[big_image] [/big_image]

Over the course of three days, the second Eye on Earth Summit brought together representatives from the government, the private sector and academia to discuss how data can play a crucial role in creating a healthier planet.

Hosted by a range of organizations, including the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi as well as the Eye on Earth alliance, the summit questioned how actors can address sustainable development by closing the gap between environmental, social and economic data.

From Oct. 6 to 8, the summit hosted more than 100 speakers and 30 sessions at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. Many speakers discussed data demand and the supply of information, with a primary focus on the role of governments, the scientific community and citizen participation in enhancing access to quality data about the state of the world’s resources.

The summit began with an opening ceremony featuring keynote speeches from Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, the secretary-general of the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi, as well as ministers from across the UAE government and the executive director of the UN Environment Programme.

After the opening ceremony and welcoming addresses, seven sessions convened, focusing on topics that ranged from biodiversity monitoring to sustainable development.

The conference was represented by more than 650 delegates from all over the world, and attendees agreed that a wide array of stakeholders — government and non-governmental — needed to help engage in data management, capacity building and technology support.

Citizen science, in which research is collected by non-professional scientists, was also a major focus area in the summit agenda, which promoted citizen contributions and the establishment of a global coalition of citizen science groups.

Fourteen sessions convened throughout the second day, discussing different available networks of data supply and their intersections with water security, citizen science and urbanization. On the last day, five sessions met to talk about policies, partnership and regional cooperation.

The summit also saw a number of launch events, including the premier of My UNEA, a website that details work the UN is doing for the environment.

The conference ended with the closing remarks of Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, the secretary-general of EAD.

"It is no longer possible for one entity, agency, government or region to work independently,” she said. “No one member can carry the burden alone. We must share the responsibility and we must collectively strengthen our resolve.”

“The task ahead is too large and too important,” she added. “We need to commit to a shared future where environmental and societal data can improve decisions that lead to a more sustainable planet.”

It was announced that more alliance members would be invited to join the existing five-member Eye on Earth alliance, with many representatives in the room showing an interest in collaborating.

Behind the conference’s success was Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, who offered both her vision and her constant involvement to the summit.

However, I believe the summit lacked representation from universities and academia, especially among the speakers.

NYU Abu Dhabi students from both my classes, as well as students from the Student Interest Group Ecoherence, attended. But more discussion regarding research, school involvement and other on-campus activities was much needed.

I also believe the outcome session was not very clear and strong. A more detailed outcome report and a convincing take-home message were missing in the closing session.