Workshop Information
With the latest call by UN Secretary General for a “revolution” in the use of data for sustainable development, geospatial technologies have tremendous potential to boost the movement towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to improve monitoring of relevant SDGs’ targets and indicators.
Geospatial technologies and remote sensing offer a crucial location element to the monitoring of SDGs . The unprecedented “power of where” allows for unbiased observation and analysis across borders, administrative boundaries, and nations.
Yet there is still a gap between the technology world and the world of environmental decision- and policy-makers. Despite the tremendous potential digital technologies offer, there are still traditional fears among practitioners that prevent their uptake. Furthermore, these technologies are constantly changing and improving, making it even more difficult for practitioners to track the updates about the potential use and application of technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing.
Geospatial technologies can be employed in achieving and monitoring most of, if not all, SDGs, particularly: no poverty (Goal 1); zero hunger (Goal 2), clean water and sanitation (Goal 6); sustainable cities and communities (Goal 11); climate action (Goal 13). The goal of this course is to equip practitioners and researchers working on demographic aspects of SDGs with knowledge and skills of using digital technologies to make more informed, data-driven decisions and to conduct studies.
This year’s course is organized in cooperation with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), so the primary focus in presentations and case studies will be given to demography, as well as health and poverty issues. A large number of the SDG indicators are linked to population and demographic data, or could be derived from census data.
The workshop will cover a number of technologies including remote sensing, geospatial technologies, data collection, and decision-support systems, among others. In particular, the role of satellite-based earth monitoring and remote sensing in achieving SDGs will be discussed, highlighting their potential and limitations.
Dates
5 July - 9 July, 2021
Target Group
The course is open for both non-technical practitioners and academia. Previous knowledge of GIS and remote sensing is not required.
Workshop Directors
Viktor Lagutov, Central European University, Hungary
Lorant Czaran, United Nations
Workshop Faculty
Anupam Anand (GEF)
Alan Belward (JRC)
Douglas Cripe (GEO Secretariat)
Masahiko Nagai (YUCARS)
Ed Parsons (Google)
Kanat Sultanaliev (AUCA)
Pablo Vega (Tracasa Instrumental)
Application Information
For further information on the workshop and application procedures, please visit: https://summeruniversity.ceu.edu/geospatial-technologies-2021 or contact us at info@isepei.org. Limited financial support is available for applicants from developing countries.
Additional Information
This workshop is a joint activity between United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Central European University through the ISEPEI project. This course is a part of the “Bridging ICTs and Environment” workshop series. It is run under the organizational framework of the CEU Summer University.