Sept 28, 2020 08:37 From： Xinhua News Agency

   BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- During the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), China released the "Report on Big Earth Data in Support of the SDGs (2020)". The report shows China's exploration and practice of utilizing scientific and technological innovation to promote the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), and provides reference for countries to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

   Assessment of Zero Growth of Land Degradation Progress and Countermeasures for Biodiversity Conservation in China, Comprehensive Evaluation of the Sustainable Development of China's urbans, China’s Spatial Distribution Patterns of Wetlands and Countermeasures for Their Conservation, Assessment of the Health of China's Near-shore Ecosystems, and Global Medium- and High-Resolution Forest Cover Monitoring, and so on. This report brings together 26 typical cases, presents 24 sets of data products This report brings together 26 typical cases, proposes 24 sets of data products, 13 methodological models and 19 decision support.

   The "CASEarth" of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), taking advantage of the advantages of multi-source, multi-temporal, macro-rapid and highly integrated Earth big data, will conduct in-depth research on the six sustainable development goals, namely, zero hunger, clean drinking water and sanitation, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, underwater organisms, and terrestrial organisms, at four scales, namely, global, regional, national, and typical areas. It will conduct in-depth research on data, methodological modeling and decision-making support at four scales: global, regional, national and typical areas.

   Guo Huadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the "CASEarth", introduced that the global indicator system of the sustainable development goals, as a non-binding assessment indicator voluntarily adopted by the United Nations Member States, is still in the process of continuous improvement. The "CASEarth" has formed a theoretical system of Earth big data steps by steps, to support the realization of sustainable development goals, and built an innovative platform of science and technology innovation to support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. It is hoped that the launch of this series of reports will make a positive contribution to the global implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the promotion of building the Belt and Road Initiative together.

   Zhang Yaping, Vice President of the CAS, said that since the inception of the project, the "CASEarth" has been actively organizing scientific and technological forces to explore the theoretical and technological methods of Earth Big Data to serve the realization of the sustainable development goals under the framework of the United Nations Technology Facilitation Mechanism (TFM). The series of reports has become a representative outcome of China's science and technology support for the SDGs, providing solutions and scientific and technological support for the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

   In 2019, the Chinese delegation to the 74th United Nations General Assembly had released the Report on Big Earth Data in Support of the SDGs.