Meeting Title: Case study on assessing the availability of data and indicators for a compilation of best practices in measuring the oceans in Colombia
Location: Bogota, Colombia
Date: 18th to 21st of September 2017
Partners: WCMC
SDG Indicators: 14.1.1, 14.2.1, 14.5.1
Type: Ocean Statistics
Brief Description:
English
The assessment of the availability of data and indicators for compilation of best practices in measuring the oceans through a case study approach took place from the 18th to 21st of September 2017. The objective of the case study was to track progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 14, “Life below water”. The four-day visit included a stakeholder meeting and individual interviews with relevant institutions such as the ministry of environment and sustainable development, the Ministry of Foreign affairs, among others. This in country mission was done in line with a case study in Fiji on assessing the availability of data and indicators for a compilation of best practices in measuring the oceans.
This case study facilitated the collection of existing indicators for eutrophication, marine plastic litter, the ecosystem approach, and marine protected area coverage currently used by Regional Seas Programmes and other key intergovernmental, international or regional bodies.
Colombia has adopted a National Development Plan 2014-2018, which incorporates the vision and principles of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. The National Development Plan includes strategies, actions and some indicators towards implementing and monitoring progress on the different SDGs.
A result of this case study was the Global Manual on Ocean Statistics which provides guidance for national governments and national institutions to support the country-level implementation of SDG Indicators 14.1.1, 14.2.1 and 14.5.1 in their national waters.
The Global Manual on Ocean Statistics offers a review of existing indicator approaches and methodologies currently used by the 18 Regional Seas Programmes and other key intergovernmental, international or regional bodies, which can be used as proxy indicators for the SDG indicators. It equally proposes globally applicable step-by-step methodology that countries can use to implement the proxy indicators and gives in-country insights on national monitoring programmes and experience of implementing relevant indicators obtained during the country mission to both Colombia and Fiji.
This will help to provide other countries with further guidance and best practices for the development of country-relevant methodologies for indicators, and it will help validate the applicability of the step-by-step methodologies that are being developed as part of the Manual.
