Mapping the SDGs to Celebrate GIS Day

Today, 20 November, marks GIS Day. This global event is dedicated to celebrating the power of geospatial data and technology while promoting awareness of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Geospatial, or location-based, data plays a critical role in addressing the world's most pressing challenges, particularly in relation to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

For the fourth consecutive year, the United Nations Geospatial team is observing GIS Day by producing maps for each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These maps demonstrate the importance of reliable geospatial data and power of cartography in understanding global trends, with aggregated and disaggregated data, facilitating informed and science-based decision-making

The Geospatial team, consisting of experts from the Office of Information and Communications Technology (OICT), the Global Service Centre (GSC) in Brindisi, and UN field missions, will release new 17 SDG maps on the UN Geospatial website several times a week through the end of the year.

This initiative is part of an ongoing advocacy campaign aimed at advancing the UN common agenda. To achieve the SDGs, it is essential for governments and individuals to track progress and fully understand each goal.

Geospatial data, when visualized through well-crafted maps and diagrams, provides a clear and impactful way to measure where we stand in our efforts to reach the SDGs, offering both global and regional perspectives.

This effort to utilize geospatial information for SDG mapping builds upon the 2020 joint publication Mapping for a Sustainable World by the United Nations and the International Cartographic Association (ICA), which showcased the role of cartography in promoting sustainable development.

Explore the SDG maps at: www.un.org/geospatial.