Davis, M.

Eades, G.

Kent, A.J.

Vujakovic, P.

English

Canterbury Research and Theses Environment

Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found athttps://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=ycaj20The Cartographic JournalThe World of MappingISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ycaj20Putting the UN SDGs on the Map: The Role ofCartography in Sustainability EducationAlexander J. Kent , Peter Vujakovic , Gwilym Eades & Martin DavisTo cite this article: Alexander J. Kent , Peter Vujakovic , Gwilym Eades & Martin Davis (2020)Putting the UN SDGs on the Map: The Role of Cartography in Sustainability Education, TheCartographic Journal, 57:2, 93-96To link to this article:  https://doi.org/10.1080/00087041.2020.1770424Published online: 25 Jun 2020.Submit your article to this journal View related articles View Crossmark dataEDITORIALPutting the UN SDGs on the Map: The Role of Cartography in SustainabilityEducationThe fragility of our environmental, social and economic systems has never been so obvious, from the floods, firesand other crises associated with global climate change in 2019 to the debilitating impacts of COVID-19 this year.These are a stark reminder of the urgent need to address the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs),essentially, a ‘call-to-arms’ to reverse the vulnerability inherent in our current systems and in the livelihoods ofvast numbers of people, and to build resilience. The 17 goals were adopted by the UN Member States in 2015to be delivered by 2030 – a very ambitious programme. The goals seek to address world poverty, hunger and arange of other inequalities, while at the same time protecting our environment and nurturing its resources(Figure 1).It is imperative that the global issues addressed by the SDGs are underpinned by clear information that allowsdecision-makers and the public to think critically and to make informed choices. This is truer now than ever as theUN (2020) recognizes ‘COVID-19 is not only challenging global health systems but testing our common humanity.It affects everyone everywhere. It hits the poorest and most vulnerable communities the hardest, deepening existinginequalities’. Each SDG, and the issues underpinning them, are multi-scalar and their achievement will, therefore,depend on successful interventions at local, national and international scales.Spatial data hold the key to understanding many of these issues. An essential tool at our disposal is the map – themost immediate and effective communicator of spatial information. Maps are a global medium for tackling globalissues; they are not confined to administrative boundaries, languages, ages, racial groups or academic disciplines.Maps also provide a visual stimulus to thinking on issues that are inherently geographical, from habitat destructionto the migration of environmental refugees. Their form and function, however, need to be understood, both interms of design and use, because maps can also mislead (as their use in news coverage of COVID-19 hasshown recently).Building on visual theory, user studies and design principles, cartography – which may be defined as the art,science and technology of map-making – is concerned with the effective communication of spatial information.Figure 1. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/).© 2020 British Cartographic SocietyTHE CARTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL2020, VOL. 57, NO. 2, pp. 93–96https://doi.org/10.1080/00087041.2020.1770424Cartographers have long developed innovative and creative solutions for analysing, visualizing and presenting thisinformation. Cartographic research, therefore, plays a crucial role, both in addressing the SDGs as a whole and insupporting the international response to each goal. From building sustainable infrastructure and investigatingepidemiology to increasing climate awareness and promoting quality education, cartographers have a significantpart to play in improving our understanding of the spatial dimensions of each of the 17 goals and theirinteractions with one another.First issued in June 1964, The Cartographic Journal has showcased international peer-reviewed research in thefield for almost 60 years. Subtitled ‘The World of Mapping’, its remit encompasses the full range of principles,techniques and applications of cartography and supports the core mission of the British Cartographic Society topromote best practice in map-making. As an official journal of the International Cartographic Association(ICA), which launched a series of posters in 2015 to demonstrate how the SDG indicators could be mapped(see ICA, 2017), The Cartographic Journal is connected to the global cartographic community and iscommitted to advancing the subject on the world stage.Research published in The Cartographic Journal, therefore, highlights the important role that cartography playsin meeting the SDGs. Several papers have been published in recent years on topics that have direct relevance to thegoals and their indicators. These include mapping poverty and inequality in London (Donnelly, 2002; Green, 2012),community mapping initiatives to alleviate hunger (Robinson et al., 2017), creating an atlas for supporting cancer-control activities (MacEachren et al., 2008), providing free topographic maps to 11-year-olds to improvegeographical education (Owen, 2007), implementing cartography and GIS in the classroom (Dunn and Smith,2013), using maps and location-based games in interdisciplinary education (Pánek et al. 2018), mapping waterquality (Ruas and Pham, 2015), developing symbols for demining and crisis mapping for humanitarianorganizations (Kostelnick et al., 2008; Kostelnick and Hoeniges, 2019), mapping urban spaces for wheelchairusers (Beale et al., 2006), mapping urban expansion in Nepal (Haack, 2009), developing topographic mapsymbols for urban areas in Brazil (Sluter et al., 2018), environmental mapping in Poland (Ławniczak andKubiak, 2013) and in Denmark (Svenningsen, 2016), improving effective communication of climate change(Johannsen et al., 2018) and weather-driven hazards (Pappenberger et al., 2019) through maps and cartograms(Figure 2), using automated methods to extract natural drainage density patterns (Stanislawski et al., 2015),developing digital methods for mapping indigenous knowledge and rights (Olson et al., 2016), investigating thegeopolitics of natural resources (Vujakovic, 2014), understanding the use and misuse of maps (Kent, 2017) andpromoting the responsible mapping of political boundaries (Kent, 2019; Headland, 2020).Additionally, a Special Issue of The Cartographic Journal, on the past, present and future of participatory GIS(geographical information systems) and public participation GIS, was published in November 2016 duringInternational Map Year. This brought together several papers which explored a range of ethical and practicalissues surrounding their implementation and examined the empowerment of communities from multipleFigure 2. Extreme forecast Index (2 m temperature) for heatwaves in Western Europe, from Pappenberger et al. (2019). Lead time displayed: 3–10 days; (a, b)geographical area restricted to extreme western part of the continent; (c, d) Western Europe; (b, c) undistorted maps.94 EDITORIALperspectives (see Kar et al., 2016; Kent, 2016). A critical approach to mapping, i.e. one that recognizes the role ofpower-relations in cartographic processes and the capacity of maps to mislead, is crucial to the advancement ofsustainability education.The diversity of themes, scales, audiences and aims of research published in The Cartographic Journal outlinedabove, therefore, illustrates the versatility of the discipline and how it continues to play an important role inaddressing the complex and multifaceted issues underpinning each SDG. Without maps, we are unable tounderstand the spatial dimensions of global inequality and without the discipline of cartography, we will notdiscover how best to apply our geographical knowledge in achieving them.Notes on the coverThe cover image is an illustration of the universe based on a logarithmic scale by Argentinean artist Pablo CarlosBudassi. It was created from logarithmic maps made by astronomers at Princeton University using data acquired byNASA. The image is discussed in this Issue by Rasmus Winther, who explores its map-like form as a visual analogyof scientific theory about the nature, structure and history of the universe.Notes on the contributorsAlexander J. Kent (Editor) is Reader in Cartography and Geographic Information Science at CanterburyChrist Church University in the UK, where he lectures on map design, GIS, remote sensing and onEuropean and political geography. His research explores the relationship between maps and society,particularly the intercultural aspects of topographic map design and the aesthetics of cartography. Heis also Chair of the ICA Commission on Topographic Mapping and Immediate Past President of theBritish Cartographic Society.Peter Vujakovic (Associate Editor) is Professor of Geography at Canterbury Christ Church University. Hisresearch focuses on social, cultural and political aspects of mapping, from children’s sense of place(Meaningful Maps - http://meaningfulmaps.org) to maps in journalism, with a specific interest ingeopolitics and natural resource conflicts. He made and commissioned maps for the WorldDevelopment Movement (WDM) on development issues in the 1980s, just as the concept ofsustainable development began to gather momentum.Gwilym Eades (Associate Editor) is Lecturer in Human and Environmental Geography in the Departmentof Geography at Royal Holloway University of London, where he is director of the GeoVisual MethodsLab (GVML). His research is currently focused on mapping and counter-mapping in areas of historicand ongoing cultural conflict in tourist and non-tourist areas of Scotland and Canada.Martin Davis (Editorial Assistant and Editor, Book Reviews) is based in the Research and HigherEducation Division of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London. After receiving theBritish Cartographic Society’s Ian Mumford Award in 2015, Martin completed his PhD thesis inGeography at Canterbury Christ Church University in 2018. Martin has been Editorial Assistant andBook Reviews Editor of The Cartographic Journal since 2014. In 2019, Martin was appointedExecutive Secretary of the ICA Commission on Topographic Mapping.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).ReferencesBeale, L., Field, K., Briggs, D., Picton, P., and Matthews, H. (2006) “Mapping for Wheelchair Users: Route Navigation in UrbanSpaces” The Cartographic Journal 43 (1) pp.68–81 DOI: 10.1179/000870406X93517.Donnelly, S. (2002) “Mapping Rich and Poor: Putting Charles Booth’s Enquiry into London Life and Labour Online” TheCartographic Journal 39 (1) pp.81–85 DOI: 10.1179/caj.2002.39.1.81.THE CARTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL 95Dunn, S., and Smith, M. (2013) “Teaching the Next Generation of Cartographers” The Cartographic Journal 50 (2) pp.144–147DOI:10.1179/0008704113Z.00000000090.Green, M.A. (2012) “Mapping Inequality in London: A Different Approach” The Cartographic Journal 49 (3) pp.247–255DOI:10.1179/1743277412Y.0000000018.Haack, B. (2009) “A History and Analysis of Mapping Urban Expansion in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal” The CartographicJournal 46 (3) pp.233–241 DOI:10.1179/000870409X12488753453417.Headland, R.K. (2020) “Territory and Claims in the Antarctic Treaty Region: A Disquisition on Historical and RecentDevelopments” The Cartographic Journal 57 (2) pp.160–174 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2019.1677035International Cartographic Association (2017) “Maps and Sustainable Development Goals” Available at: https://icaci.org/maps-and-sustainable-development-goals/ (Accessed: 7th May 2020).Johannsen, I.M., Lassonde, K.A., Wilkerson, F., and Schaab, G. (2018) “Communicating Climate Change: ReinforcingComprehension and Personal Ties to Climate Change Through Maps” The Cartographic Journal 55 (1) pp.85–100DOI:10.1080/00087041.2017.1386834.Kar, B., Renee, S., Haklay, M., and Ghose, R. (2016) “Public Participation GIS and Participatory GIS in the Era of GeoWeb” TheCartographic Journal 53 (4) pp.296–299 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2016.1256963.Kent, A.J. (2016) “Editorial Preface” The Cartographic Journal 53 (4) p.295 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2016.1258775.Kent, A.J. (2017) “Trust Me, I’m a Cartographer: Post-Truth and the Problem of Acritical Cartography” The CartographicJournal 54 (3) pp.193–195 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2017.1376489.Kent, A.J. (2019) “A Picture and an Argument: Mapping for Peace with a Cartography of Hope” The Cartographic Journal 56(4) pp.275–279 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2019.1694804.Kostelnick, J.C., and Hoeniges, L.C. (2019) “Map Symbols for Crisis Mapping: Challenges and Prospects” The CartographicJournal 56 (1) pp.59–72 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2017.1413810.Kostelnick, J.C., Dobson, J.E., Egbert, S.L., and Dunbar, M.D. (2008) “Cartographic Symbols for Humanitarian Demining” TheCartographic Journal 45 (1) pp.18–31 DOI:10.1179/000870408X276585.Ławniczak, R., and Kubiak, J. (2013) “Implementation of the 1∶10 000 Scale for Visualisation of Environmental Changes” TheCartographic Journal 50 (1) pp.82–90 DOI:10.1179/1743277412Y.0000000009.MacEachren, A.M., Crawford, S., Akella, M., and Lengerich, G. (2008) “Design and Implementation of a Model, Web-based,GIS-Enabled Cancer Atlas” The Cartographic Journal 45 (4) pp.246–260 DOI:10.1179/174327708X347755.Olson, R., Hackett, J., and DeRoy, S. (2016) “Mapping the Digital Terrain: Towards Indigenous Geographic Information andSpatial Data Quality Indicators for Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Land-Use Data Collection” The CartographicJournal 53 (4) pp.348–355 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2016.1190146.Owen, E. (2007) “Ordnance Survey’s Free Maps for 11 Year Olds Scheme” The Cartographic Journal 44 (2) pp.101–110DOI:10.1179/000870407X213422.Pánek, J., Gekker, A., Hind, S., Wendler, J., Perkins, C., and Lammes, S. (2018) “Encountering Place: Mapping and Location-Based Games in Interdisciplinary Education” The Cartographic Journal 55 (3) pp.285–297 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2017.1386342.Pappenberger, F., Cloke, H.L., and Baugh, C.A. (2019) “Cartograms for Use in Forecasting Weather-Driven Natural Hazards”The Cartographic Journal 56 (2) pp.134–145 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2018.1534358.Robinson, J.A., Block, D., and Rees, A. (2017) “Community Geography: Addressing Barriers in Public Participation GIS” TheCartographic Journal 54 (1) pp.5–13 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2016.1244322.Ruas, A., and Pham, H. (2015) “Symbolization and Generalization to Map Water Pipe Data Flow and Water Quality atDifferent Scales” The Cartographic Journal 52 (2) pp.149–158 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2015.1119465.Sluter, C.R., Camboim, S.P., Iescheck, A.L., Pereira, L.B., Castro, M.C., Yamada, M.M., and Araújo, V.S. (2018) “A Proposal forTopographic Map Symbols for Large-Scale Maps of Urban Areas in Brazil” The Cartographic Journal 55 (4) pp.362–377DOI:10.1080/00087041.2018.1549307.Stanislawski, L.V., Falgout, J., and Buttenfield, B.P. (2015) “Automated Extraction of Natural Drainage Density Patterns for theConterminous United States through High-Performance Computing” The Cartographic Journal 52 (2) pp.185–192 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2015.1119466.Svenningsen, S.R. (2016) “The Emergence of an Environmental Cartography in Denmark” The Cartographic Journal 53 (2)pp.101–113 DOI:10.1080/00087041.2016.1148300.United Nations (2020) Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/ (Accessed: 5th May 2020).Vujakovic, P. (2014) “The State as a ‘Power Container’: The Role of News Media Cartography in Contemporary GeopoliticalDiscourse” The Cartographic Journal 51 (1) pp.11–24.ALEXANDER J. KENTalexander.kent@canterbury.ac.uk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2379-1752PETER VUJAKOVICpeter.vujakovic@canterbury.ac.uk http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1269-9715GWILYM EADESGwylim.Eades@rhul.ac.uk http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7426-8673MARTIN DAVISmartin.davis@canterbury.ac.uk http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6621-811596 EDITORIAL

Putting the UN SDGs on the map: The role of cartography in sustainability education

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Putting the UN SDGs on the Map: The Role of Cartography in Sustainability Education

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