Integrating statistical and geospatial information, cultures and professions: International developments and Australian experience
Abstract
For more than half a century, the United Nations (UN) Statistical Commission has been the highest body of the global statistical system. Bringing together Chief Statisticians, the UN Statistical Commission considers and decides upon statistical standards and the development of concepts and methods, and their implementation at the national and international level. In contrast, the UN Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management has existed for only the last 5 years. Established by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in 2011, the Committee brings together senior national government geospatial experts to develop strategies to build and strengthen national capacity on geospatial information, as well as disseminate best practices and experiences of national, regional and international bodies on geospatial information.
The 60th International Statistical Institute World Statistics Congress, held in Brazil in July 2015, recognised the importance of the integration of statistical and geospatial information. The then President of the International Association for Official Statistics, Professor Kawasaki, used his Presidential Address to shine a light on this important area for official statistics.
Driven by a growing demand for better data for more informed decision-making, there is an increasing body of material available about the technical aspects and benefits of bringing together statistical and geospatial information, but little has been written about the cultural aspects of two diverse professional communities working together. This paper focuses on some of these cultural aspects, and highlights cooperation underway globally, and nationally within Australia, and provides some suggestions for further improvement.
References
[1] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Population Grid, 2011. (2014) . ABS Cat. No. 1270.0.55.007. |
[2] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Data by Region, http://stat.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp?databyregion, 2013. Viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[3] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Land Account: Great Barrier Reef Region, Experimental Estimates, 2011. (2011) . ABS Cat. No. 4609.0.55.001. |
[4] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Land Account: Queensland, Experimental Estimates, 2013. (2013) . ABS Cat. No. 4609.0. 55.003. |
[5] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Land Account: South Australia, Experimental Estimates, 2006-2011. (2015) . ABS Cat. No. 4609.4.55.001. |
[6] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Spatial Framework, http://www.nss.gov.au/nss/home.nsf/pages/Statistical%20Spatial%20Framework%20Homepage.2013. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[7] | Australian Bureau of Statistics, Land Account: Victoria, Experimental Estimates, 2012. (2012) . ABS Cat. No. 4609.0.55. 002. |
[8] | Australian Geoscience Data Cube, http://www.datacube.org.au. 2014. Last viewed 15 January 2016. See also: Lewis, A., Lymburner, L., Purss, M.B.J., Brooke, B., Evans, B., Ip, A., Dekker, A.G., Irons, J.R., Minchin, S., et al., (2015) Rapid, high-resolution detection of environmental change over continental scales from satellite data - the Earth Observation Data Cube. International Journal of Digital Earth. http://dx.doi.org./10.1080/17538947.2015.1111952.Last viewed 20 January 2016. |
[9] | Tam S.M., and Clarke F., Big Data, Official Statistics and Some Initiatives by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. International Statistical Review 83: ((2015) ), 436-448. |
[10] | United Nations Economic and Social Council, Decision 210/240. Global geographic information Management. http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/docs/2010/dec%202010-240.pdf.2010. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[11] | United Nations Economic and Social Council, Resolution 2011/24 Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management, http://www.un.org./en/ecosoc/docs/2011/res%202011.24.pdf.2011. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[12] | United Nations General Assembly, Report of the Secretary General on Global geographic information management, http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=E/2011/89. 2011. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[13] | United Nations General Assembly. Resolution 66/288. The future we want. 2012 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/ futurewewant.html. 2012. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[14] | United Nations General Assembly, Resolution 69/266. A global geodetic reference frame for sustainable development. http://ggim.un.org/docs/A_RES_69_266_E.pdf.2015.Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[15] | United Nations General Assembly. Resolution 70/1. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld. 2015. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[16] | United Nations Statistics Division, Global Forum on the Integration of Statistical and Geospatial Information http://ggim.un.org/docs/meetings/Global%20Forum/Summary-Report%20of%20the%20Global%20Forum.pdf. 2013. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[17] | United Nations Statistics Division, International Workshop: Integrating Geospatial and Statistical Information http://ggim.un.org/International%20Workshop.html 2013. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
[18] | United Nations Statistics Division, Report of the Australian Bureau of Statistics on developing a statistical-geospatial framework, http://unstats.un.org/unsd/statcom/doc13/2013-2-ProgReview-E.pdf. 2013. Last viewed 15 January (2016) . |
