By Shiho Ochiai Thompson

Geographic data is a multidisciplinary tool that can be applied to various purposes, including land use planning, habitat assessment, agricultural development, emergency management, human rights promotion (such as refugee assistance), and transportation planning. Advanced technology such as satellite remote-sensing systems and geographic information systems (GIS), as well as traditional ground-level assessments, allows geographic data to be recorded and analyzed. The analyzed information is then used by government leaders, non-governmental organizations, academics, private-sector professionals, and community leaders to devise plans and solutions for promoting sustainable development, as well as security, at local, national, regional, and global levels.

On July 29, 2002, the U.S. Department of State held an open forum entitled “Geographic Information for Diplomacy, Development, and Homeland Security” to discuss the various applications of GIS. This event was timely in that the agency plans to share information and insights regarding the use of GIS at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa in August-September 2002. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where “sustainable development” became an international commitment, the Johannesburg summit aims to review the progress achieved thus far and to strengthen existing initiatives. At the U.S. Department of State’s open forum, three experts discussed the importance of GIS –– William B. Wood (Geographer and Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Intelligence and Research); Kass Green (President, Space Imaging Solutions, Inc.); and Jack Dangermond (President and Founder, Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.) An FKA staff member attended this meeting and made the following observations:

• In general, GIS is an integrative, multidisciplinary tool that can be used to assess the relationship between society and environment. According to William Wood, geographic data becomes useful only when it is combined with geographically-referenced development data (such as economic and health data) to provide support effectively for decision-making processes.
• According to Kass Green, “land is a scarce resource” that requires “accurate and timely information” for well-balanced management. Green noted that the three-dimensional, colored, and moving imagery produced by geographic data provides a wealth of information, as well as a sense of “realism.”
• Jack Dangermond asserted that GIS helps organizations to operate efficiently, allowing decision makers to plan strategically, communicate effectively, cut costs, manage work, reduce redundancy, automate processes, and share data.
• Various U.S. government agencies, as well as most United Nations agencies, have found GIS to be very useful in supporting activities related to the agencies’ specific focal points and needs. For example, according to William Wood, the U.S. Department of State uses GIS for analyzing and tracking various foreign policy issues and political geography, including genocide/human rights, landmines, agricultural development, regional instability, damage assessment, and repatriation.
• GIS will be utilized increasingly for homeland security purposes. Dr. Wood asserted that government officials and emergency personnel used GIS in the New York Office of Emergency Management in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2002.
• Recommendations from the three experts were two-fold –– 1) Collaboration among the various international agencies and governments should be encouraged for effective and cost-efficient usage of GIS, and 2) GIS should be user-friendly. According to Mr. Dangermond, GIS software is evolving into a more “server-centric” technology that caters to the Internet and network users.