Abu Dhabi - Some of the world's most respected
leaders in sustainable development are confirmed to speak at the second Eye on Earth
Summit, taking place from 6 to 8 October in Abu Dhabi. Held under the patronage
of The President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Summit will explore
the critical need for better access to and sharing of environmental, social and
economic data to support informed decision-making for sustainable development.
"The events of 2015
make the work of Eye on Earth more important than ever as we come together -
governments, the private sector, academia and civil society - to improve
information availability and quality to safeguard the future of the planet and
humanity. At Summit 2015 we hope to agree the roadmap that will get us there,"
said HE Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, Secretary General Environment Agency - Abu
Dhabi, a founding Eye on Earth Alliance Partner.
The
Eye on Earth Summit will open with a focus on policy maker demand for
environmental-related data and the associated challenges in using it to make
evidence-based decisions. Led by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Undersecretary General of the
UN, issues such as inconsistent data sharing mechanisms across countries and regions,
institutional attitudes to open-source data policies and responding to
commercial imperatives from the private sector, are some of the topics that
will be discussed. The need for data to address the Syrian refugee crisis will
be another critical agenda item.
Felix Dodds, Senior Fellow
at the Global Research Institute of the University of North Carolina and an
Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute; Jonathan Kent Deal, CEO of Treasure
Karoo Action Group (TKAG) and winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize,
considered the green equivalent of the Nobel prize; and Dr. Fernando R.
Echavarria from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Oceans, Environment
and Science (OES), will be among the esteemed guest speakers discussing these
issues.
Barbara
Ryan, Secretariat Director of the Group on Earth Observations will open day two
of the Summit, looking at the problems impeding the availability of and access
to environmental-related data. She will be joined by Muki Haklay, Professor of
Geographic Information Science at University College London (UCL) and director
of its Extreme Citizen Science group; Louis Liebenberg, Executive Director of
CyberTracker Conservation NPC and an Associate of Human Evolutionary Biology at
Harvard University; and Ed Parsons, the Geospatial Technologist of Google
responsible for evangelising Google's mission to organise the world's
information using geography.
Looking
in detail at the logarithmic data explosion, both in terms of volume and
sources, day two of the Summit will explore the undiscovered potential of new
resources, such as crowd sourcing, citizen science and cutting-edge
technologies to engage many more actors in the world's transition to a
sustainable future.
The
Summit will conclude on day three with a focus on the necessary conditions to
support effective synergies between data users and data providers. Policy
arenas, funding commitments and capacity building are some of the topics that
will be discussed. Inger Anderson, Director General of IUCN (International
Union for Conservation of Nature) will deliver day three's opening address. She
will be joined by as well as Enrico Giovannini, the distinguished Italian
economist and statistician.
"The
Eye on Earth network is just getting started, but it could substantially alter
the course of sustainable development for generations to come. Its potential
impact has been likened to the equivalent of the Human Genome Revolution.
That's how important and valuable environmental-related data could become. The
cooperation between stakeholders in government, academic, civil society and the
private sector remains the most important element in Eye on Earth's success.
Everyone can, and should, lend their support to this endeavour," said UN
Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
On
a macro level, a successful Eye on Earth Summit and growing international
movement could mean the slowing down of natural resource depletion and an
increased adoption of greener economies. It could ensure responsible urban
policies and education for the improved management of urban growth, as well as
the advancement of knowledge and innovation to guide all countries towards a
promising and sustainable future. On a micro level, it is hoped the Summit will
provide the tools and opportunities necessary for stakeholders to foster
partnerships to support informed decision-making and continue collaborating
long after the Summit. Increased funding will also allow community-run Special
Initiative programmes to assist in the achievement of SDGs and other global
environmental goals.
"We
have a shared responsibility, globally, to address the topic of sustainability
in the face of continuing population growth. By understanding how we access,
use and support environmental-related data, we will strengthen our capabilities
to develop environmental policies and regulations, ensure appropriate
enforcement and enhance sustainable development," said Mr. Steiner.
Live
social media feeds will allow the wider global community to tune in to the
Summit and initiate dialogue with attendees. The full Summit agenda and list of
speakers can be found at www.eoesummit.org.
–End-
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by: https://www.zawya.com
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