International Day of the Tropics: The role of open data in Europe’s
mission for tropical sustainability
29 June marks the International Day of the Tropics
[https://www.un.org/en/observances/tropics-day], highlighting the
challenges and opportunities faced by tropical regions globally, which
equal 40% of the world’s total surface
[https://www.un.org/en/observances/tropics-day]. Europe is working on
stepping up its commitment to tropical sustainability through the
power of open data. Whilst Europe is not part of the tropic region,
its influence on tropical ecosystems is significant through trade,
climate policy, research and development aid. 

The tropics have been central to global climate regulation,
biodiversity, and food security for many communities. European
institutions such as the Commission are actively involved in
monitoring developments in the tropics, like sustainable agriculture,
mitigating deforestation, and help fund biodiversity conservation in
tropical regions. One of the tools developed by the Commission is
the Tropical Moist Forest Explorer
[https://forobs.jrc.ec.europa.eu/TMF/explorer], which helps visualise
datasets on moisture levels over three decades. Global support is very
important, as the tropics have some of the highest levels of poverty
and undernourishment in the world. 

Europe is stepping up its commitment to tropical sustainability
through the power of open data. Open data portals like data.europa.eu
[https://data.europa.eu/en] give access to environmental and
socio-economic data of various countries within the tropics to those
who need it. At the recent EU Open Data Days
[https://data.europa.eu/en/euopendatadays], experts demonstrated
how FAIR [https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles/] (findable,
accessible, interoperable and reusable) principles are being applied
to climate and marine datasets
[https://www.youtube.com/live/WaMV6eIGgJY?t=11495s] which are crucial
to tracking and planning climate-resilience infrastructure.
The Sustainable Developments Goals [https://sdgs.un.org/goals] also
focus on food security and ending poverty, for which open data can be
a reliable resource for creating suitable solutions in tropical
regions.

On International Tropics Day, the role of Europe in conserving these
global regions by bridging knowledge and action through open data is
emphasised. By investing in collaboration and innovation, the EU is
helping support tropical regions whilst reinforcing its own commitment
to making a sustainable, interconnected future.

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Publication Date/Time
2025-06-29T08:00:00+00:00
Open data focused on tropical developments emerges as a powerful tool
in Europe’s global sustainability mission