Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (2021), livre ebook

Big Earth Data in Support of the Sustainable Development Goals (2021): The Belt and Road showcases the innovative practice of applying Big Earth Data to the monitoring and evaluating indicators for six SDGs,i.c., SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG14 Life below Water, SDG 15 Life on Land, and the analysis of the interactions among multiple SDG indicators. It presents 42 case studies on 22 targets relevant to countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. The report showcases the results of research, monitoring, and evaluation of SDGs and their indicators at four scales--local, national, regional, and global--totalling 37 data products, 19 methods and models, and 32 decision-support recommendations. These research results demonstrate China's exploration and practice in promoting the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through scientific and technological innovation, fully reveal the application value and broad prospects of Earth's big data technology in monitoring and evaluating the sustainable development goals, and open up new ways and methods to support the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the use of advanced technologies and methods such as big data and artificial intelligence under the framework of the UN technology promotion mechanism. It can provide reference for countries to strengthen the implementation monitoring and evaluation of the agenda.This report can be read by researchers in related fields and decision makers in relevant national departments..

Preface

Foreword

Executive Summary

Chapter 1 Introduction / 1

Chapter 2. SDG 2 : Zero hunger

Background / 8

Main Contributions / 9

Case Studies / 11

2.1 Assessment of global livestock productivity and China’s contribution / 11

2.2 Dynamic changes in grassland above-ground biomass in representative East African countries / 19

2.3 Analysis of cropland area change in the 21st century in the Zambezi River basin / 27

2.4 Cropland dynamic change in the Mediterranean region from 2010 to 2020 / 34

2.5 Monitoring desert locusts in Asia and Africa / 40

2.6 Global data tracking of the CBD benefit-sharing of microbial resources / 46

2.7 Food security and agricultural sustainability in major regions of Asia, Europe and Africa / 51 Summary / 62

Chapter 3. SDG 6 : Clean water and sanitation

Background / 66

Main Contributions / 67

Case Studies / 69

3.1 Changes in black and odorous water bodies in representative cities of Europe and Asia / 69

3.2 Monitoring and evaluating the dynamic changes in global lake water clarity / 81

3.3 Change in water transparency in Africa from 1985 to 2020 / 88

3.4 Assessment of changes in global crop water-use efficiency / 96

3.5 Comparative analysis of the implementation of IWRM and water stress in Lancang-Mekong countries / 101

3.6 Mapping of global wetland conservation priority areas / 110 Summary / 117

Chapter 4. SDG 11 : Sustainable cities and communities

Background / 120

Main Contributions / 121

Case Studies / 123

4.1 Monitoring shanty towns in major cities of some regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative / 123

4.2 Land cover variability and its driving factors in global big cities (2021) / 130

4.3 Analysis of land use efficiency for cities of the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative with different urban sizes / 135

4.4 Comprehensive assessment of urbanization at World Cultural Heritage Sites in the countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and the neighboring countvies / 145

4.5 Measures and findings of interference at World Cultural Heritage Sites for SDGs / 150

4.6 Monitoring and evaluation of protection indicators of global World Natural Heritage Sites / 159 Summary / 165

Chapter 5. SDG 13 : Climate action

Main Contributions / 171

Case Studies / 174

5.1 Variation in the range of heatwave influence in the Eastern Hemisphere / 174

5.2 Global burned area distribution and changes / 180

5.3 Vulnerability prediction of freeze-thaw disasters in High-mountain Asia / 184

5.4 Flood changes and analysis of disaster reduction in Pakistan from 2010 to 2020 / 190

5.5 Global CO, emissions and spatiotemporal variations from gas flaring in oil production fields / 195

5.6 Temporal and spatial changes in global soil respiration and its response to climate change / 200

5.7 Impacts of land cover change on global net ecosystem productivity/207

5.8 Simulation of spatiotemporal characteristics of Eurasian glacier retreat and evaluation of its effects on water resources / 211

5.9 Monitoring and evaluation the freeze-thaw changes of polar ice sheet / 217

5.10 Global ocean heat content change / 227

5.11 Response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change in Northwest China and five countries in Central Asia / 231

Summary / 239

Chapter 6. SDG 14 : Life below water

Background / 244

Main Contributions / 246

Case Studies / 247

6.1 Spatial distribution characteristics of microplastics in representative areas of Antarctica / 247

6.2 Coastal flood monitoring products for Bangladesh from 2016 to 2020 / 256

6.3 Global mangrove forests spatial distribution monitoring in 2020 / 263

6.4 Spatial distribution of global coastal aquaculture ponds / 268

6.5 Remote sensing assessment of coastal resources in Mozambique for marine spatial planning / 274

Summary / 278

Chapter 7. SDG 15 : Life on land

Background / 282

Main Contributions / 283

Case Studies / 284

7.1 Global/regional forest cover (2020) / 284

7.2 Event-based analysis of global forest change in the 21st century / 289

7.3 Dynamic monitoring and control mesures of land degradation and restoration in Mongolia (2015-2020) / 297

7.4 Ecological vulnerability assessment along the Bangladesh-China- India-Myanmar Economic Corridor / 303

7.5 High-resolution global monitoring of the mountain green cover index / 313

Summary/318

Chapter 8. Interactions among SDG indicators

Background / 322

Main Contributions / 325

Case Studies / 326

8.1 Trade-offs of the food-water-air quality nexus over the breadbasket of India / 326

8.2 Simulation and analysis of land use evolution in regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative under the constraints of multiple SDGs / 332

Summary / 339

Chapter 9 Summary and Prospects / 343

References / 348

Acronyms / 361