WAAS Talks on Science for Human Security : Measuring Sustainability

Bariş Salihoğlu

Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Erdemli, Mersin, Turkey

Integrating Regional Sea Innovations for Human Security: One Health, Digital Twin Oceans, and Multipurpose Platforms

Abstract

The Black Sea region presents unique opportunities to address human security through innovative projects and integrated approaches. The talk was devoted to exploration of the Connect Black Sea Project, emphasizing its alignment with the One Health framework, which connects human, environmental, and animal health for holistic resilience. The consideration then transitioned to the Bridge Black Sea Project, showcasing its role in advancing the Digital Twin Ocean concept – leveraging digital models to monitor, predict, and protect the marine ecosystems and services they provide for humans. Finally, multipurpose offshore platforms, illustrating their potential to simultaneously enhance food security, energy security, and human health were highlighted in the talk. Together, these initiatives offer a blueprint for comprehensive solutions that strengthen resilience and sustainability for the Black Sea and beyond.

Kostas Dellis

Senior Researcher, Research Laboratory on Socio-Economic and Environmental Sustainability (ReSEES), Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece; Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria (AE4RIA) Network

Cross-Country Metrics for Comprehensive Human Security Assessment

Abstract

The Cross-Country Metrics for Comprehensive Human Security Assessment project aims to establish a standardized framework for evaluating human security across nations. Human security, a multifaceted concept encompassing economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, political, and technological dimensions, remains critical to global well-being. This initiative seeks to develop a comprehensive and harmonized set of indicators to assess these dimensions, building upon key performance indicators (KPIs) for the 169 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and 247 associated indicators, while expanding to address the broader scope of human security. A holistic framework will guide the project, integrating diverse data sources and leveraging machine learning (ML) techniques to enhance data analysis and indicator development. ML methods will be applied to identify patterns in existing data, support the refinement of targeted indicators, and link policy documents, reports, and scientific literature to specific dimensions of human security.

Alice Guittard

Researcher, Sustainable Development Unit, Athena Research Center, Greece; Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria (AE4RIA) Network

Measuring Sustainability in the Blue Economy: Remaining Gaps

Abstract

Data is critical to monitor and measure progress towards sustainability, ensuring economic development that do not harm the environment while leaving no one behind. Looking at the case of Blue Economy, human activities have been developing exponentially creating multiple pressures on the marine environment. Overfishing, biodiversity loss, marine litter, chemical and nutrient pollution, and invasive species are directly impacting the health of marine ecosystems, vital for billions of people. A robust sustainability measurement system for the Blue Economy is therefore critical to preserve the oceans and support the well-being of coastal communities while boosting economic development. However, the major gaps remain in effectively tracking all components relevant for sustainable maritime activities. First of all, we do not have at hand an overarching framework capable of truly monitoring the development of maritime activity within the lens of the three sustainability pillars – environment, economy, and society. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 indicators are a good starting point; they essentially tackle the environmental aspects with a focus on the impact of fishing activities. The European Blue Economy Observatory is another monitoring initiative to assess the sustainable development of the Blue Economy in the European Union (EU). Here, the indicators used remain in the field of economy and fall short of tracking the social and environmental impacts of maritime activities; therefore, the gaps still remain with regard to a holistic framework. The second major challenge is data availability and accessibility. The collection of socio-economic data on the blue sectors is not always standardized at the national level while much of the data which does exist are not necessarily publicly available. Localizing and accessing this data can be a true endeavor. As part of the EU H2020 funded BRIDGE-BS project, AE4RIA is currently developing the Blue Economy Observatory for the Black Sea, with the aim to capture the progress in sustainably developing the blue sectors in the region through a digital platform. This experience perfectly illustrates the complexity of measuring sustainability across multiple countries with no pre-existing agreement on a sustainability framework, despite sharing a common resource. A lack of awareness of the benefits of having a robust sustainability monitoring system, but also a lack of capacity within the national statistical agencies and mistrust among the partners at all levels are among the main barriers that can be overcome through a strong political commitment to sustainably develop the blue economy sectors.

Yannis Ioannidis

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece; President, Association for Computing Machinery, New York City, NY, USA

Digital Technologies for Human Security and Sustainability

Abstract

Digital technologies are essential for addressing global challenges related to human security and sustainability, encompassing economic stability, environmental preservation, and social well-being. The interplay between data, computational infrastructures, and ethics deserves our particular attention for achieving sustainability. By leveraging advanced data collection and analysis techniques, we can monitor critical metrics such as resource consumption, energy distribution, greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity health. Technologies like Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and everything else appearing in data science pipelines optimize resource use, reduce waste, and promote transparency in all processes and supply chains, enabling evidence-based decisions to tackle environmental, economic, and social issues. Resilient and robust infrastructures are essential for implementing sustainable practices and adapting to global challenges, but they also benefit from these innovations, with smart cities, early warning systems, and digital twins that allow dynamic adaptation to environmental and societal needs. Digital platforms also empower communities through improved governance, enabling participation in sustainability efforts and expanding access to financial services that reduce vulnerabilities. In the above context, ethical challenges are immense: data privacy, sovereignty, security, and the digital divide must be addressed to ensure inclusive benefits from these technologies. Bridging inequalities in access to digital tools is critical to maximizing their potential. This is where the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) come into play. Ethical and sustainable digital technologies must closely align with the SDGs, to accelerate the process towards their achievement. For all the above, interdisciplinary scientific collaboration is necessary in transparent and globally coordinated efforts to align sustainability measurements with actionable strategies for human security.