Geographic approaches to conservation and protection

Last week at Columbia University, hundreds of scholars, policy makers, environmental researchers, and geographers sat down to discuss how geography can be used to solve major world problems at this year’s Geography2050 Conference. The theme for the conference, “Envisioning a Sustainable Planet,” focused on the use of GIS tools, data, and novel approaches to aid in the protection, preservation, and conservation of our planet for future generations.

GIS has long been a critical tool in the ecologists arsenal, with common uses ranging from land use analysis, pollution monitoring, among many others. At Fulcrum, we have customers who use our mobile app in the field everyday for ecological research; conducting sea turtle nest mapping, monitoring light pollution, and conducting wildlife inventories. However, actually seeing firsthand how researchers were using GIS in the field was absolutely fascinating to me.

Conference highlights

Some of the more exciting uses of GIS tools and data I saw at the conference were:

• DigitalGlobe using satellite image data to identify and break up a human slavery ring at sea.
• The Global Environmental Facility crowdsourced data to map every biome on Earth and set priorities for at-risk areas.
• Michael Mann used wildfire maps to show how government subsidies create incentives for building in fire-prone areas.
• The Center for International Earth Science Information Network addressed the climate change challenges faced by one billion people living below the global poverty line.
• Dr. Gary Machlis from the National Park Service highlighted the environmental, logistical, and political challenges of managing 85 million acres with just 22,000 rangers.

Maps of interest

In addition, a variety of compelling maps were shown demonstrating the scope and scale of our impact on the environment:

• The Ecological Marine Unit’s EMU Explorer visualizes global marine data such as temperature, O2, nitrates, phosphates, thickness and more.
• The Antineutrino Map (AGM2015) demonstrates the proliferation of nuclear material across the globe and areas of nuclear development.
• The Global Forest Watch Map provides public access to real-time data on tree cover gain and loss worldwide. This tool enables users to view deforestation as it occurs, offering insights into global forest changes.

This year at Geography 2050, I gained extensive knowledge about environmental science and ecological concerns. The sessions highlighted our role in conservation and protection of the planet for future generations. On my flight home, I reflected on one significant takeaway from the conference. Geographic education extends beyond maps; it deepens our understanding of the world around us. It also equips us with analytical tools essential for solving large-scale, complex problems. I felt honored to attend Geography 2050 this year and look forward to future contributions.