SDG 2 - Zero hunger

Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

It is time to rethink how we grow, share and consume our food.

If done right, agriculture, forestry and fisheries can provide nutritious food for all and generate decent incomes, while supporting people-centred rural development and protecting the environment.

Right now, our soils, freshwater, oceans, forests and biodiversity are being rapidly degraded. Climate change is putting even more pressure on the resources we depend on, increasing risks associated with disasters such as droughts and floods. Many rural women and men can no longer make ends meet on their land, forcing them to migrate to cities in search of opportunities.

A profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish today’s 815 million hungry and the additional 2 billion people expected by 2050.

The food and agriculture sector offers key solutions for development, and is central for hunger and poverty eradication.

Facts and Figures

Hunger

  •     Globally, one in nine people in the world today (815 million) are undernourished
  •     The majority of the world’s hungry people live in developing countries, where 12.9 per cent of the population is undernourished.
  •     Asia is the continent with the hungriest people – two thirds of the total. The percentage in southern Asia has fallen in recent years but in western Asia it has increased slightly.
  •     Southern Asia faces the greatest hunger burden, with about 281 million undernourished people. In sub-Saharan Africa, projections for the 2014-2016 period indicate a rate of undernourishment of almost 23 per cent.
  •     Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45 per cent) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year.
  •     One in four of the world’s children suffer stunted growth. In developing countries, the proportion can rise to one in three.
  •     66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.

Food security

  •     Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of today’s global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households.
  •     500 million small farms worldwide, most still rainfed, provide up to 80 per cent of food consumed in a large part of the developing world. Investing in smallholder women and men is an important way to increase food security and nutrition for the poorest, as well as food production for local and global markets.
  •     Since the 1900s, some 75 per cent of crop diversity has been lost from farmers’ fields. Better use of agricultural biodiversity can contribute to more nutritious diets, enhanced livelihoods for farming communities and more resilient and sustainable farming systems.
  •     If women farmers had the same access to resources as men, the number of hungry in the world could be reduced by up to 150 million.
  •     4 billion people have no access to electricity worldwide – most of whom live in rural areas of the developing world. Energy poverty in many regions is a fundamental barrier to reducing hunger and ensuring that the world can produce enough food to meet future demand.

Space-based Technologies for SDG 2

Soil conditions, water availability, weather extremes and climate changes can affect agriculture and food security. Space technologies provide weather data for agricultural planning, helping to boost productivity and mitigate the effects of food shortages.
UNOOSA’s capacity building activities help member states use space technology for more productive agriculture. Read more here.

 

SDG 2 Targets

Graphic displaying the doubling of productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers
Graphic displaying sustainable food production and resilient agricultural practices
Graphic displaying the maintenance of genetic diversity in seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species
Graphic displaying investment in rural infrastructure, agricultural research, technology and gene banks
Graphic displaying the prevention of agricultural trade restrictions, market distortions and export subsidies
Graphic displaying stable food commodity markets and timely access to information
Graphic displaying the universal access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round
Graphic displaying the end to all forms of malnutrition

Learn more about the SDGs

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Interview with Joshua Ubah, Geospatial Environmental Engineer

Photo of Joshua Ubah
Joshua is a Master’s student in Tropical Hydrogeology and Environmental Engineering at Technische Universität of Darmstadt. His interest is focused on hydrogeological processes, groundwater modelling, application of remote sensing and GIS in environmental studies, water management and climate change. He also works as a graduate Intern at AgriWatch BV, a company that applies geospatial solutions for precision Agriculture. As a graduate intern, he applies his interdisciplinary knowledge in developing smart-farming solutions using space-based technologies to farmers in the Twente region of the Netherlands. He deploys satellite imagery, field studies and machine learning algorithms to predict the effect of climate change on arable crops. He also utilizes precipitation data to predict rainfall events to aid farmers in determining planting and harvesting periods. Joshua earned a bachelor’s degree in Geological Sciences, his bachelor’s thesis research aimed at carrying out paleoenvironmental reconstruction using paleocurrent indicators of water flow and direction, and application of ArcGIS to produce maps. Currently, he is working on his master’s thesis with emphasis on the impact of the ancient climate on the paleoenvironment particularly on vegetation, where he tries to research plants response to long-term greenhouse periods and short-term warming events on various timescales throughout Earth's history. His research interests revolve around the application of space technologies in providing solutions and tackling climate change.
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Interview with Lukas Graf

Interview with Lukas Graf

Photo of Lukas Valentin Graf
Lukas Graf used to take clean drinking water for granted. As he grew up, and conversations around climate change and environmental destruction became increasingly intense, he started to become more aware of the importance and scarcity of water resources. Around a similar time, he became increasingly enthusiastic about space, realising that space technologies could be used to explore many of the pressing topics that he was interested in. He has participated in research projects that used remote sensing methods to study the effects of global change on ecosystems and especially on water availability. Lukas is interested in a range of topics from virtual water and water quality to irrigation and agriculture. He believes that interdisciplinary approaches and mutual dialog with societies and stakeholders need to be deepened for sustained resource management.
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Interview with Rebecca Gustine, PhD Student at Washington State University, Intern at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Interview with Rebecca Gustine, PhD Student at Washington State University, Intern at Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Photo of Rebecca Gustine
Rebecca Gustine is currently a PhD student at Washington State University in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering studying civil engineering with a focus on water resources. She is also an intern at NASA JPL where she is a member of the ECOSTRESS applied science mission team working with local agencies to inform resource management and conservation efforts. We talked to her about her interdisciplinary research experiences through her undergraduate and graduate school.
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Interview with Harriette Okal, Associate Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute

Interview with Harriette Okal, Associate Scientist, Stockholm Environment Institute

Photo of Harriette Okal

How do you professionally relate to water and/or space technologies?

As a hydrologist, I’ve always been fascinated by the potential of space technologies in transforming water resource management. My work integrates satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) data with hydrological modelling, particularly for drought and flood monitoring, and water availability assessments in regions with scarce ground data. EO technologies allow me to capture real-time, high-resolution data, critical for climate resilience, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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Interview with Tania Eulalia Martinez Cruz, Research Associate at Free University of Brussels

Capacity Building and Training Material

Digital Earth Africa: Agriculture and Food Security

Digital Earth Africa: Agriculture and Food Security

Map showing agricultural farms

Digital Earth Africa learning platform

This learning platform helps users understand the significance of Earth observations, explore Digital Earth Africa datasets through an interactive map, and get started on the basics of python coding for spatial analysis.

Digital Earth Africa makes Earth observation (EO) data readily available, delivering decision-ready products to the African continent. Data generated by Digital Earth Africa will provide valuable insights for better decision-making across many areas, including resource management, food security and urbanisation.

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Online Course on Remote Sensing for Agricultural Water Management

ARSET - Introduction to Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Data and Applications

Rapid Impact Assessment Using Open-source Earth Observation - on the example of the Kachowka Dam Break

Rapid Impact Assessment Using Open-source Earth Observation - on the example of the Kachowka Dam Break

Screenshot of some of the instructions and imagery in the manual

The Jupyter notebook demonstrates how EOdal can be used for disaster relief after the break of the Kachowka using open-source Earth Observation data.

On June 6, 2023, the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine broke. We do not yet know who or what was responsible for the collapse of the dam. What we do know, however, are the devastating consequences for the region downstream - especially for the local population.

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On the use of remote sensing for monitoring and modelling the water cycle

Digital Earth Africa: DEA101 - Introduction to the Digital Earth Africa Sandbox

Digital Earth Africa: DEA101 - Introduction to the Digital Earth Africa Sandbox

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Digital Earth Africa learning platform

This learning platform helps users understand the significance of Earth observations, explore Digital Earth Africa datasets through an interactive map, and get started on the basics of python coding for spatial analysis.

Digital Earth Africa makes Earth observation (EO) data readily available, delivering decision-ready products to the African continent. Data generated by Digital Earth Africa will provide valuable insights for better decision-making across many areas, including resource management, food security and urbanisation.

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Introduction to the GEO Knowledge Hub - Webinar

Introduction to the GEO Knowledge Hub - Webinar

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GEO Knowledge Hub Webinar Series

The first GEO Knowledge Hub (GKH) webinar, on the 24th February 2021, introduced the GKH in its current stage of development.

Objective

The goal was to provide a user perspective based on input from the Knowledge Providers, notably to outline GKH capabilities and benefits to the GEO community.

Topics

Topics included:

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Water-ForCE Webinar: Water and Agriculture

Water-ForCE Webinar: Water and Agriculture

Water-ForCE Webinar: Water and Agriculture

Water-ForCE Webinar: Water and Agriculture

During this webinar, we will be discussing water quality (run-off from agriculture, pollution of surface water for irrigation) and quantity of water (drought, extreme rainfall, groundwater level, soil moisture) to tackle the water and agriculture domains for the Copernicus Roadmap.

Speakers:

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Event

IPP Africa - Supporting Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods using Satellite Applications

AI4Copernicus 2023

RCMRD International Conference 2023

39th International Sympsonium on Remote Sensing of Environment

2nd WASAG International Forum 2023

Cairo Water Week 2020

Space Generation Advisory Council - Benin 2022

Chapman Conference: Remote Sensing of the Water Cycle

IPP Latin America & Caribbean - Supporting Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods using Satellite Applications

United Nations/China Forum on Space Solutions

ICSWGWI 2022: 16. International Conference on Surface Water and Ground Water Interactions - Sydney, Australia

International Conference on Earth Observation and Geo-spatial Information 2023

United Nations/Islamic Republic of Iran Workshop on the Space Technology Applications for Drought, Flood and Water Resource Management

FAO Water Dialogue: Regional Workshop on National Water Roadmaps (Hybrid)

73rd IEC Meeting and 24th ICID International Congress on Irrigation and Drainage 2022

ICSWGWI 2022: 16. International Conference on Surface Water and Ground Water Interactions - Lisbon, Portugal

Public-Private partnerships for Copernicus water services

EO FOR WATER CYCLE SCIENCE 2020 (online event)

Introduction to Geospatial Technologies for Achieving SDGs – Demographic Considerations - Summer School

14th International Conference on Hydroinformatics HIC 2022 − Water INFLUENCE

IPP Asia-Pacific - Supporting Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods using Satellite Applications

Multi-Stakeholder Thematic Webinars: Preparing for the Water Conference and the Water Action Agenda

13th ESA Training Course on Earth Observation

The 10th World Water Forum - Bali 2024

The 9th Digital Earth Summit 2022: Digital Earth to Bridge Digital Divide for Attainment of Sustainable Development Goals

United Nations/Costa Rica/PSIPW - Sixth conference on the use of space technology for water management

Local Perspectives Case Studies

Water quality degradation of the Bua River, Malawi

Small-holder farmers in northern Madagascar are disproportionately impacted by drought

Small-holder farmers in northern Madagascar are disproportionately impacted by drought

Photo of a meager cow in front of a tree
Madagascar is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and related disasters, namely drought, cyclones and flooding. While it is well-recognised that southern Madagascar has been suffering from drought for decades, it has not yet been properly acknowledged that northern Madagascar (The Diana region, Antsiranana and surrounding villages (e.g. Namakia)). Andranovondronina is also beginning to feel the impacts of drought. This is particularly affecting small-holder farmers who rely on rain-fed agriculture for both food and income. The climate of northern Madagascar is typically categorised as "transition tropical", so the onset of drought could also have major implications for the rest of the island. Northern Madagascar used to have a 6-month dry season and a 6-month rainy season, but the length of the rainy season has reduced significantly in recent years and is now locally considered a "cyclone season". More people are relying on groundwater, which is often contaminated with bacteria and excrement, leading to an increase in water-borne diseases and illnesses.
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Soil conditions in Platfontein, South Africa

The disappearance of Lake Ol’ Bolossat: a threat to biodiversity, livelihoods and water security in central Kenya

Disappearing wetlands in North Central Nigeria

Integrated water resource management for sustainable agriculture: data-driven approaches to optimize crop patterns and water use in Pakistan

Integrated water resource management for sustainable agriculture: data-driven approaches to optimize crop patterns and water use in Pakistan

Image of dry landscape and solar panels in the distance
The environmental impacts of irrigated agriculture, which demands between 3,000 to 5,000 litres of water to produce just one kilogram of rice, are profound. Considering that 35 per cent of Pakistan’s freshwater is used for rice cultivation, often for crops destined for export, the need for a strategic realignment of water use priorities is evident. Current practices often treat water as an unlimited resource, a perspective that is unsustainable in the face of increasing domestic and international demands for food. The urgent need for systemic change is clear: only through the adoption of innovative technologies and the integration of up-to-date environmental data can Pakistan hope to meet the Zero Hunger (SDG 2) goal and achieve sustainable development. This project proposes using advanced remote sensing and land use modelling to effectively quantify agricultural land use practices and their changes over time. This integrated assessment framework is vital for building resilience against future climate extremes and for ensuring sustainable agricultural practices that align with societal and environmental priorities. By bridging the gap between current practices and agro-ecological suitability, this project aims to achieve a sustainable, food-secure future for Pakistan. We aim to interact with multiple stakeholders and agencies with diverse expertise to support data-driven approaches for sustainable water and crop management. Our goal is to build a network of professionals and researchers, facilitate knowledge and technology sharing, and contribute geospatial and analytical solutions to address the challenge.
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Using space-based methods in monitoring soil erosion and its impact on water resources in the Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria catchments

Using space-based methods in monitoring soil erosion and its impact on water resources in the Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria catchments

Lake Baringo Catchment LULC map
Increased sedimentation, reduced water quality, and ecosystem degradation has been a major environmental threat to the catchment areas of Lake Baringo and Lake Bogoria. All these issues have been brought about by soil erosion in the upper sections of the two lakes where the source rivers feeding the two lakes originate. The use of space technology such as remotely sensed satellite imagery and other GIS methods to asses and analyse soil erosion patterns in these two catchment areas will be able to develop solutions that will help to quantify the rate of sedimentation and come up with policies and targeted interventions to enhance soil and water conservation measures in these areas. Soil erosion in the catchment areas enhances sediment deposition into the two lakes, reducing storage capacity in terms of volume and also affects livelihoods that depend on these water sources.
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Mangrove forest loss in the Caribbean

Massive storms leading to floods and landslides in Piura, Peru

Massive storms leading to floods and landslides in Piura, Peru

Satellite image of the town of Catacaos in Venezuela
This challenge addresses the increasing occurrence of floods and landslides in Peru, particularly in Piura region and Catacaos city, caused by extreme weather events such as massive storms which are exacerbated by climate change or by "El Niño" and "La Niña" phenomena. The goal is to simulate flood scenarios using a combination of rainfall data, satellite imagery, and digital elevation models (DEMs). This developed model aims to predict how water will advance across the landscape, which areas are likely to be affected, and to estimate river level rises. The relevant decision-makers and stakeholders include the following: • Local and regional disaster risk management authorities. • Municipal planning offices. • Emergency response units and civil protection agencies. • NGOs working on climate resilience. • Community leaders in flood-prone areas. These decision-makers require real-time and predictive information on: • Areas likely to be inundated. • Timing and extent of floodwater advancement. • Population density in affected areas. • Infrastructure at risk (roads, hospitals, schools, etc.).
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Project / Mission / Initiative / Community Portal

Water Accounting +

Water Accounting +

Water Account (Logo placeholder)

Water problems around the world are increasing; however, information useful for decision makers within the water sector and related to the water sector seems to be decreasing. Solving water problems requires information from many disciplines, and the physical accounts (describing sources and uses of water) are the most important foundation. The information has to be coherent and harmonized in order to provide an integrated picture useful for the assessment of the problems.

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WMO Hydrological Observing System Portal

WMO Hydrological Observing System Portal

WMO logo

Currently, WHOS makes available three data portals allowing users to easily leverage common WHOS functionalities such as data discovery and data access, on the web by means of common web browsers. For more information on WHOS data and available tools, please refer to the Section WHOS web services and supported tools.

WHOS-Global Portal provides all hydrometeorological data shared through WHOS. WHOS-Global Portal is implemented using the Water Data Explorer application.

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In-Service ICT Training for Environmental Professionals

In-Service ICT Training for Environmental Professionals

ISEPEI Logo

Decision-makers are faced with the constant challenge of maintaining access to and understanding new technologies and data, as information and communication technologies (ICTs) are constantly evolving and as more and more data is becoming available. Despite continually improving technologies, informed decision-making is being hindered by inadequate attention to enabling conditions, e.g. a lack of in-service education and professional training for decision-makers.

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Open Society University Network Research and Training Hub on Geospatial Technologies

e-shape

e-shape

e-Shape Logo

e-shape is a unique initiative that brings together decades of public investment in Earth Observation and in cloud capabilities into services for the decision-makers, the citizens, the industry and the researchers. It allows Europe to position itself as global force in Earth observation through leveraging Copernicus, making use of existing European capacities and improving user uptake of the data from GEO assets.  EuroGEO, as Europe's contribution to the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), aims at bringing together Earth Observation resources in Europe.

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Stakeholder

Remote Sensing, GIS and Climatic Research Lab, University of the Punjab

Remote Sensing, GIS and Climatic Research Lab, University of the Punjab

The emerging demand of GIS and Space Applications for Climate Change studies for the socio-economic development of Pakistan along with Government of Pakistan Vision 2025, Space Vision 2047 of National Space Agency of Pakistan, and achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) impelled the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) to establish Remote Sensing, GIS and Climatic Research Lab (RSGCRL) at University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

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Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar

Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar

G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, also known as Pantnagar University, is the first agricultural university in India. The University lies in the campus town of Pantnagar in Kichha Tehseel and in the district of Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. The university is regarded as the harbinger of the Green Revolution in India. Pantnagar University is regarded as a significant force in the development and transfer of High Yielding Variety of seeds and related technology.

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The United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS)

The United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS)

The United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) is a research and training institute of the United Nations University. UNU is a global network of institutes and programs engaged in research and capacity development to support the universal goals of the UN. It brings together leading scholars from around the world with a view to generate strong and innovative knowledge on how to tackle pressing global problems. UNU-CRIS focuses on the study of processes of global cooperation and regional integration and their implications.

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Publication

Status and outlook of the Space4Water Project of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs: three years of Space4Water

Software/Tool/(Web-)App

mWater

mWater

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mWater is an operating system for digital governance used by governments, civil society organizations, and water and sanitation service providers in over 190 countries. The platform's free features allow users to collect data using smartphones, bring in data from Earth observations and other sources, and create effective analytics and visualizations to help prioritize interventions. mWater is designed to facilitate collaboration and longitudinal monitoring of individual pieces of infrastructure as well as entire water systems.

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mWater

mWater

Logo of mWater

mWater is an operating system for digital governance used by governments, civil society organizations, and water and sanitation service providers in over 190 countries. The platform's free features allow users to collect data using smartphones, bring in data from Earth observations and other sources, and create effective analytics and visualizations to help prioritize interventions. mWater is designed to facilitate collaboration and longitudinal monitoring of individual pieces of infrastructure as well as entire water systems.

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mWater

mWater

Logo of mWater

mWater is an operating system for digital governance used by governments, civil society organizations, and water and sanitation service providers in over 190 countries. The platform's free features allow users to collect data using smartphones, bring in data from Earth observations and other sources, and create effective analytics and visualizations to help prioritize interventions. mWater is designed to facilitate collaboration and longitudinal monitoring of individual pieces of infrastructure as well as entire water systems.

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Earth Observation Data Analysis Library

Earth Observation Data Analysis Library

Logo of the EOdal project

Imagery from Earth observing (EO) satellites combined with environmental data about climate, topography and soils holds great potential to advance our knowledge about the dynamics of our planet. Still, the handling and analysis of these data sources is cumbersome and presents a high barrier to entry leaving the potential of EO data underexploited.

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Space-based Solution

Flood modeling for melting glacier - need for input

Addressed challenge(s)
Althabasca Delta

Potential consequences due to the melting Athabasca glacier, Canada

Collaborating actors (stakeholders, professionals, young professionals or Indigenous voices)
Suggested solution

Assessment of the challenge

  • Need more data about the location of the community and their usage of water
  • Split the challenge into a “glacier” and a down-stream challenge
  • No up-to-date weather data available since 2011
  • Discharge and temperature, rainfall and snow data available
  • Digital elevation surface and terrain model available

Outline steps to a solution & status

  1. Inventory of the snow cover and watershed area (completed)
  2. Build a regression model using historical data to assess the relationship between snow melt, temperature and discharge (to do)
  3. HEC-RAS for flood modelling (to do)
  4. Use climate change projections to predict future discharge and flood extents (to do)
  5. Impact assessment: downstream impact analysis of hydro-power and agriculture in case needed (to do)

Requirements

Software

Data

Physical

  • Weather station - if more detailed data are needed by the community
  • Snow monitoring (snow depth sensor)
Relevant publications
Related space-based solutions
Keywords (for the solution)
Flood modellingGlacier MonitoringHydrological cycle
Climate Zone (addressed by the solution)
Tundra
Habitat (addressed by the solution)
Region/Country (the solution was designed for, if any)
Relevant SDGs