the world environment situation room (wesr)...unep divisions, private sector… fully operational...
TRANSCRIPT
UN Environment platform that aims at
harnessing big data on the environment for
sustainable development and humanitarian
action
The World
Environment Situation
Room (WESR)
Photo credits: Ludovic Bernaudat
Pierre Lacroix – UNEP/GRID-Geneva
Digital World
Sensors and Satellites
0
50
100
150
200
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350
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Satellites launched per year
Source: USC Satellite Database, 2017
1,957 Satellites in orbit in November 2017
1
10
100
1,000
10,000
100,000
1,000,000
10,000,000
100,000,000
1,000,000,000
10,000,000,000
100,000,000,000
1,000,000,000,000
10,000,000,000,000
100,000,000,000,000
2007 2016 2030
Sensors connected to the internet
Source: Jeremy Rifkin, 2016
11 billion sensors in 2016
Big data come with core problems to solve
Fragmented/dispersed Inconsistent and not
intercomparable
Requires complex analysis and
interpretation Contested – Perception
of data bias Duplicated / siloed
Locked down
Other issues
5
Not free 'GIS culture’ & capacity
Heterogeneity in formats & geographical scale
How to overcome these challenges?
Source: Ackoff, Russell L. "From data to wisdom." Journal of applied systems analysis 16.1 (1989): 3-9.
In this context was born the concept of WESR…
…UNEP platform that aims at harnessing Big Data on the Environment for Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Action
UNEP.net => UNEP-Live => UN Environment live => WESR
Support UNEP regions
North America, Latin America and Caribbean, Africa, Europe, Asia & Pacific, Polar
Produce assessments
Global Environment Outlook, Emissions Gap Report, IPCC, IPBES, Regional Seas Quality Status Report,…
Publish foresight briefs
...on emerging environmental issues
Conduct monitoring
Global Environmental Monitoring Systems, e.g. on Water and Air quality
Support UNEP divisions access useful information
Science, Ecosystems, Law, Economics, Communications, Policy and Program, Corporate Service, Governance Affairs Office
Support reporting
Convention on Biological Diversity, Ramsar, Stockholm on persistent organic pollutants, Minamata on mercury…
UN Environment functional needs are to…
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INTERROGATION
PROCESSING
? SEARCH One stop-shop entry search for all regions, projects, conventions, environmental thematics: open data, archives, publications…
INTEROPERABILITY Full interoperability using standard format, OGC services and APIs. Downloads.
User can interrogate and query
FROM DATA TO INFORMATION
Display and visualization of data, such as vector/raster/satellite/in situ/field, statistics, graphs, maps, story maps, dashboards
Overlap analysis, change detection, trend analysis,…
QUICK UPDATE AND ACCESS
Automatic update & live data using cloud technology
?
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To answer these needs, WESR features are
MapX is the spatial component of WESR
• …and one of its most mature components (starting 2014)
• MapX is an online platform for managing geospatial data on natural resources and the environment (DRR, biodiversity planning, chemicals management, extractives, environmental security…)
• Joint initiative between UN Environment and UNEP/GRID-Geneva
Approach taken
Data integrity assessment framework based on 4 categories
User management system with gradual permissions (read, publish, edit, administrate) + geospatial sandbox –public or private
Data visualization & live data analysis (e.g., overlap)
Not all data but online catalog of best available data
Embed and share maps in websites & social media
Approach taken
Multilingual
Interactive and dynamic dashboards for prioritization and decision-making
Story maps
Image source: bankingtech.com
Open source approach and in-house developed functions
Approach taken
Cloud-based (Docker), hosted in Switzerland, light (< 1.5 MB client side)
Stakeholder engagement & capacity building (e.g. Uni Kabul)
Plugin with Kobo (mobile app for field data collection)
Source: insarag.org
Compliant with interoperability standards and application programming interfaces (APIs) when available
2019
CONCEPTION Green light from SMT & WESR Board set up (Divisions, Regions Jan. 2019)
DEVELOPMENT With existing network (GRID centers, OICT, MapX, data providers…)
INTEGRATION OF NEW CONTENT & FEATURES With existing network, projects, UNEP divisions, private sector…
FULLY OPERATIONAL Launch and fully operational
2019
2020-2021
2022
A.I. – IoT WHENEVER READY
4TH IR TOOLS Block chain, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT).
WESR timeline
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The World Environment Situation Room: harnessing big data on the
environment for sustainable development and humanitarian action
Thank you for your attention
Scientific references
• Lacroix P., Moser F., Benvenuti A., Piller T., Jensen D., Petersen I., Planque M., Ray N. MapX: an open geospatial platform to manage, analyse and visualise data on natural resources and the environment, SoftwareX 9 (2019) 77-84. WWW
• Atibu E., Lacroix P., Sivalingam P., Ray N., Giuliani G., Mulaji C., Otamonga J.P., Mpiana P., Slaveykova V., Poté J. (2018) High contamination in the areas surrounding abandoned mines and mining activities: an impact assessment of the Dilala, Luilu and Mpingiri rivers, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chemosphere. 191, 1008-1020. WWW
• Ray N., Lacroix P., Giuliani G., Upla P., Rajabifard A., Jensen D. (2016). Open Spatial Data Infrastructures for the Sustainable Development of the Extractives Sector: Promises and Challenges. Ed. Coleman D., Rajabifard A., Crompvoets J. Spatial Enablement in a Smart World. GSDI Association press, 53-69. WWW
Useful links
• WESR web application demo, to provide statistical data on SDGs, on internationally agreed environmental goals as well as on various topics: http://geodata.grid.unep.ch/gegslive
• WESR demonstration geospatial platform on climate change: https://owncloud.unepgrid.ch/index.php/s/RmaOyMvyToNhrM8
• WESR demonstration geospatial platform on pollution: https://owncloud.unepgrid.ch/index.php/s/kKw5EUTpMNiiyU6
• WESR demonstration geospatial platform on risk: https://owncloud.unepgrid.ch/index.php/s/f5a6WfsVRGz3w0k
• MapX website: http://www.mapx.org
• MapX online application for managing geospatial data on natural resources and the environment: https://app.mapx.org
• MapX dashboard, Ivory Coast: https://app.mapx.org?project=MX-KLY-P5F-85D-29N-BEF&views=MX-PZ01O-X2T17-LNEOX
• MapX story map, D.R. Congo: https://app.mapx.org?project=MX-MMN-3EH-CLM-KI7-EG9&views=MX-S91VL-JQ4UP-KJQCO&storyAutoStart=True
Annex 1: WESR consortium
Live/Interactive graphs
Trends Geospatial data
Change detection
Statistics maps
Single entry tool Search tool: key words, themes, regions/countries, data types/documents types
Tables
Story maps Thematic maps
Information products
Satellite images
Indicators
Statistics
database
Vector
database
Raster
Database
Satellite
images
Data updated via webservices or stored in Various servers + cloud(s)
Documents
World Environment Situation Room
Documents
Data providers
Satellite, GIS, models, in situ, reporting, stats…
Data export
Annex 2: WESR structure