Capacity Building Workshop for Small Island Developing States: Leveraging Big Earth Data to Evaluate the SDGs Progress
Mon 01 Sep 2025, 9.00 am — Mon 08 Sep 2025, 4.30 pm
Background
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) continue to face persistent challenges in data collection and analysis, which hinder effective monitoring of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The inaugural 2024 workshop, which brought together 10 participants from 10 SIDS countries, highlighted a strong demand for capacity-building in geospatial technologies. While notable progress has been made, significant gaps remain in institutionalizing these tools within national data systems and decision-making frameworks at the national level.
As a follow-up to both the Fourth International Conference on SIDS and the Summit of the Future, the 2025 Annual Capacity Building Workshop will support the implementation of its outcome document—the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS (ABAS): A Renewed Declaration for Resilient Prosperity— to strengthen SIDS’ capacities in science-based, data-driven decision-making for the SDGs, including through geospatial technologies. It is also aligned with the broader vision of the Pact for the Future, including harnessing science, technology, and innovation to drive evidence-based policies, address global inequalities, and ensure that digital tools contribute meaningfully to eradicating poverty, advancing climate resilience, and leaving no one behind..
Building on the success of the 2024 workshop, alighing with the Pact for the Future’s call to “bridge STI divides,” and recommendations of the 2025 STI Forum, which include inter alia increasing public and private investment in STI, bridging digital divides, establishing ethical governance for emerging technologies, transforming education, and enhancing international collaboration, this 2025 Workshop will focus on practical applications of Big Earth Data for SDG monitoring and policy implementation. It aims to bridge data gaps and enhance the technological and institutional capacities of SIDS in adopting digital tools for data management. The workshop will feature diversified knowledge-sharing formats, including lectures, seminars, and presentations, highlighting the potential of big data to advance SDG monitoring and implementation. Participants will gain expertise in state-of-the-art methodologies for SDG indicator monitoring and evaluation, supporting SIDS in tracking progress toward ABAS commitments.
In addition, the workshop will introduce strategic foresight methodologies to help SIDS policymakers anticipate emerging risks, explore future scenarios, and apply long-term thinking to sustainable development planning. The integration of foresight with Big Earth Data will support evidence-based policymaking and the implementation of ABAS and Pact for the Future commitments.
Announcements
The workshop participants have adopted the Outcome Statement on 8 September 2025. The document is now available under "Documentation" tab.
Additional Resources
Concept Note
Programme
Key documents
Guidelines
Provisional agenda
Other document
Presentations
Webinar on Utilizing Big Earth Data for the SDGs in SIDS - Follow-up from 2025 Capacity Building Workshop in Beijing
Date: Friday, 24 October 2025
Time: 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM New York Time
Format: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)/Recorded
Organizers: UN DESA & CBAS
Language: English
The 2025 Capacity Building Workshop on “Leveraging Big Earth Data to Evaluate SDGs Progress” held in Beijing, China from 1 to 8 September 2025, brought together more than 20 representatives from 11 Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Participants gained hands-on experience in utilizing satellite-based datasets, AI-powered platforms, and innovative Earth observation tools to support SDG monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience planning.
As a next step, UN DESA and CBAS hosted a follow-up webinar to assess how participants have applied the tools and knowledge gained during the workshop, identify implementation challenges, and explore practical ways to further integrate Big Earth Data into national planning processes. The session also provided a platform for participants to exchange experiences, seek collaboration opportunities, and consider how foresight approaches can enhance the strategic value and impact of geospatial data in development planning. It also responded directly to one of the workshop’s key outcomes, that is the proposal to establish a SIDS Network on Big Data for Development Policies and Actions.
For more information, please see the Concept Note and Agenda.
Presentations:
Recording:
https://youtu.be/rYC_TQ_6-9Q?si=eZWDQhQHQp1oD0M2
Webinar on Utilizing Big Earth Data for the SDGs in SIDS - Follow-up from 2025 Capacity Building Workshop in Beijing
Date: Tuesday, 04 November 2025
Time: 7:00 AM – 8:30 AM New York Time
Format: Virtual (Microsoft Teams)/Recorded
Organizers: UN DESA & CBAS
Language: English
The 2025 Capacity Building Workshop on “Leveraging Big Earth Data to Evaluate SDGs Progress” held in Beijing, China from 1 to 8 September 2025, brought together more than 20 representatives from 11 Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Participants gained hands-on experience in utilizing satellite-based datasets, AI-powered platforms, and innovative Earth observation tools to support SDG monitoring, disaster risk reduction, and climate resilience planning.
As a next step, UN DESA and CBAS will host a follow-up webinar to assess how participants have applied the tools and knowledge gained during the workshop, identify implementation challenges, and explore practical ways to further integrate Big Earth Data into national planning processes. The session will also provide a platform for participants to exchange experiences, seek collaboration opportunities, and consider how foresight approaches can enhance the strategic value and impact of geospatial data in development planning. It also responds directly to one of the workshop’s key outcomes, that is the proposal to establish a SIDS Network on Big Data for Development Policies and Actions.
For more information, please see the Concept Note and Agenda.
Presentations:
- Webinar - Challenges and Questions - Xavier Estico
- Webinar - Leveraging Big Earth Data for the Sustainable Development Goals in Small Island Developing States - Maldives Bureau of Statistics
- Webinar - Challenges and Questions - Chandranee Rughoobur
Recording will be available soon.
