Toolkits for SDGs Parallel Session at GEO Virtual Symposium 2021

Our parallel session titled “Toolkits for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” at the GEO Virtual Symposium is an Earth Observations (EO) Toolkit Pitch Fest.  It will take place on Wednesday, 23 June 2021 at 18:30-19:30 CEST.

It is a chance for stakeholders from the GEO Work Programme to pitch their ideas about developing an EO Toolkit.  Perhaps a Toolkit focused on another SDG, one for the Work Programme activity relating to the SDGs, or one related to the GEO Engagement Priorities.  Based on the pitches, the EO4SDG Team and the GEO Secretariat will determine pathways to support possible development.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Toolkits help people use Earth observations to advance the SDGs.  Toolkits provide rich, coordinated guidance about EO data sets, tools and applications, methodological guidance, use-case examples and capacity development resources to help address SDG monitoring, reporting, and implementation.  Key user audiences are national statistical offices, national mapping agencies, ministries, SDG custodian agencies, and other major stakeholders.

The EO4SDG initiative (https://eo4sdg.org) piloted the SDG Toolkit concept in 2020.  The GEO community and EO4SDG collaborated with the UN Human Settlements Program (UN Habitat) for the Earth Observations Toolkit for Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements dedicated to SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda. This Toolkit launched in February 2021 (https://eo-toolkit.unhabitat.org), and it involves contributions from over 40 organizations.

Session Structure

Moderators: Argyro Kavvada, Laurent Durieux

Panel (presentation title and name of panelist):

1. 1. Ocean Decade SDG Toolkit (Emily Smail)
  2. National Toolkits for Streamlined SDG-Biodiversity Target Tracking and Reporting (Michael Gill)
  3. EO Toolkit for Sustainable Forests and Biodiversity (Heiko Balzter)
  4. Freshwater Health Index Toolkit (Derek Vollmer)
  5. Citizen Science Toolkit for SDG 15, Life on Land, and SDG 14, Life below Water (Dilek Fraisl)