BIG DATA – CATALYST OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Sustainable development involves meeting the needs of the current generation without affecting the possibility of future generations to meet their own needs. This implies the correlation of the immediate objectives with the long-term ones at local and global level, considering the economic and environmental aspects in close interdependence. Released around 2010, Big Data is a generic term that refers those data sets whose features make it impossible to process with traditional database tools. Beyond the significant dimensions, Big Data is defined by the so-called set of Big Data Vs: volume, variety, velocity, veracity, volatility and, not least by the value that their analysis adds to the decision-making process. Starting with 2013, the United Nations through the Global Pulse initiative has defined a new concept - Big Data for Development. It aims to find those data sources whose analysis provides valuable information for ensuring the well-being and development of the society. In 2015, the United Nations launched a new agenda that supports 17 sustainable development goals, whose achievement involves integrated actions that will solve social, economic and environmental problems in a way that will reduce disparities. As we are in the middle of the digital revolution, the following question is inevitable: to what extent and in what way can the data collected and analyzed using the latest technologies help to implement policies that will lead to these objectives? This paper aims to provide a qualitative analysis of how Big Data analytics can influence decisions and catalyze the implementation of policies that will result in achieving sustainable development goals.