Empowering International Geneva: Advancing Data Analytics for UN Agencies Building on GRID-Geneva

Project description

This project builds on the work of UNEP/GRID-Geneva, a data and analytics centre, to support major United Nations agencies namely World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The objective is to manage and make sense of large amounts of data with data processing and online data platforms.

This initiative supports FAIG’s mission by reinforcing International Geneva’s role as a leading hub for international cooperation. By leveraging GRID-Geneva's existing data analytics infrastructure and capacity as a 40-year data centre, and the existing partnership with UNEP, and develop further with Geneva-based WMO, UNDRR and UNDP/DRT. Data analytics function will be strengthened through shared analytical services for environment, climate and disaster risk analysis as the first step, which would be further expanded to other international development arenas.

Open access on data and information is key in today’s societies. Each of these agencies has an important mandate regarding major planetary challenges such as climate, environment, disaster risk reduction and development. Monitoring, alerting, anticipating the future are vital actions for taking actions on the ground or proposing new policies to improve the life of the world population and to preserve our environment for the future generations.

Such datasets are essential to all and hence should not be privatised. Open access to information to all should be granted. Impartial sharing of information that scientists, humanitarian workers, and health professionals depend on. Keeping environmental and climate data as a shared public resource, and not a commercial product, is more important than ever.