Data Integration and Analysis System (DIAS) Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

It has been said that scientists and experts usually use 80% of their research time for data management (DOE, 2002). Only 20% of research time is used for purely scientific activities. This ratio should be reversed by introducing computer science technology. To realize this goal, the Japanese government supported the development of a data system called “Data Integration and Analysis System (DIAS),” as one of the national key projects promoted by the Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP) from 2006 to 2010. A follow-up 5-year project is also ongoing. The essential aim for the DIAS was to create knowledge that would enable solutions to problems and generate socioeconomic benefits. DIAS mainly consists of four data components including data injection, management, integration, and interoperability.

DIAS is now tackling a large increase in the diversity and volume of data from observing the Earth. Dictionaries have been developing an ontology system for technical and geographical terms, and a metadata design has been completed according to international standards. The volume of data stored has exponentially increased. Previously, almost all of the large-volume data came from satellites, but model outputs occupy the largest volume of our data storage nowadays. In collaboration with scientific and technological groups, DIAS can accelerate data archiving by including data loading, quality checking, metadata registration, and our system data-searching capability is being enriched. DIAS also enables us to perform integrated research and realize interdisciplinarity. Essentially, we are now working in the fields of climate, water resources, food, fisheries, and biodiversity by collaborating between different disciplines and trying to develop bases of contribution to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).