Report on the Asia Digital Hub and its Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Addressing Climate Vulnerability in Alignment with Global Goals

Small-scale fisheries, which account for approximately 40 per cent of the global fish catch, represent one of the food production systems most vulnerable to climate change. A significant data gap hinders government efforts to support fishers in adaptation. To address this challenge, the global research partnership CGIAR has launched the Asia Digital Hub at WorldFish’s headquarters in Penang, Malaysia. The Hub convenes policymakers, scientists, communities, and the private sector to develop and scale digital solutions for aquatic food systems. This initiative directly supports key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 14 (Life Below Water), by building resilience and improving the management of marine resources.

The Peskas System: A Digital Tool for Sustainable Fisheries Management

A primary tool deployed by the Hub is Peskas, an open-source system designed for near real-time monitoring of small-scale fisheries. The system modernizes data collection and analysis, which was previously reliant on paper-based annual reporting.

• Data Collection: Fishing boats are equipped with trackers, and data collectors at landing sites use tablets to record catch information, including species, weight, and length.
• Data Analysis: Peskas automatically analyzes the collected data, providing immediate statistics and visual displays of fishing grounds and their productivity.

This technological advancement provides decision-makers with the timely, reliable information needed for effective governance, thereby strengthening institutions and contributing to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and the sustainable management targets of SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Global Implementation and Impact on SDG Attainment

First developed in Timor-Leste in 2016, the Peskas system is being implemented and expanded across several nations, demonstrating its adaptability and impact on various development goals.

1. Zanzibar: In partnership with the government and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, Peskas is being integrated with existing systems. The project fills a critical information gap, enabling better fisheries management and supporting national and international reporting duties under SDG 14.
2. Malaysia: A pilot project with the Malaysian Inshore Fishermen Association for Education and Welfare (JARING) demonstrated how Peskas data can help verify fisher operations. This application can help prevent the abuse of subsidised fuel and living allowances, directly supporting SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by ensuring resources reach their intended recipients.
3. Further Expansion: The system is also being expanded to Malawi, Kenya, and Mozambique, with expressed interest from Brunei, Djibouti, and Ethiopia, indicating a broad potential for impact.

A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Food Systems

The Asia Digital Hub’s mandate extends beyond catch monitoring to encompass a more integrated approach to food systems, aligning with a wider range of SDGs. The objective is to manage diverse data sets within a single environment to understand their interrelationships. Key focus areas include:

• Aquatic animal health
• Aquaculture development
• Household nutrition, contributing to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)
• Women’s empowerment, directly addressing SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

The Hub also promotes access to information through tools like compact genome sequencing kits and open-access courses, further democratizing science and technology.

Fostering Partnerships and Co-Design for Global Goals (SDG 17)

The success of the Hub is founded on collaboration, embodying the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The initiative fosters South-South cooperation and promotes open-source solutions, with expected benefits for fisheries monitoring and climate adaptation efforts in Africa and beyond. A critical principle guiding the Hub’s work is the co-design of digital tools. To ensure efficacy and adoption, solutions must be developed based on the needs and realities of the end-users. Small-scale fishers are positioned not merely as data providers but as essential partners in the design process, ensuring that technological transformation is inclusive and effective.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  The article is centered on small-scale fisheries, which constitute 40% of the global fish catch. It discusses the development of Peskas, a tool for near real-time monitoring of these fisheries to enable better management and prevent overfishing. This directly aligns with the goal of conserving and sustainably using marine resources.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  The article explicitly states that small-scale fisheries are “one of the food production systems most vulnerable to climate change” and that the new data hub aims to “help fishers adapt.” This connects the discussed initiatives directly to strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  Fisheries are a critical component of global food systems. By improving the management and sustainability of small-scale fisheries, the initiatives described contribute to ensuring sustainable food production. The article also mentions integrating data on “household nutrition,” linking the work to food security and improved nutrition.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The entire initiative is built on collaboration. The article highlights the CGIAR research partnership, the Asia Digital Hub which “brings together policymakers, scientists, communities and the private sector,” and cooperation with governments and NGOs in multiple countries (Zanzibar, Malaysia, Kenya, etc.). It also mentions fostering “cooperation between countries in the South.”

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The core of the article is about technological innovation. It describes the development and scaling of “digital solutions for food systems,” such as the Peskas open-source system, trackers on boats, and a “genome sequencing tool kit.” This represents the development of sustainable and resilient infrastructure to support economic development and well-being.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article mentions that data from Peskas could help governments verify fishers’ operations for “living allowances.” This directly relates to supporting the livelihoods and economic security of small-scale fishers, who are often among the more vulnerable populations.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article notes that the data hub aims to look beyond catch monitoring to integrate data on “women’s empowerment,” indicating a conscious effort to use technology and data to address gender-related issues within fishing communities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.4: By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The Peskas system is designed to provide “timely, reliable information they need to manage fisheries better” by monitoring catch data, which is essential for regulating harvesting and preventing overfishing.
   • Target 14.b: Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets. The article is entirely focused on small-scale fisheries. The Peskas tool and the involvement of fishers in its design (“Small-scale fishers shouldn’t just give data but also help design things”) empower them and support their access to and management of marine resources.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. The primary motivation mentioned for the data hub is to address the vulnerability of small-scale fisheries to climate change and “help fishers adapt.”

3. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.3: By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular… fishers. The Peskas system provides data on “fishing grounds along with their productivity,” which helps fishers operate more efficiently and supports sustainable increases in productivity.
   • Target 2.4: By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems. The effort to monitor and manage fisheries better is a direct attempt to create a sustainable food production system.

4. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

   • Target 17.6: Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation. The article describes the expansion of the Peskas system from Timor-Leste to multiple African nations, which Tuda notes would lead to “better cooperation between countries in the South.”
   • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships. The Asia Digital Hub is described as a multi-stakeholder partnership that “brings together policymakers, scientists, communities and the private sector.”

5. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology. The project involves equipping boats with trackers, providing tablets for data collection, and offering “open-access courses,” all of which increase access to and use of ICT in developing countries.

6. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology… to promote the empowerment of women. The article states the hub will “integrate data on… women’s empowerment,” directly linking the use of this new technology to promoting gender equality.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several explicit and implied indicators:

• Data on fish catch: The article explicitly states that data collectors record “catch information, including species, weight and length.” This data is a direct indicator for measuring the status of fish stocks (relevant to Target 14.4).
• Data on fishing productivity: The Peskas system displays “fishing grounds along with their productivity.” This is a direct indicator for measuring progress towards Target 2.3.
• Number of boats/sites using the technology: The article mentions “100 fishing boats out of Zanzibar are equipped with trackers and at 30 landing sites, data collectors use tablets.” This serves as an indicator of technology adoption and implementation scale (relevant to Targets 9.c and 14.b).
• Geographic expansion of the system: The article notes that Peskas is being “expanded to Zanzibar, Malawi, Kenya and Mozambique, with interest from Brunei, Djibouti and Ethiopia.” The number of countries adopting the system is an indicator of successful technology transfer and South-South cooperation (relevant to Target 17.6).
• Data on women’s empowerment: The plan to “integrate data on… women’s empowerment” implies that specific metrics will be collected to measure progress on this front, serving as an indicator for Target 5.b.
• Frequency of data reporting: The article contrasts the new near real-time system with the old method where “data were recorded on paper and only reported annually.” The shift from annual to real-time reporting is a key performance indicator of the system’s effectiveness in providing timely information for management (relevant to Target 14.4).

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: eco-business.com