The 4th International Forum on Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (FBAS 2024) commenced in Beijing on September 6. The forum aims to explore innovative solutions for advancing the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through digital technology, share practical experiences in addressing data challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help accelerate progress in the next seven years of the 2030 Agenda.

The opening ceremony was attended by leaders from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, along with officials from various UN agencies. The event featured speeches from several distinguished figures, including Li Junhua, UN Under-Secretary-General; Wang Xiqin, Vice Chairman of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Lidia Brito, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences; Amine Idriss, Director of Infrastructure and Energy for the African Union Development Agency; Dai Gang, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and Technology; Beate Trankmann, UNDP Resident Representative in China; and Marion Barthélemy, Director of the United Nations Satellite Centre.

In the speech, Kőrösi Csaba, President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly, emphasized that “The future development must be sustainable and digital, otherwise there will be no future.” He highlighted that the transition to sustainable development is possible and necessary, and requires national responsibility and international cooperation. He also underscored the importance of obtaining high-quality, accessible data for effective sustainability assessments, advocating for the application of scientific methods in evaluation and validation processes.

Guo Huadong, Director of CBAS and an academician of CAS, emphasized the vital role of big data and technological innovation in addressing the challenges outlined in the UN 2030 Agenda. He noted that by enhancing and sharing data collection and analysis, and by leveraging advanced technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, we can conduct comprehensive analyses of data related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He underscored that this approach is essential for providing the scientific evidence needed for informed policy-making and efficient resource allocation. He stressed the importance of prioritizing the development of digital infrastructure over the next seven years to support these efforts.

A highlight of the ceremony was the release of several atlas data products. Among them, the “SDGSAT-1 Satellite Thermal Infrared Imagery Atlas” is the world’s first remote sensing thermal infrared imagery atlas, while the Collection of SDGSAT-1 Satellite Nighttime light Urban Agglomeration Image Maps is the world’s first set of data products showcasing high-resolution nighttime light scenes of ten major global urban agglomerations.

The Sustainable Development Science Satellite 1 (SDGSAT-1) is the inaugural satellite of the satellite constellation designed by CBAS. Since its launch in 2021, it has achieved a series of results. The released atlas provides a new perspective on global sustainable development from the viewpoint of spatial interaction between humans and nature. It offers quantitative indicators for global urban sustainability and standardization research, helps bridge data gaps, and contributes to the 2030 Agenda as well as the implementation of the Global Development Initiative.

During the forum, the Sustainable Development Satellite Observation Alliance (ASSA), initiated by CBAS in collaboration with seven satellite centers, officially launched the Sustainable Development Satellite Virtual Constellation. The constellation includes SDGSAT-1, Fengyun-3E, HJ-2A, ZY-3-03, HY-1C, and CBERS-04A satellites. This event marks China’s effort to support global sustainable development through space technology.

Additionally, CBAS announced the election of four new CBAS Fellows for 2024: Abbas Rajabifard, former Chair of the UN Global Geospatial Information Management Academic Network; Chen Deliang, Academician at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences; Simon Redfern, Dean of the College of Science at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; and Jeffrey Sachs, Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

Professor Guo Huadong presented a series of data products to Sai Navoti, Head of the Small Island Developing States Unit at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). These products, which focus on SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), include in-depth research on marine and land heatwaves, coral bleaching thermal stress, and global ocean heat content. They are intended to provide essential data support and decision-making tools for small island developing states, enhancing their capabilities in risk assessment, climate monitoring, and adaptation.

Hosted by CAS and organized by CBAS together with CAS’s Aerospace Information Research Institute, the forum is supported by well-known international organizations and groups, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Academy of Sciences for the advancement of science in developing world (TWAS), and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Nearly 40 research institutes, including the China Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation, the Institute of Irrigation and Water Problems of Uzbekistan, and the University of Hong Kong, are co-organizers.

The three-day forum was themed “Next 7 Years: Big Data Driving Transformative Actions to Achieve SDGs”. It featured four special sessions: “Digital Science Driving Sustainable Development”, “The 4th Forum on Space Observations for Sustainable Development”, “Digital Technologies for Advancing Sustainable Development Goals — Youth Action” and “Poles and High Mountains of the Earth: Challenges for Sustainable Development in a Fragile Environment” along with 39 parallel sessions. Over 700 representatives from nearly 50 countries and 17 international organizations gathered in Beijing to discuss how big data technologies can drive the transformation towards global sustainable development.

Source: CBAS