In our changing world, nothing changes more than geography.
~ Pearl S Buck
Through the eternal interaction between the flux of geography and humanity, we trace past imprints and find present trappings. They have been concomitant to each other and reinforced each other since far back in the annals of time.
Today, more than ever, both are inextricably woven together in multiple ways, adding value, unlocking potential, and unveiling a new dimension.
As Sanjay Kumar, Founder & CEO, Geospatial World, succinctly puts it, “There can’t be a better time than this to discuss ‘Connecting Geography and humanity’ as world talks about sustainability, and we are going through transformative challenges beyond Covid such as climate change, energy transition, or geopolitics”. With this in mind, the Geospatial World Forum 2022 kicks off in Amsterdam with gusto.
The three-day event will include participation from the gamut of geospatial industry, from senior mapping agencies, hydrographic agencies to world-wide technology leaders, analytics, space, and business enterprises.
“Takeaways from this intellectual discourse will provide impetus to global communities to collectively address common challenges and take affirmative actions that are science and evidence backed to achieve sustainable development”, says Dr. Adham bin Baba, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia
When digitalization and resilience have become buzzwords for a post-pandemic recovery and designing adaptable frameworks to ensure growth and inclusion, stability and progress, geospatial is more crucial than it has ever been.
“Geospatial adds a crucial spatial dimension to knowledge infrastructure, be it engineering services or IT. It is a tool of productivity, transparency, efficiency, and compliance. When we add them together, they are key to achieve sustainability by doing more through less”, emphasizes Sanjay Kumar.
“Digitalization of workflows which gained momentum during Covid is augmented by the harmonization of data ecosystem. When we talk of harmonization of data ecosystems we get knowledge-as-a-service, which plays a crucial role in the world”, he further adds.
Sustainability is all about humans and their interdependency with complex systems and fragile ecosystems. SDGs or sustainable development goals encapsulate all that needs to be done to advance the course of posterity towards the arc of progress and make the world cleaner, better and safer. Without actionable data and insights, all of this would come to a cipher.
“SDGs embody a better world that we want to create for ourselves and future generations. SDGs require sound, reliable and actual information”, as Frank Tierolff, Chair Executive Board, Kadaster says.
At a time of mega transformations and disruptions, navigating uncertainty and precarity for the shore of certainty is what concrete planning is all about. In an ever-changing world, certainty is as important as freedom, says Frank. And what’s more certain than the precise exactitude of geospatial insights that enhance value and utility?
There’s no shortcut to multi-sectoral collaboration in terms of innovation, value creation and a conducive ecosystem. The ferment of ideas ignites new thoughts and is a bubbling laboratory for visions that shape tomorrow.
“We need to join hands across sectors to deliver value, and to make data available, controllable, and comprehensible, not for ourselves, but for society and citizenry. We should listen to them to create inclusive and secure societies”, adds Tierollf.
“Countries around the world should pursue concrete action and establish solidarity to achieve sustainability through science diplomacy”, says Dr. Adham bin Baba.
“Geospatial tech adoption has great potential to enhance Malaysia’s competitiveness in critical areas such as food security, forest management, physical development planning as well as national defense and security”, he adds.
India’s geospatial economy stand at around 5 billion USD. By 2025 it has potential to grow to 8 billion. This will lead to a lot of opportunities for entrepreneurship as well as employment generation.
“In India, the National Geospatial Policy is being evolved. AI, IoT, 5G and other new age technologies will further empower the assimilation of geospatial technologies in the existing businesses and processes”, explains Reenat Sandhu, India’s ambassador to the Netherlands.
“Large scale government investments in physical infrastructure, e-governance, digital initiatives, and integrated programs on rural and urban development are driving the growth of geospatial market in India”, she adds.
No man is an island, title of a 1624 John Donne poem, got forever embossed in the memory of generations when Hemingway used the line in his novel.
No other phrase could so pithily summarize human dilemma and the need for belonging, communication, and connection during the pandemic-induced isolation. It was then that the role of digitalization and connectivity emerged as the indispensable link that sustained bonds and gave people a mooring.
“During Covid-19, use of digital technologies has been instrumental in bridging the geographic divide to keep individuals and communities connected to governments and civil society organizations mandated to serve them. Moving forward to the new normal, digitalization is crucial in supporting people and keeping them connected during the time of crisis”, states Chong Eng, Executive Councillor for Social Development & Non-Islamic Religious Affairs, Penang State Government, Malaysia.
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