World Bank Big Data Innovation
Academics, entrepreneurs, innovators, businesses, universities and nonprofits have a larger role to play than ever before in addressing global climate issues through the creation and implementation of solutions. The shift to climate-resilient economies can occur only if the millions of decisions which are made across the globe on a daily basis are taking climate change factors and effects into account. We need your help in identifying and developing big data solutions which can help better understand the impacts of climate change, address its connected issues and positively influence decisions.
Why big data?
In today’s world of mobile technology, social networks, pervasive satellite and sensor information, and machine-to-machine transactions, more data has been generated in the past two years alone in the form of big data than in all of the previous years combined. Data is becoming the lifeblood of many economies, and data-informed decision-making is more important than ever before. However, the ability to use data in development policy and decision-making processes has not seen the same progress. That is where you come in. Help us find solutions and analytical methodologies to use big data effectively so we can help inform climate-sensitive decisions across the globe.
“Recent work from the World Bank Group suggests that poverty eradication is possible even as countries deal with the impacts of climate change and implement policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. … While there are many uncertainties about the impacts of climate change, it is possible to inform decision-making given adequate tools.”
– Stéphane Hallegatte, Senior Economist, World Bank Group Climate Change Unit
Join us as we launch a global call to find big data solutions that address issues pertaining to two critical challenge areas:
1) Food: food security and nutrition 2) Landscapes: forestry and watersheds
Who can participate?
This Innovation Challenge is open to individuals, students and entrepreneurs as well as start-ups, university labs, private companies, nonprofits and public sector agencies legally established in member countries of the World Bank Group (see: http://www.worldbank.org/countries).