New York,N.Y., Countries’ access to the public and private big databases produced by the digital revolution is an essential instrument for strengthening climate resilience and developing early warning systems and quick response measures, which could save human lives and avoid economic losses in regions as vulnerable as our own, said Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC, at the high-level event “Harnessing the Data Revolution for Climate Resilience,” which took place on the sidelines of the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
During her presentation, Bárcena talked about the growing and vital importance of access to new sources of information and data in formats that facilitate decision-making, mainly in regions that are vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters.
At the meeting—organized by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, the State Department of the United States and the World Resources Institute—she recalled that, paradoxically, Latin America and the Caribbean is experiencing growing vulnerability to climate and natural disasters, but only contributes 9% of the world’s emissions.
ECLAC’s Executive Secretary called for putting big databases at the service of the public interest, ensuring key aspects such as privacy, so as to move towards the big environmental push that the 2030 Agenda demands. ECLAC has accumulated a great archive of data and information directly related to climate change, such as the impact on coastal areas, port activity, and the impact on land and marine ecosystems, which is freely accessible.