Global Mapping Project

Global Mapping Project
Name	Global Mapping Project
Abbreviation	GMP
Established	1996
Jurisdiction	International
Headquarters	Tokyo
Parent organization	International Steering Committee for Global Mapping

Global Mapping Project The Global Mapping Project is an international initiative to produce consistent, global-scale geospatial datasets for environmental assessment and policy support. It assembles thematic layers such as land cover, elevation, drainage, population centers, and infrastructure by harmonizing inputs from national mapping agencies, space agencies, and scientific institutions. The initiative connects technical standards, capacity-building, and policy dialogues across multilateral frameworks and regional programs.

Overview

The initiative originated in meetings among institutions including the United Nations Environment Programme, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the European Space Agency, the Geological Survey of Japan, and the International Steering Committee for Global Mapping. It framed a response to demands from assessments such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and programs like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the Group on Earth Observations. The project emphasized interoperability with standards from the Open Geospatial Consortium and coordination with agencies such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization.

Objectives and Scope

Primary objectives included establishing global baseline datasets to support initiatives like the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Scope covered thematic mapping of land use and land cover, topography, hydrology, infrastructure, and human settlement patterns to inform processes such as the Millennium Development Goals evaluations and later the Sustainable Development Goals. Contributions were solicited from national mapping agencies such as the United States Geological Survey, the Ordnance Survey, and the Survey of India.

Data Sources and Methodology

Data sources combined remotely sensed data from sensors on platforms like Landsat, Sentinel-2, and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission with national cadastral and topographic products from institutions like the Geological Survey of Canada and the Instituto Geográfico Nacional (Spain). Methodology employed harmonization protocols aligned with standards from the International Organization for Standardization and processing workflows used by research centers such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Quality control involved intercomparison with datasets from the Global Land Cover Facility and validation campaigns coordinated with universities including University of Tokyo and Imperial College London.

Products and Applications

Products comprised continuous global raster and vector layers at standardized resolutions for elevation, land cover classification, drainage networks, and built-up areas. Applications spanned modelling by groups such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change authors, conservation planning by the World Wide Fund for Nature, disaster risk assessment by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and infrastructure planning by development banks like the World Bank. Datasets were integrated into platforms such as the Global Earth Observation System of Systems and used in academic studies at institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley.

International Collaboration and Governance

Governance relied on a coordinating committee composed of representatives from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Geological Survey of Japan, the International Steering Committee for Global Mapping, and national mapping agencies from countries including China, Brazil, Russia, and Australia. Funding and in-kind support originated from multilateral donors such as the Asian Development Bank and bilateral partners like the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Legal and data-sharing arrangements referenced protocols from World Intellectual Property Organization discussions and model agreements used by the International Hydrographic Organization.

Implementation and Capacity Building

Implementation fostered technical exchange through workshops hosted by organizations such as the United Nations University, training with universities like University of Cambridge and Peking University, and hands-on cooperation with agencies including the Korea Aerospace Research Institute. Capacity-building targeted national mapping agencies in regions represented by the African Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Organization of American States. Knowledge transfer included adoption of open-source toolchains prevalent in communities around projects such as GRASS GIS and initiatives led by research centers like the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

Impact, Criticism, and Challenges

Impact included improved baseline information for policy debates at forums such as the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and climate negotiations at COP meetings, and operational use in regional programs by the European Commission and the African Development Bank. Criticism addressed data resolution limits noted by researchers at Columbia University and concerns about national sovereignty raised in dialogues with the Ministry of Land and Resources (China) and the Department of Survey and Mapping (Malaysia). Technical challenges involved reconciling heterogeneous projections used by agencies like the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and ensuring long-term maintenance amid funding cycles influenced by donors such as the Global Environment Facility.

Category:Geographic information systems Category:Remote sensing Category:International scientific organizations