Building a Better Future for All
When it comes to creating a sustainable future, we’re all in this together. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, anchored by seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and associated targets and indicators, provides a universal framework for all countries and stakeholders to use as a blueprint for progress on economic, social and environmental sustainability.
We help people around the world use NASA Earth observations, models and derived information to advance sustainable development in alignment with the United Nations SDGs and their societal benefits for everyone on Earth.
Our partners include national and local governments, multilateral organizations, nonprofits and businesses. Together, we develop quality methods and tools to increase the use of Earth observations to monitor and analyze SDG indicators. This enables us to track progress in meeting targets and make informed decisions on how best to achieve sustainable development and the SDGs.
Our Focus
Collaborative projects
We support the use of Earth observations and models in stakeholders’ activities and processes to meet SDG target(s) and monitor associated indicators. For instance, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center researchers are working with the Government of the Republic of Guinea and the World Bank Group to calculate SDG 15 (life on land) indicators and support the development of their Nationally Determined Contributions using satellite imagery. Guinea is also using the same data sets to inform conservation strategies including the establishment of new protected areas.
increasing skills and capacities
We partner with organizations like Conservation International to develop decision support tools and build skills through trainings that teach participants to track and visualize land degradation and urban development indicators using Earth observations. We work closely with international entities like the United Nations Human Settlements Program to integrate Earth observations into trusted portals across communities and expand user communities that can utilize Earth science resources effectively.
The Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development. It includes 17 SDGs with targets and indicators to monitor
progress, inform policy, and ensure stakeholders’ accountability. Credit(s): United Nations
Combined with demographic and statistical data, Earth science information sources enable countries and stakeholders to:
- Monitor change over time in a consistent and standardized manner;
- Create maps and other visualizations;
- Evaluate drivers and impacts across regions and sectors; and
- Improve planning and policy decisions.
Other Resources
- Story Map on Gender, GIS and SDGs
- Story Map on Maintaining Life on Land – English and Spanish
- EO Toolkit for Sustainable Cities & Human Settlements
- Mangroves for SDGs
- SDG Data Pathfinders
