Mapping the Nation

I often say that sustainability starts with geography. Geography holds the key to helping us better understand and manage our world, which faces compounding crises. In fact, I believe our future depends on it. We must be more coordinated and concentrated on taking action where it is needed the most if we are to create a world that is healthy, prosperous, equitable, peaceful, secure, and in balance with nature. In other words, geography will help us ensure a more sustainable future for all.

A geographic approach provides a way of thinking and problem solving that integrates and organizes all relevant information in the crucial context of location. In much the same way that geography integrates the physical, biological, and social sciences, geographic information system (GIS) technology integrates the knowledge that is needed to understand the complex challenges facing our world.  

GIS provides a means to examine and explore the dimensions of every challenge, prioritizing what to do where and when based on evidence and analysis. With GIS, layers of domain-specific intelligence can be draped over maps. They can be combined and modeled to reveal new relationships and hidden connections across space and time. 

Leaders make more informed decisions using GIS to see these patterns and trends, model different scenarios, and craft solutions. They are using maps to better communicate and collaborate—providing a shared understanding of the issues at hand. With GIS, government agencies, companies, and institutions around the globe are using the power of geography to guide their course toward a better future. 

Geographic Understanding Creates a Better Future  

I often say that sustainability starts with geography. Geography holds the key to helping us better understand and manage our world, which faces compounding crises. In fact, I believe our future depends on it. We must be more coordinated and concentrated on taking action where it is needed the most if we are to create a world that is healthy, prosperous, equitable, peaceful, secure, and in balance with nature. In other words, geography will help us ensure a more sustainable future for all.

A Foundation for Understanding

A geographic approach provides a way of thinking and problem solving that integrates and organizes all relevant information in the crucial context of location. In much the same way that geography integrates the physical, biological, and social sciences, geographic information system (GIS) technology integrates the knowledge that is needed to understand the complex challenges facing our world.  

GIS provides a means to examine and explore the dimensions of every challenge, prioritizing what to do where and when based on evidence and analysis. With GIS, layers of domain-specific intelligence can be draped over maps. They can be combined and modeled to reveal new relationships and hidden connections across space and time. 

Leaders make more informed decisions using GIS to see these patterns and trends, model different scenarios, and craft solutions. They are using maps to better communicate and collaborate—providing a shared understanding of the issues at hand. With GIS, government agencies, companies, and institutions around the globe are using the power of geography to guide their course toward a better future. 

Toward a National GIS

It is clear that creating a better future requires us to work collaboratively, connecting our organizations together to truly understand our world. GIS has become more interconnected than ever before. Systems link organizations and agencies together to share millions of datasets among a diverse set of users. Users with expertise and knowledge are using this data and GIS to create billions of maps every day. This has created ripple effects of positive impacts on the world, from biodiversity protection to safer and more inclusive communities.  

Technological advancements have enhanced the utility of GIS and expanded its impact. The latest GIS-powered solutions thrive on endless data from a growing constellation of earth-observing satellites and ground-based sensors. The increased number and frequency of observations are now processed using cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance knowledge about our planet in near real-time. 

A greater flow of data between and within organizations has reduced siloed information and broadened interdisciplinary collaboration. A shared map provides the conduit for integrating and exchanging knowledge and information—building a national and global GIS that fosters a shared understanding and allows everyone to chart progress together.

Building Digital Twins

With a national GIS, we can truly start to model and understand our world in new ways. Building a GIS-based digital twin of our planet using reality capture and real-time data shows not only what’s happening now but allows us to simulate what might be. A living digital twin tracks everything that moves and changes in the landscape and models performance and stresses on systems. With this GIS-based digital twin, we gain new insight into how every part of a system affects the others, pinpointing problems and addressing challenges as they arise.

It fills me with hope to see digital twins and open science used to conserve more land and ocean, to identify inequities, and to address the impacts of climate related threats. We need more evidence-based guidance to improve the balance on our planet and meet the urgency of the moment. With digital twins, we have an opportunity to advance science at an accelerated pace.

Mapping the Nation 

Within this book are stories that describe the work of technical and scientific experts, civil servants, policymakers, designers, and many more stakeholders who make the world better using GIS.  

Mapping the Nation: Creating the World We Want to See continues a long series of books that acknowledge the contributions of GIS users by showcasing their work. These stories illustrate how geography and a geographic approach guide important decisions around the globe.  We're continuously amazed by the depth of GIS activity and how its use measurably improves organizations and communities. Using GIS, professionals advance science, design with nature in mind, make communities more livable and efficient, improve public safety, secure nations, protect natural spaces, enhance human health, and mitigate social conflicts.  

Now is the time to strengthen the stewardship of our world. At Esri®, we're dedicated to enhancing knowledge to create the world we all want to see. Sustainability starts with geography. 

Warm regards,  

Jack Dangermond  

Despite growing evidence that humankind lives beyond its means, we have easy choices and many chances to create a more sustainable world. The same science, technology, and cultural forces that have led to the success of humans as a species can guide us toward a more balanced and livable planet.

Using GIS, we can collectively imagine and design solutions that can be implemented widely. A modern GIS facilitates data collection, analysis, and sharing to achieve coordinated responses. Using these tools, organizations gain an edge on complicated challenges because they can see trouble coming and take action to decisively avoid it. For cities, regions, and nations, these tools provide awareness through maps and dashboards to ensure that everyone can participate in building more sustainable approaches. 

As organizations that use GIS to address complex problems already know, the science of geography fosters ground truths. By creating a shared picture for everyone involved, it leads to quicker and more decisive action. With the use of GIS, initiatives can be formulated, priorities emerge, and progress is made.

Within this book, you will read of organizations that took a proactive approach to climate action, equity and social justice, environment, conservation, humanitarian assistance, public safety, smart planning, infrastructure, and sustainability. Through the familiar frame—problem, solution, result—you will learn of organizations and individuals who are making an impact with GIS by applying a geographic approach to their challenges.

At Esri, we like to think of GIS as a geospatial nervous system for the planet, one that can help guide an effort such as climate resilience by empowering organizations to take the pulse of climate pressures. We are committed to helping our users design a better, more sustainable future. And we're confident that the collaborative nature of GIS will foster important connections among and within organizations. 

Partnerships and collaborations, such as the one between the United Nations (UN) and Esri around quantifying the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), can help everyone on the planet. Mobile field data applications, coupled with analytical capabilities, can support the ambitious goals of ending poverty and hunger and all the other important aims of a modern and inclusive society.

GIS provides tools to better manage the natural environment and safeguard wild and biodiverse places. Many communities have gone too far in extracting resources to the detriment of species and ecosystems. Nature is inherently resilient though, and land managers have employed GIS to return vibrancy. GIS guides rewilding and rejuvenation programs that enhance habitat and return locally extinct species to reclaim balanced ecosystems.

Humanitarian-aid organizations use GIS to address some of their most common challenges, such as helping where needs are the greatest and finding safe routes to deliver relief services. In public safety, GIS reveals where to focus efforts to prevent, protect against, and mitigate complex threats and hazards. With real-time data-driven insights aiding mission-critical decisions, responders can quickly recover from events and threats that pose the greatest risk of destabilizing communities. 

Geodesign provides a smart planning approach to design with nature rather than against it. This powerful method has been used to create new developments that bring important amenities to communities, including enhanced proximity to nature and increased shade to combat climbing temperatures. GIS has been used to make communities more livable while reducing risks from more extreme storms due to climate change.

The global GIS vision that was once imagined by pioneers of the technology has gradually come about through our collective work.

When we all can see the benefits of our actions, we can accelerate changes to create a world we all want to see. Together, we can leave future generations with blueprints and solutions that create balance. We owe it to the planet, and all the species that live on it, to map the change we want to see.