At ESRI UC 2020 opening plenary, Jack Dangermond explores how geospatial technology helped us integrate data and connect communities to meet an unprecedented challenge like COVID-19
In the past few months, our entire world has changed like never before. COVID-19 has disrupted every system that existed, and pretty much everything we took for granted. As healthcare systems collapsed across countries, lockdowns, travel bans and trade restrictions have wreaked havoc on global trade and supply chains. Never before has the importance of “Science of where” been more critical. With the entire world rushing to make maps and apps to combat the deadly virus, and also striving to adjust to the new normal, the role of geospatial has been foundational.
If you are a geospatial enthusiast and watched the COVID response video played by Jack Dangermond at the opening plenary at ESRIUC 2020 on Monday, you couldn’t but be left with goosebumps and a choked up feeling. Roughly four months ago when the pandemic struck and the world stood shocked and numbed, the geospatial community stood up like never before. They built billions of maps, and apps and dashboards, poured through oceans of data, and pressed every known sensor and analytical system into place, connecting people — at times even the unconnected — to help and guide those who needed it most – not only the health authorities combating the pandemic, but also those managing its ripple effects.
As Dangermond called it, it was a heroic effort, no matter how you measure it.
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This year’s conference, which is virtual in nature, has the theme GIS—Interconnecting Our World. The four-day event starting July 13, explores how geospatial technology can integrate everything and engage everyone to overcome unprecedented global challenges.
“Through the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has unfolded over the first half of the year, we have seen just how interconnected the systems of the world are,” said Dangermond, underlining his message of last year’s UC when he called GIS the intelligent nervous system of the planet.
“GIS plays an important role in moving us forward by connecting these systems among individuals and across national, state, and local governments; private businesses; and society as a whole. Our users facilitate this through an intelligent nervous system that enables everyone to build better outcomes for their communities,” he said.
Geospatial for reopening the economy
Dangermond is a master storyteller. Making an effortless switch from the importance of health and lives, to lives and livelihoods, the second part of his address focused on the importance of spatial technologies for the economy as businesses try to navigate a path shrouded by uncertainties.
Demonstrating how the nervous system of our world has never been more interconnected than it is today, Dangermond showed new technologies that facilitate the interconnection of these systems, as people use GIS to lead the way forward.
As the world takes baby steps to reopen, there hasn’t been a better time to apply and utilize the full benefits of the “Science of Where”. Location analytics provides useful tools and actionable intelligence for informative decision making. Geospatial technologies can enhance not only our understanding of viral transmission and communities at risk but also give answers to businesses to operate in a “new normal” world.
“Geography is key to integrating work across communities. GIS is all about collaboration, interconnecting and sharing,” he said while highlighting the need for collaboration across platforms, technologies, governments, and even the civil society. “As Geography becomes more and more integral to our lives and work processes, we need a ‘geospatially literate society’ going forward,” he added.
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It was also interesting to see him talk about Geospatial AI, or GeoAI, and its power. Machine Learning and Big Data mining aided by high powered computing form the foundation of GeoAI with geospatial science offering the tools and technologies that help experts to visualize, understand and analyze real-world phenomena according to particular locations. GeoAI is increasingly being used to model and capture the environment around us, linking locations in which we live and work, or people/elements we interact with, to explore their potential role in influencing health outcomes. There is also extensive research into GeoAI being used for hypothesis generation, conducting new data linkages and predicting disease occurrence. Evaluation of hypotheticals helps people answer questions like “what if” — What if there were no stay at home orders? What if we open restaurants? What if we open public transport? This facilitates the evaluation of potential policy decisions.
Geospatial for a sustainable world
Esri is synonymous with sustainability and conservation issues, and not just because of its name. Be it multilateral organizations like the United Nations, large international NGO like the National Geographic, or a small organization focused on a single community, Esri’s relationship with the community runs deep. Naturally, no Dangermond address can be without delving into these issues.
“Environment degradation, Climate Change, food security are issues that are still as relevant as ever and affecting the planet and our existence,” he said. In many cases, the disruptions wrought by the pandemic will only worsen the already fragile situation as more people are pushed below poverty lines, and digital divide will go up.
Highlighting how the global community collaborated to meet the enormous challenges brought on by COVID-19, Dandermond said similar efforts were needed to unite countries around the world to collaborate and measure the progress of our collective efforts towards sustainable development goals.
Over the past few years, Esri has been working with the United Nations and its Member States to establish a global network of SDG data hubs called “Federated Information Systems for SDGs (FIS4SDGs)”. The FIS4SDGs aim to create a system of systems for reporting and monitoring progress towards the SDGs by countries and the UN. It is a platform for collecting, managing, monitoring, and using Sustainable Development Goals data and also provides technical support services to the United Nations and participating Member States.
“Your work is becoming essential for ensuring a sustainable future for us all as the world continues to evolve. Thank you for your amazing work,” he said switching off for the day.
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