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AGEDI Presentation Title:   “Foresight: Local to Global”

Derek described how the Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS) system (developed by the AGEDI implementation parters EAD and UNEP) enables flow of data from sub-national entities to global assessment process.  Gliddon explained how enironemntal organisations are required to report to environmental conditions and environmental management performance; how IRIS reduces the reporting burden through partial automation and how IRIS reports can be used by entities higher in the reporting hirachy as data inputs for national, regional and global assessment.  Derek also explained how IRIS ensures indicators are provided along with assessment narrative by experts who understand the local context, and thus overcomes a widespread barrier to data sharing.

Session Theme(s): Foundation for a Global Digital Platform for our Planet

Session Global context:

There is a need to highlight hotspot(s) of environmental change(s), feature emerging science topic(s), or discuss contemporary environmental issue(s). An opportunity is then created that enables policy makers to find out what is happening to the changing environment and the consequences of everyday choices, and to think about future directions for policy and action.

Moderator: Prof. Alexandre Caldas – Chief of Country Outreach, Technology and Innovation Branch , United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ;

Speakers:

Affiliation	Name of Person (s)
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) / MIKE (Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants)	Ms. Thea Carroll, CITES MIKE Coordinator.
Regional Office for Africa, UN Environment,	Mr. Charles Sebukeera Program Officer
Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI)	Mr. Laban Ndungo, Solutions Engineer, ESRI Eastern Africa
Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD)	Mr. Derek Gliddon Acting Director for Research and Innovation

2016-17 was a pivotal biennial for AGEDI that saw the culmination of various initiatives and projects, each one bringing us one-step closer to an environmentally sustainable future.
A collaborative initiative managed and facilitated by a partnership between UN Environment, the Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS) version 1.0 was launched in Nairobi in December 2017. This was a proud moment for Abu Dhabi in a project that was years in the making. Consistent with the AGEDI mission, IRIS aims to address systemic data and information challenges that hinder environmental sustainability, and has the potential to reduce the reporting burden for many government institutions, leading to more efficient decision-making. The prospects for 2018 are exciting and we look forward to further collaboration with UN Environment.

Our mantra is to keep delivering access to quality environmental data that supports decision-making towards a sustainable future. Our efforts are only realised thanks to the commitment of and collaboration with our invaluable stakeholders, who have played an essential role in each of our accomplishments in 2016-17.

Read our report here

AGEDI and EAD, as co-founder of the Eye on Earth movement, in partnership with the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) and the Eye on Earth Alliance are delighted to invite all who support evidence-based decision making for environmental and natural resource aspects of sustainable development to Convene, Converge and Collaborate at an Eye on Earth Symposium.

The Symposium will be held at the Mina A’Salam Hotel in Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 22-24 Oct. 2018.

The Symposium comprises two ~50 person meeting rooms and an adjacent networking area.

The Symposium is a working/outcomes-focused event.  The focus is on progressing the EoE Vision by catalyzing and strengthening bilateral and multi-lateral partnerships. The Symposium content is provided by members of the EoE Global Community.

The Symposium content is a mixture of presentations with Q&A, panel discussions, and in-depth, interactive, multi-hour workshops.

We plan to webcast the Symposium sessions for those unable to attend in person. Remote participants will be able to see, hear and speak.

Please visit https://eye-on-earth.netfor more information and to register for the event

The AGEDI implementation partners, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) and UN Environment, held an Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS) Strategy and Technical Workshop in Nairobi on 23-25 April 2018. Technical refinement plans and user needs for version 1.1 were discussed with UN Environment stakeholders. The workshop also discussed the deployment and outreach strategy for 2018, notably IRIS’ potential for Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) reporting. Next steps include completing version 1.2 by December 2018, as well as presenting IRIS in multiple fora in the coming months.

The AGEDI team would like to extend a warm congratulations to IPBES, their co-chairs and the chairs of the report for the recently released summary for policy makers for the Land Degradation and Restoration report.

Providing the best-available evidence for policymakers to make better-informed decisions, the report draws on more than 3,000 scientific, Government, indigenous and local knowledge sources. Extensively peer-reviewed, it was improved by more than 7,300 comments, received from over 200 external reviewers.

We look forward to reading the final documents as they are released.

Congratulations on the following releases:

• Land Degradation short film
• Media Release Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment
• IPBES Summary for Policy Makers Land Degradation and Restoration