5. Knowledge for action


5.1 Improved data and greater knowledge enable better and more effective actions and solutions in more places


Though actions must be undertaken on the basis of the knowledge already at hand, the world needs openly accessible data, information, analysis, knowledge and science to better inform and guide what needs to be done to achieve sustainability across all environmental dimensions (established but incomplete). Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, multilateral environmental agreements, internationally agreed environmental goals and science-based targets will require an integrated approach that considers linkage across different environmental and non-environmental components, building upon disaggregated data generation and incorporating traditional knowledge and citizen science. Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and targets needs to be followed up upon and reviewed, using the global indicators, complemented by indicators at the national and regional levels, and work is needed to develop the baselines for those targets for which national and global baseline data do not yet exist. Integrated data and analysis can prioritize needs, shape effective policies and strengthen monitoring and evaluation outcomes. {3.1, 25.1}


Advances in collecting official statistics and other evidence that feed into geographic information systems for environmental monitoring and accounting have expanded knowledge, while highlighting data gaps in every environmental domain (well established). Such gaps limit our capacity to formulate and implement policy solutions. More data will assist in linking people with the environment. Time series data is vitally important in that regard, as it forms the basis for monitoring change. Regular


standardized data collection can be translated into statistics and indicators that highlight vulnerabilities within and between communities. Disaggregated data that captures information by gender, ethnicity, race, income, age and geographic region identify critical differences and promote effective policy design. {3.5, 3.7}


In addition to filling knowledge gaps with new data, enormous gains can be made from consolidating, curating, harmonizing and increasing open access to existing data which are widely dispersed and cannot be easily combined or compared (well established). Common frameworks, initiatives and political will are needed to merge data sources and make better use of what is available. In that context, the Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics, the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting and the System of National Accounts are robust consensus statistical frameworks and methodological approaches that could be broadly adopted (see figure SPM.9). Rationalizing both existing and newly collected data is essential for the development of indicators. {3.3}


Whether an indicator can be measured by Earth observation is a major factor in data availability (well established). A revolution in the quality and cost-effectiveness of Earth observation data means that indicators that can be measured remotely have far greater spatial coverage than those that cannot. For example, satellites can estimate deforestation and land use change with increasing accuracy, but cannot monitor all aspects of subsurface ocean environments. Data are particularly sparse for biodiversity, which is measured mostly by in situ observation and genetic analysis. Some freshwater components, such as groundwater and water use, are also data-deficient due to measurement challenges. The dichotomy in the volume of remotely sensed data versus in


Figure SPM.9. Extent of adoption of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting 105° 30° 45° 120°


SWEDEN ICELAND FINLAND NORWAY 60° CANADA


U.K. OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND


DENMARK


NETHERLANDS BELGIUM


FRANCE SWITZERLAND ITALY PORTUGAL


UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


SPAIN GERMANY


ESTONIA LATVIA


LITHUANIA POLAND CZECH REP. SLOVAKIA AUSTRIA HUNGARY ROMANIA CROATIA SERBIA ALBANIA BULGARIA GREECE TURKEY SYRIAN ARAB REP TUNISIA MOROCCO ALGERIA MEXICO CUBA HAITI BELIZE


GUATEMALA EL SALVADOR


HONDURAS NICARAGUA COSTA RICA VENEZUELA PANAMA COLOMBIA ECUADOR GUYANA SURINAME FRENCH GUIANA JAMAICA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC


ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA SAINT LUCIA


DOMINICA SENEGAL


S. VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO


GUINEA-BISSAU BURKINA F. GUINEA SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA CÔTE D'IVOIRE GHANA CAMEROON UGANDA CONGO GABON


DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO


UNITED REP. OF TANZANIA


TIMOR-LESTE PERU 15° BOLIVIA MOZAMBIQUE ZIMBABWE NAMIBIA CHILE PARAGUAY BOTSWANA SWAZILAND SOUTH AFRICA URUGUAY ARGENTINA LESOTHO AUSTRALIA NEW CALEDONIA BRAZIL ANGOLA MALAWI ZAMBIA MADAGASCAR VANUATU FIJI


PAPUA NEW GUINEA


KENYA INDONESIA BENIN SOMALIA TOGO NIGERIA


CENTRAL AFRICAN REP.


SOUTH SUDAN


ETHIOPIA SRI LANKA MALAYSIA MAURITANIA MALI NIGER CHAD SUDAN ! YEMEN THAILAND CAMBODIA VIET NAM PHILIPPINES


WESTERN SAHARA


CYPRUS ISRAEL IRAQ JORDAN LIBYA EGYPT SAUDI ARABIA


IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF)


KUWAIT QATAR UAE OMAN INDIA MYANMAR LAO PEOPLE'S DEM.REP. AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN NEPAL BHUTAN CHINA


GEORGIA ARMENIA


AZERBAIJAN


TURKMENISTAN UZBEKISTAN


KYRGYZSTAN TAJIKISTAN


DEM PEOPLE'S REP OF KOREA


REP. OF KOREA JAPAN BELARUS UKRAINE RUSSIAN FEDERATION


KAZAKHSTAN MONGOLIA


NEW ZEALAND KEY


YES(69) NO (18) NO, BUT PLANNING TO (22) NO DATA


90°


Source: United Nations (2018). Knowledge for action 23


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