is expected to provide useful experience for the international implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
