2016 ICT4D Conference

To reach the ambition of the Sustainable Development Goals, we all need to know the extent of different problems in different places around the world. To complement the growing movements to collect and release open data about the big issues of our time, we need to deploy cutting-edge technologies to communicate that data effectively, so people can act before it's too late.

With ever-expanding datasets covering more topics and larger areas, the development sector has truly entered the age of big data. Making that data intelligible is the next big challenge to take on, which requires a combination of beautiful and intuitive design, powerful databases to complete complex analyzes and innovative visualization technologies. In an age where mobile phones are becoming the primary medium for learning about our world, we need to make sure we empower the billions of people coming online through basic phones and smartphones with the right data at the right time.

This talk will introduce how the data design agency vizzuality uses CartoDB software to build products that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. There will be a demonstration of projects using satellite data and cloud-computing to provide information to the 'bottom billion' through text and call-based services. From prioritizing malaria prevention efforts to helping farmers adopt more productive and sustainable practices, it's all about the right data at the right time.