Population growth and rising incomes are increasing resource demand (water, energy, food, etc). Meanwhile, resource supply faces challenges from environmental degradation, land use change, the inherent variability of weather conditions and resource productivity, and the long-term threat of climate change.

Data volumes and information processing capabilities have grown, driven by new sensor networks and a whole host of emerging information and communications technologies. The expansion of the “internet of things” will increase the volume of data and create the need for new systems to turn raw data into useful information to support decision-making.