The year 2020 started the “Decade of Action” for attaining the Sustainable Development Goals as set out in the 2030 Agenda—our shared vision to end poverty, rescue the planet, and build a peaceful world. The United Nations Secretary-General called for making better use of data so that everyone, everywhere uses data for insight, impact, and integrity. Data action must bring value to people and the planet. Cartography enables analysis of large amounts of data and visualization of the result for better understanding. Cartography often is referred as a science and an art form. Art is the conscious creation of something beautiful with emotional power, often in visual form. This power must be harnessed to raise awareness and understanding on priority agendas for a better world, and to provide science and data for action and decision-making in moments that matter most. In partnership with the International Cartographic Association (ICA), Mapping for a Sustainable World brings to you best practices and methods in geospatial data and cartography to help unveil challenges and achievements towards the Sustainable Development Goals. 

—Kyoung-Soo Eom, Chief of the Geospatial Information Section, United Nations

The United Nations and the International Cartographic Association have a long-standing professional partnership in building awareness of how maps can be used for decision-making and raising awareness on global agendas. Their joint publication, "Mapping for a Sustainable World," shares best practices, conventions, and explanations for how different mapping techniques reveal spatio-temporal patterns, such as global population growth, socioeconomic disparities, and climate change, to understand the challenges and achievements towards the Sustainable Development Goals. By integrating geospatial and statistical data of the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Indicator Database, cartography can support decision-making and promote public awareness on the Sustainable Goals.  

Citation: Kraak MJ, RE Roth, B Ricker, A Kagawa, and G Le Sourd. 2020. Mapping for a Sustainable World. The United Nations: New York, NY (USA).

An introduction to the purpose and scope of the book is here: https://icaci.org/mapping-for-a-sustainable-world/

With the PDF residing here: https://www.un.org/geospatial/sites/www.un.org.geospatial/files/Mappingf...