Earth observations in SDG water monitoring
GEO Plenary XII
SDGs: Earth Observations in
Service of Global
Development
Mexico City, Mexico
10 November 2015
Rifat Hossain
World Health Organization
Geneva, Switzerland
Global goals…
• Tool of global governance
• Measuring progress for the global community
• Informing global investments
• Objective: mobilize political support for neglected
priorities
• MDG experience: mobilized support for development,
focused on poverty and human well being
• SDG calls for: sustainability (economic, social and
environmental) in development under good governance
Lessons from MDG monitoring
• High focus on development: silent on sustainability etc.
• Piggy backing on household surveys
• Cost effective
• Limit different aspects and timely reporting
• Info on access to water sources, but not its quality
• Earth observations:
• Data available for cost effective monitoring
• Huge investments in EO: developed countries contribution
to monitoring next goals and targets?
• Data revolution: integrate EO, Big Data, traditional data
3
Independent Expert Advisory Group on
Data revolution for SDGs
• Recognizes use of various data, including novel,
geospatial and Big Data, in an integrated
manner
• An urgent call for action for
•
•
•
global consensus on principles,
Share technology/innovation for common good
New resources for capacity development
• Data revolution is a joint responsibility of
Governments, international and regional
organizations, the private sector and civil
society.
• Underscores importance of CRVS: denominator
issue
EO, novel data &
data integration
EO in SDG water monitoring: a UN initiative
WASH
(WHO/UNICEF JMP)
domestic waste water
and reuse
WWM & WQ
industrial waste water
and reuse
water quality and
reuse
water withdrawals
and productivity
water withdrawals
and ecosystems
WRM
Integrated water
resources
management
5
Global indicators for SDG water monitoring
• 6.1.1 % of population using safely managed drinking water
services:
• 6.2.1 % of pop using safely managed sanitation services
• 6.3.1 % of waste water safely treated
• 6.3.2 % of water bodies with good ambient water quality
• 6.4.1 % of change in water use efficiency over time
• 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal in
percentage of available freshwater resources
• 6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management
(IWRM) implementation (0-100)
• 6.6.1 % change over time in water related ecosystems
Task Team Contributors
• International: WHO, GEO, WMO, UNU-FLORES, WCRP
(GEWEX), WMO-CHY, CIESIN, World Bank, UN Global Pulse
• Countries: Australia (CSIRO), Bangladesh, China, Colombia,
Japan (MEXT), Germany, Pakistan, USA (USEPA, USGS,
NSF, USACE, US GEO),
• Space Agencies: ESA, JAXA, NASA, NOAA
• Academia and institutes: Chouaib Doukkali University
(Morocco), U of Tokyo, Chinese Academy of Sciences, U of
Bonn, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of Twente,
CUNY, U of Texas, GMU, Delatres, Fraunhofer Institute of
Optronics, WRI
• Two members from SG IEAG on data revolution for SD
Application of EO in wastewater monitoring
IAEG indicator: Proportion of wastewater safely treated
EO support for the indicators (pop density, landuse,
landcover, etc.) integrated with other geospatial, survey
and admin data
1)
2)
EO integrated with other geospatial data
to estimate waste water generation
potential, releases and their impacts.
High resolution satellite images can
document the location of treatment
facilities.
Limitations
Analytical
Soundness
Direct
Measurability
Other SocioEconomic, and
Census/Statisti
cal Data
Relevance
Indicator/EO
applicability
EO + EO-Based
Data
Assimilation
Model
Relevance
EO applicability for SDG water monitoring
6.1+6.2 WASH
Computed as a residual product
using EO
6.3 Wastewater
and Water
Quality
For Nitrates, Phosphates and
Algae, Phytoplankton Blooms
and Sediment
6.4 Water
Efficiency
Accurate Quantification of Water
Use and Type Required
6.5 Water
Resource
Management
6.6 water
ecosystems
Associated “management”
inputs combined with EO on
Water availability/change
variables
Resolution and accuracy is
dependent on type of parameter,
data availability and application
EO data integration: more than filling gaps…
• Indicator framework will place many demands on
national statistical systems
• Lack of capacity for additional monitoring is acute
• Huge cost to support more demanding indicators
• Cost effective gains can be made when EO data
are considered
• WHO/UNICEF JMP-SDSN work on cost effective
monitoring of the water sector will be informative for
SDG monitoring in general
Can help discussions on (some) grey indicators?
Food for thought…
• EO community support for SDGs is critical
• How do we include this?
• What should be the role and value add of GEO?
• Is GEO initiative sufficient?
• An integral element for GEO workplan: GEO
flagship, dedicated funding and support
• Significant engagements between (G)EO and
SDG monitoring to make this work
• How do we national government actors
supporting SDGs and GEO/GEOSS
THANK YOU
Use of all available and relevant data is
the real data revolution and integrating
them into the monitoring framework will be
transformational…
Rifat HOSSAIN
Email: hossainr@who.int