Within the framework of the United Nations project for enhancing the capacity of Member States in compiling SDG indicators and to further explore and promote the use and integration of complementary data sources, including administrative data, innovative data (Big Data) and geospatial information, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), in cooperation with United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), UN Environment Programme, UN Habitat, UNESCAP,  and the Arab Institute for Training and Research in Statistics (AITRS) is organizing a “regional workshop on big data and geospatial information for the compilation of SDG indicators in the Arab countries” during the period 13-15 October 2020.

The regional workshop aims to present and discuss priority issues and challenges with regard to the use of administrative records and non-traditional data sources or innovative data sources, including Big Data, as well as to the challenges with regard to the integration of geospatial information and statistics for effective and efficient implementation of SDGs and to share best practices in use of technology and innovative approaches, including the area of geospatial information systems. The ultimate goal is to enhance the production of data and statistics, specifically the SDGs indicators for timely decision making and service delivery at the local level.

1. Meeting details
Information Note
Provisional Agenda

2. Presentations
Day 1:
Session 1: Use of Non-traditional Data Sources for Compilation of SDGs Indicators

• Results of ESCWA questionnaire on the integration of data sources in compiling SDGs indicators (Mr. Ismail Lubbad)
• Non-traditional data sources (ESCWA)

Session 2: Use of Geospatial Information in compilation of SDGs Urban Indicators: Open Space and Public Transport

• Geospatial information framework and SDGs (Mr. Omar Laaribi)
• The average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all (Mr. Dennis Mwaniki)
• ​Proportion of population that has convenient access to public transport (Mr. Dennis Mwaniki)
• Countries experiences: Bahrain , Tunisia and Qatar

Day 2:
Session 3: Use of Geospatial Information in Compilation of SDGs Environment Indicators and Disaster Risk Management

• Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population (Ms. Saira Ahmed)
• Lebanon Experience on Disaster Risk Management (Mr. Chadi Abdallah)
• ESCWA-Google Earth project (Ms. Wafa Aboul Hosn)
• Asia Pacific regional work on disaster risk reduction, official statistics, and geospatial tools (Ms. Rikke Hansen)
• Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time (Ms. Marlene Ann Tomaszkiewicz)

Session 4: Use of Geospatial Information in Compilation of SDGs; Water, Land and Agriculture Indicators

• Ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate ((Mr. Dennis Mwaniki)
• Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area, Experience in monitoring (Mr. Mustapha Mimouna)
• Forest area as a proportion of total land area (Mr. Omar Laaribi)
• Target 6.3 By 2030, improve water quality (Mr. Omar Laaribi)
• Coverage of important sites for biodiversity by protected areas (Mr. Thomas Brooks)
•  ESCWA’s Contribution to the regional geospatial Data For SDGs Environment Indicators and Disaster Risk Management (Ms. Wafa Aboul Hosn)
• ​Country experience: United Arab Emirates

Day 3:
Session 5: Use of Big Data in Measuring SDGs Indicators

• GWG big data for SDGs (Mr. Niels Ploug)
• Big Data for SDGs (Mr. Giovanni Savio)
• Advance digital data collection and analytics tools to measure SDGs indicators (Mr. Abbas Maaroof)
• Big data and official statistics - socioeconomic trends of refugees and host communities in Lebanon (Mr. Ziad Abdallah)

Session 6: Use of Administrative Registers in SDGs indicators

• Regional availability of administrative records and use in SDGs indicators compilation (Mr. Ismail Lubbad)
• ​Proposed setting, integration and coordination mechanisms and reporting and monitoring (Ms. Neda Jafar)
• ​Countries’ experience: Bahrain, Denmark and Egypt