For over 25 years, the third week of November has been traditionally dedicated to the science of geography. By celebrating Geography Awareness Week, the global community raises awareness of this underestimated field and excites people about its significance in everyday life.
For the Aspectum team, geography is a cornerstone of our activity. That’s why we’d like to shed some light and show what a multifaceted tool this science can be.
The following is a list of GIS maps serving to detect, prevent, and overcome ecological, medical, humanitarian, municipal, and other issues.
Aspectum Maps
E-Waste maps assist in risk assessment and disaster management. This GIS tool allows visualizing the impact of electronic waste on the environment. Additionally, mapping software significantly simplifies pollution detection.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/e-waste/.
The USA. Deforestation Columbia map depicts changes in forest cover in the Columbia, South Carolina area between February and May 2020. The information received from satellite imagery helps in detecting and monitoring tree vegetation, as well as assisting in planning reforestation projects.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/usa-deforestation-columbia/.
Blue Flag Sites on the global map provide precise information about beaches and bays worldwide – to say, water quality, environmental management, safety, and the like. With mapping visualization, users can check out the condition of top tourism destinations, as well as learn about places that have lost their Blue Flag status.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/blue-flag-sites/.
The Fukushima Daiichi Impact map showcases changes in infrastructure in the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, from 2004 to 2019. This map can help with tracking the impact of the Fukushima Daiichi plant nuclear disaster on the Fukushima Prefecture after the release of radioactive elements. The visualization of the findings helps shed further light on the possible preventive measures, and actions taken during the accident.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/fukushima-impact/.
The Health System in the US map enables governmental entities and non-governmental organizations to monitor hospital infrastructure. The map may be filtered by state affiliation, population, or bed capacity, broken down by county, so that users can instantly get the required information. This tool is especially relevant in 2020, as the U.S. health system struggles to cope with the scope and severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/health-system-in-the-us/.
The Health System in EU map functions similarly to the previous map, but visualizes hospitals across Europe. Users can find data about hospital infrastructure, contact information, and the number of beds available in each administrative unit.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/health-system-in-the-eu/.
The Domestic Violence During COVID-19 map shows statistics about women suffering from physical and sexual abuse during the lockdown. The map offers helpline and shelter contact information, as well as other legislative and demographic data.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/domestic-violence-during-covid-19/.
The CARE Organization map displays countries where CARE programs, run by a U.S. based nonprofit focused on poverty alleviation, are active. It provides links, the number of projects and active staff for every country. The visualization of this data allows for better oversight of the current CARE network, and helps identify new sites to expand the program.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/care-organization/.
The Mapping Bicycle Parking in the City map was modeled to improve the biking infrastructure of Toronto, Canada, and extend the bicycle rent and parking network according to the users’ needs.
Find out more at https://aspectum.com/map-gallery/street-furniture-bicycle-parking/.
Takeaway
The Geography Awareness Week looks to support better geography education, and to do so, it’s essential not only to highlight the significance of the science, but to demonstrate how it can be further implemented in multiple fields. The GIS maps listed above help enlighten others to the role that geography can play in building a better future for human beings.