Sustainable Development Goal 1: No Poverty
Sustainable Development Goal 1 calls for an end to poverty in all its manifestations by 2030. It aims to ensure social protection for the poor and vulnerable, increase access to basic services and support people harmed by climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters. Space technologies are central, among other things, in:
- Forecasting natural disasters and better coordinate subsequent aid provision
- Optimising sustainable utilisation of natural resources
- Providing efficient support to vulnerable populations
- Mapping populated areas and their access to basic services
Overall, space technologies can contribute to the prevention of people falling below the poverty line and help target specific support to those in need.
Quick Facts
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The following Quick Facts highlight significant issues relating to poverty and its global effects:
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About one in five persons in developing regions lives on less than US$1.25 per day.
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Globally, 18,000 children still die each day from poverty-related causes.
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Precision agriculture integrating GNSS and EO data can achieve yield increases over 10%, and reduce other fuel, fertilizer, and pesticide inputs by up to 20%. This contributes to alleviating poverty by ensuring adequate and continued access to food and natural resources, while reducing adverse environmental impacts.
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Economic losses from internationally reported disasters, principally large-scale disasters, have grown steadily since 1990, reaching an estimated annual average of $200 billion in 2013.
Triggering the International Charter Space and Major Disasters
Space-based technologies, such as remote sensing for Earth observation, satellite-based telecommunication and global navigation satellite systems, contribute to disaster risk management and emergency response efforts. Since the establishment in 2006 of UN‑SPIDER, UNOOSA has supported countries in their use of all types of space-based information in all phases of the disaster management cycle, including prevention, preparedness, early warning, response and reconstruction. In particular, from 2010 to 2018, the Office worked with the Government of the Dominican Republic on the use of space-based solutions for disaster risk reduction, strengthening its institutions and providing technical advice on incorporating the use of space-based information into its activities. The Dominican Republic regularly faces extreme weather events, including hurricanes and tropical storms, which have caused floods, landslides and storm surges that result in the loss of life, the displacement of affected communities and the destruction of property. Since 2016, the country has faced three devastating hurricanes: Matthew in 2016, and Irma and Maria in 2017.