The IRCAI Water Observatory - AI in the service of SDG 6
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia
(
Government
)
#SDGAction50321
Description
Increasing impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, water scarcity, pollution, over-exploitation of resources, and loss of biodiversity indicate that the planet is approaching its sustainability limits. The objective of our initiative is to help governments achieve resource- and water-efficient and climate resilient economies and societies, conservation and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems, and sustainable supply and use of water resources to meet the needs of a growing world population within the sustainable limits of the planet's natural resources and ecosystems. By linking the physical and digital worlds, we aim to provide a tailored, intelligent solution for water, harness the value of data, and promote greater information transparency and accountability.
The International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence under the Auspices of UNESCO (IRCAI) is in the process of establishing The Water Observatory, a science-based set of state-of-the-art technological tools for water management and ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting and informed decision making. It is a SaaS platform that helps governments collect, process and analyze water and ESG data to automate reporting in accordance with key frameworks of the UN. It reports water footprints in real time across multiple data sources to better align with SDG 6, national and international policies and assess "Reflect and Respond" commitments.
The platform will use AI to analyze large amounts of data to help water resource managers solve problems related to water events and understand the impact of their actions in a broader context, particularly how they affect the public and private sectors and consumers. This will also help achieve the water-related goals of Agenda 2023. The Water Observatory will use machine learning to generate extract insights and best practices, and work with local, regional, and national governments to address industry, societal, and research challenges.
The impact of the proposed technology was tested in three geographic locations, Brăila, Carouge, and the municipality of Alicante, resulting in three levels of impact:
1. Local impact: The Municipality of Alicante is establishing its new Center for Water Excellence, using our holistic solution to accomplish its digital transformation into a smart city by modernizing and digitizing its water sector with technology capable of controlling and managing the city's water ecosystem.
2. Regional impact: The Water Observatory can be used in the context of extreme weather events (such as the fires in Slovenia and extensive draughts in France in 2022) to gather, analyze, and explore insights and best practices from the global experience of researchers and practitioners in water issues such as floods, landslides, and contamination, building business intelligence from available open data combined with local sources.
3. Global impact: As water-related climate events transcend national boundaries, observing the world on a global scale can help us better understand the role of water in the context of climate change, address SDG 13 on climate action, and engage all actors in the water ecosystem. Using ethical machine learning algorithms based on open data measurements and statistical indicators will help the water sector better understand changes and better prepare for action. It can empower all stakeholders: from policy makers to businesses to local, regional, national, and international authorities. The Water Observatory made available by IRCAI can enable national and regional authorities to make better-informed decisions and plan better-prepared strategies that take into account different perspectives on the impacts of climate change on water. The Water Observatory will only achieve its global impact as more data from more governments is added to the platform. It can be tailored to the needs of specific countries and integrated at a later stage into a larger family of observatories to monitor all 17 SDGs.
4. Water management industry and policymakers: Water resource managers and policy makers can use the information gathered by The Water Observatory in solving problems related to water events to understand how their actions are perceived by consumers and to explore successful scenarios in similar cases.
Knowledge transfer: Special efforts will be made to share and disseminate knowledge on “AI for SDG6” and provide reports and specific findings.
The International Research Centre on Artificial Intelligence under the Auspices of UNESCO (IRCAI)
IRCAI will:
1. Build the technological solution based on AI technology developed at the Jozef Stefan Institute that integrates: (i) global and local indicators; (ii) published science and patented technology; or (iii) global news and social media.
2. Leverage the NAIXUS research excellence network (naixus.net) to build partnerships in specific countries to collect data.
3. In collaboration with the respective Slovenian ministries, provide consultancy to all agencies and governments that wish to join this international initiative and take advantage of the Water Observatory.
The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs will:
Foster partnerships and collaborations with various national and international stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability and relevance of the Observatory and provide access to the Water Observatory initiative to other governments interested in collaborating with their data sources.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 6
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
6.1
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
6.1.1
Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services
6.2
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.2.1
Proportion of population using (a) safely managed sanitation services and (b) a hand-washing facility with soap and water
6.3
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
6.3.1
Proportion of domestic and industrial wastewater flows safely treated
6.3.2
Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality
6.4
6.4.1
Change in water-use efficiency over time
6.4.2
Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources
6.5
By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
6.5.1
Degree of integrated water resources management
6.5.2
Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation
6.6
6.6.1
Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time
6.a
6.a.1
Amount of water- and sanitation-related official development assistance that is part of a government-coordinated spending plan
6.b
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
6.b.1
Proportion of local administrative units with established and operational policies and procedures for participation of local communities in water and sanitation management
Goal 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.1.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
13.1.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
13.1.3
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
13.2
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.2.1
Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
13.2.2
Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
13.3
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.3.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
13.a
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
13.a.1
Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025
13.b
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
13.b.1
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
17.1
Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1
17.1.2
17.2
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
17.2.1
17.3
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.1
Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.2
17.4
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
17.4.1
17.5
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
17.5.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.6.1
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.7.1
Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
17.8
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology
17.8.1
17.9
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
17.9.1
Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1
17.11
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1
Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
17.12
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
17.12.1
Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States
17.13
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1
17.14
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.14.1
17.15
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development
17.15.1
17.16
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.16.1
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
17.17.1
Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure
17.18
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.18.1
Statistical capacity indicators
17.18.2
17.18.3
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding
17.19
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
17.19.1
17.19.2
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration
SDG 14 targets covered
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Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
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Timeline
Entity
Region
- Global
Other beneficiaries
National governments, municipalities, regional governments, international organizations, businesses
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Tanja, Ambassador-at-Large for Water Diplomacy