Sustainable Development Goals. Source: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org
The United Nations (UN) has developed a set of action-oriented goals to achieve global sustainable development by 2030 and has included the importance of open data in the context of improving resilience to disasters.
Open Data can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing critical information on natural resources, government operations, public services, and population demographics. These insights can inform national priorities and help determine the most effective paths for action on national issues. Open Data is a key resource for:
- – Fostering economic growth and job creation. Open Data can help launch new businesses, optimizing existing companies’ operations, and improve the climate for foreign investment. It can also make the job market more efficient and serve as a resource in training for critical technological job skills.
- – Improving efficiency and effectiveness of public services. Open Data can help strengthen healthcare systems by connecting patients to providers; promote education and ongoing learning; and improve food security on both a large and small scale.
- – Increasing transparency, accountability and citizen participation. Open Data plays a critical role in improving governance by exposing and preventing mismanagement and corruption. It also helps ensure environmental sustainability through transparent data that can help reduce pollution, conserve natural resources and build resilience to climate change.
- – Facilitating better information-sharing within government. Open Data can help improve cities and urban infrastructure. It can also improve resilience to disasters and ensure that essential resources will be deployed effectively in emergency situations.
Read more about the SDGs in the original article.