Why People Matter: Better Data on Population and Infrastructure to Assess SDG Progress

Abstract:

An essential component of sustainable development is the ability of communities to create and sustain appropriate housing, health and sanitation facilities, transportation systems, public utilities, and other critical infrastructure that provide protection from environmental extremes and other hazards and underpin economic and social activity. Infrastructure is not simply a static “artifact” to be inventoried or observed remotely on occasion, but a tangible element of a dynamic system that people invest in, share, and benefit from, as they work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The rapidly increasing range of Earth Observations (EO) coupled with new data sources open up opportunities to create more timely and complete measures of infrastructure and associated residential (nighttime) and “ambient” (daytime) population. Such data on population and infrastructure could be a key stepping stone towards better understanding of progress in meeting the SDGs, and towards more effective and efficient policies to achieve them. Collaboration with National Statistical Offices and other in-country stakeholders is needed to operationalize improved indicators related to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and others. Their inputs are important for better assessment of the characteristics of population and infrastructure data likely to be of greatest value in their decision making context. A particular concern is whether current infrastructure systems will be able to adapt to a changing climate, not only because of increased extremes or variability of environmental conditions but also because of evolving demographic and socioeconomic conditions, e.g., due to population shifts.