burden on countries as countries receive many requests for data from different global entities.


There is insufficient information available for geospatial analysis and, without geospatial data, it is impossible to understand the challenges facing ecosystems or the relationships between the environment and people. Based on an initial list of SDGs indicators for which geospatial data would be required (United Nations Initiative on Global Geospatial Information Management [UN-GGIM] 2017), there are 17 environment-related SDGs indicators which could be underpinned by geospatial data. These include land tenure and ownership (SDG indicator 1.4.2 and 5.a.1), sustainable agriculture (SDG indicator 2.4.1), water quality (6.3.2), water cooperation (SDG indicator 6.5.2), water-related ecosystems (SDG indicator 6.6.1), access to public transportation (SDG target 11.2.1), land consumption (SDG indicator 11.3.1), public land in cities (SDG indicator 11.7.1), coastal eutrophication and marine litter (SDG indicator 14.1)1


, management of marine areas (SDG


indicator 14.2.1), marine and terrestrial protected areas (SDG indicators 14.5.1, 15.1.2 and 15.4.1), forest area (SDG indicator 15.1.1), land degradation (SDG indicator 15.3.1), and mountain green cover (SDG indicator 15.4.2). Additionally, geospatial data are important for indicators related to the impact of climate change and disasters on people (SDG indicators 1.5.1, 11.5.1 and 13.1.1). Although geospatial data are being used by some countries and stakeholders to compile the SDGs indicators mentioned above, there is no central location where existing geospatial data for the SDGs indicators can be accessed and analysed.


More than 30 per cent of the environment-related SDGs indicators still do not have an agreed methodology (Figure 2). Robust methodologies underpin the production of statistics and indicators which are consistent across location and time. However, many environmental indicators still lack agreed terminology or a


methodology. In terms of methodological development, a major challenge is developing methodologies which provide high quality information without requiring a prohibitive amount of financial resources. In this regard, there is a need to better use new sources of data and to integrate data coming from surveys and censuses, in situ monitoring with citizen science, transactional data, remote sensing data, data generated by social media, and other forms of new data (UNEP 2019a). The use of new data sources will also require technological innovation and a transformation in how data are analysed.


Figure 2. Environment-related SDGs indicators by Tier


18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0


Sustainable Development Goals Tier I Tier II Tier III


Note: Tier I: A methodology exists and data are available for more than half of countries; Tier II: A methodology exists, but data are available for less than half of countries; Tier III: No methodology.


1 Note that coastal eutrophication and marine litter (SDG indicator 14.1) are not included in the Working Group on Geospatial Information list. However, UN Environment, as the custodian, considers geospatial data essential for these indicators.


8 Measuring Progress Report 2019


Poverty No Hunger


Health Education


Gender Water Energy Economy


Infrastructure Reduced inequalities Cities SCP


Climate Change Oceans


Land Justice Partnerships


Number of Indicators


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