ABSTRACT
Through this chapter, we will explore how big data analysis supports sustainable development efforts. In fact, big data projects can make a significant contribution to health care by improving and reducing health services costs, preventing disease and supporting innovation, research, and development in medicines, treatment, and improvement of public health.
Big data also helps educational institutions in the understanding of their beneficiaries, their requirements, and the reduction of the educational process costs. Big data projects can also contribute to fighting crime, ensuring security, coping with and predicting natural disasters, as well as supporting environmental conservation efforts.
At the economic level, analyze the impact that big data can have on economic policy-making and rationalization of resource exploitation.
However, big data projects are not without challenges such as privacy issues, lack of human capacity, expanding IT infrastructure to deal with the demands of large data sets, as well as risks of growing inequality and bias. There are gaps between those who own data and those who do not.
But big data can deliver on its promises to achieve sustainable development in the coming years if more efforts are made to improve affordable access to ICTs and knowledge for all people, promote opportunities for open learning and lifelong learning, build human capacity to exploit big data, ensure that specialized expertise is kept up with technological developments 236and promote North-South, South-South cooperation for technology transfer and skills.
