In order to build adaptive, responsive, and resilient economies, it is essential to tackle multiple complex challenges which is only possible through precise, actionable insights.

The world is facing myriad global challenges—including climate change, pandemics, and conflict. At the same time, many developing countries are dealing with shrinking growth prospects, weakening investment, and surging debt. These trends are reversing hard-won development gains and threatening progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals ~ World Bank Annual Report 2023

So there it is, a snapshot of the challenges ahead in 2024 and beyond. The era of unbridled growth is over and economies have to understand that de-growth is a better option for a sustainable earth.

The world needs to make sound climate related investments, promote simpler living by implementing more efficient use of the worlds natural resources to prolong their availability, and use the Internet to sensitize people and make them participants in the development story.

These challenges have to be addressed in a holistic manner with geospatial systems being integrated with other technologies to provide solutions that address human and environmental needs.

The whole can be subdivided into four major groups of activities. The first is the integration of technologies to provide solutions.

The second is to consider solutions as a part of a bigger effort aimed at a better quality of life which is the goal of the third group of activities – addressing Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

Finally, with the maturing of interactive communications systems like the Internet and Web 3.0 it is now possible to address the fourth group – citizen involvement in accepting, promoting and participating in achieving the goals set out by the challenges.

“The era of unbridled growth is over and economies have to understand that de-growth is a better option for a sustainable earth.”

Technology Integration

Traditionally geospatial technologies have adopted and adapted emerging technologies in the fields of computer science and communications.

As George Zhao, Chairman & CEO, CHC Navigation says, “The geospatial industry has always embraced innovation, and today, the convergence of AI, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly reshaping the landscape.”

Adds Mo Sarwat, CEO, Wherobots, “AI and predictive analytics have emerged of great utility for everything from weather forecasting to agricultural production.” He further goes on to state that “An underlying trend these days is bringing spatial context into data stack instead of having a completely new GIS stack.”

Tomás Hernani, CEO, Satlantis says, “The focus on miniaturization and ultra-high pixel techniques has led to the development of instruments capable of achieving resolutions previously deemed impossible.”

Dr. Victor Khoo, Director, Survey and Geomatics, Singapore Land Authority believes “The future of geospatial domain is intrinsically linked to its ability to integrate with emerging technologies, foster innovative ecosystems, and contribute to sustainable development.”

Hernani adds, “Methane detection, for example, illustrates the practical application of these technologies. By equipping satellites with the capability to capture multi-spectral and short-wave infrared data, scientists can now identify and quantify methane emissions with greater accuracy. This capability is crucial for monitoring environmental health and ensuring regulatory compliance.”

“By translating environmental challenges into quantifiable data, technology is providing a pathway to actionable, impactful solutions.”

Ricardo Conde, President, Portuguese Space Agency and Ronda Schrenk, CEO of, United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) have added the factor of Open Data as one of the means to enhance data accessibility and usage. This also leads to the issues of interoperability and standardization.

Holistic Applications

“Most of the big Fortune 500 companies today are problem-solvers, and it won’t be an overstatement to say that over 90% of them have a spatial use-case. Salience of geospatial is a recurring thread all across”, says Sarwat, highlighting the need to look at total integrated solutions rather than a specific geospatial solution.

He goes on to add, as an example that “… over a decade back the insurance sector was not geospatially context driven, while today most insurance companies have a spatial strategy.”

According to Zhao “Geospatial data acts as a digital image of the whole world and its use translates to enhanced sustainability, climate resilience, optimized supply chains, and smarter infrastructure investments. He adds, ”The strategic use of geospatial data for consolidation and responsible infrastructure development has the potential to have a profound impact on local, national, and global economies.”

Hernani affirms, “A company’s success hinges on strategy and customer focus, not just technology.”

On how to achieve this he states that, “Specific customer problems should be prioritized and solved. Companies taking this initiative are leading this change. By offering a mix of hardware, software, and services tailored to the unique requirements of industries such as energy, oil and gas, and agriculture, there should be a focus on customer-centric models.

This approach enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and fosters a closer alignment with the evolving demands of the marketplace”. “The future of the space industry is not just about technological breakthroughs but about creating sustainable, impactful solutions for our planet”, he concludes.

Sarwat observes that, “Similarly, ensuring food security is of utmost importance for the future of humanity. With the help of geospatial-based smart technology, we can decrease operational costs and simultaneously boost production to feed the growing population.”

Climate Change and Sustainable Development

The IPPC report has outlined the synergy between climate change and sustainable development in the areas of adaptation and mitigation of the ill effects of global warming.

Endorsing this Zhao adds, “Cloud-based geospatial solutions can guide informed decisions that strike a vital balance between economic progress and environmental stewardship.”

Sarwat avers that, “With a lot of startups trying to study weather patterns, track pollution, or map carbon footprint, geospatial takes the center-stage in Climate Change mitigation effort as well.”

Jack Dangermond, Founder, Esri recognizes the need when he states that, “As humans, our biggest challenge today is creating a sustainable future. Here, I think geospatial professionals and geospatial technology providers have a big role to play. It’s all about leveraging our best geographic science, technology and creative design thinking to find solutions to both climate change and protecting biodiversity.”

Zhao concurs that, “The key to sustainable transformation lies in the strategic integration of innovative technologies into society, both economically and environmentally.

“The IPPC report has outlined the synergy between climate change and sustainable development in the areas of adaptation and mitigation of the ill effects of global warming.”

People’s Involvement

While discussing technologies and their applications professionals tend to address the needs of an unknown entity called the ‘end users’. Who are these end users?

Managers, administrators, stakeholders or the citizens? Often the last entity is forgotten and professionals are surprised when a particular project fails to enthuse citizens.

Professor Freek Van Der Meer, Dean of the Faculty Geo-information and Earth Observation (ITC), University of Twente states, “Universities need to really engage and collaborate with society. That is the kind of transformation, the society needs, where research, education and innovation become the single thread of co-creation.”

“We need to connect social scientists, and people working in communication to culture. Through a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach, we need to bring together communities.”

Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University, and President, United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UNSDSN) adds, “We are in a period of deeply disruptive technological change, where disruption means fundamentally new ways of facing problems, engaging in work, doing research, etc.”

“Our challenge is to harness new technologies for the human good, rather than for warfare, surveillance, fake news, rising inequality, and, conflict. It’s not easy, because our governments and businesses are not adequately and systematically working for the global common good.”

As is often stated, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This holds true for geospatial systems and applications. Perhaps the ultimate role of technologies can be summed up as: “The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everything in life until they are indistinguishable from it.” Mark Weiser, CTO, Xerox PARC, also referred as the Father of Ubiquitous Computing.