Data & technology for sustainability
Geographic Information System (GIS)
Technology that creates, manages, analyses, and maps data tied to location, integrating where things are with what they are like — the backbone of spatial sustainability analysis.
Definition
A geographic information system is a technology used to create, manage, analyse, and map all types of data, connecting data to a map by integrating location information with descriptive attributes. It provides the foundation for mapping and spatial analysis used in science and almost every industry, helping users understand patterns, relationships, and geographic context.
References
authoritative definition
Overview
What it means
Most sustainability questions are spatial: where emissions occur, where habitats are fragmented, where flood risk and poverty overlap. GIS layers satellite imagery, sensor data, demographics, and administrative boundaries so that these questions can be analysed and visualised, from deforestation monitoring to siting renewable energy.
How it is used
Practitioners use GIS for land-use planning, conservation prioritisation, disaster-risk mapping, supply-chain traceability (including plot-level geolocation for deforestation-free commodities), and environmental justice analysis.
Why it matters
GIS turns abstract sustainability data into decisions about real places; without it, commitments like zero-deforestation supply chains or 30x30 protection targets could not be implemented or verified. **Note:** Confidence rated Medium in the review table only because the term is generic technology; its sustainability applications are well established.
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