Article by Adam Zable, Stefaan Verhulst: “Non-Traditional Data (NTD) — data digitally captured, mediated, or observed through instruments such as satellites, social media, mobility apps, and wastewater testing — holds immense potential when re-used responsibly for purposes beyond those for which it was originally collected. If combined with traditional sources and guided by strong governance, NTD can generate entirely new forms of public value — what we call the Third Wave of Open Data.
Yet, there is often little awareness of how these datasets are currently being applied, and even less visibility on the lessons learned. That is why we curate and monitor, on a quarterly basis, emerging developments that provide better insight into the value and risks of NTD.
In previous updates, we focused on how NTD has been applied across domains like financial inclusion, public health, socioeconomic analysis, urban mobility, governance, labor dynamics, and digital behavior, helping to surface hidden inequities, improve decision-making, and build more responsive systems.
In this update, we have curated recent advances where researchers and practitioners are using NTD to close monitoring gaps in climate resilience, track migration flows more effectively, support health surveillance, and strengthen urban planning. Their work demonstrates how satellite imagery can provide missing data, how crowdsourced information can enhance equity and resilience, and how AI can extract insights from underused streams.
Below we highlight recent cases, organized by public purpose and type of data. We conclude with reflections on the broader patterns and governance lessons emerging across these cases. Taken together, they illustrate both the expanding potential of NTD applications and the collaborative frameworks required to translate data innovation into real-world impact.
Categories
- Public Health & Disease Surveillance
- Environment, Climate & Biodiversity
- Urban Systems, Mobility & Planning
- Migration
- Food Security & Markets
- Information Flows for Risk and Policy..(More)”.
