The role of geospatial information for environmental management and sustainable development

In this lecture Professor Aris Marfai, the Head of the Geospatial Information Agency of Indonesia (BIG), will delve into the crucial role of geospatial information in environmental management and fostering sustainable development. BIG, as a government institution under direct oversight of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, plays a pivotal role in providing essential geospatial data such as geodetic control networks and basic maps. These datasets serve as the foundation for various research endeavors including coastal dynamics, erosion-sedimentation, and climate change impacts.

Moreover, BIG's provision of basic maps in different scales supports diverse developmental endeavors such as natural resource management, disaster management, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. These maps, incorporating DEM, 3D, and 2D data, are instrumental in smart city planning, analysis, and seabed modeling for marine resource exploration and management.

The lecture also highlights BIG's commitment to the one-map policy, aimed at harmonizing thematic maps from various ministries and agencies into a unified platform accessible to all. This policy promotes spatial data integration with statistical data to bolster sustainable development initiatives, including efforts to address stunting, poverty, health interventions, and sanitation in marginalized communities.

About Professor Aris Marfai

Aris Marfai is a Geography professor, currently serving as the Head of the Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) of the Republic of Indonesia since 2021. He served as the Dean of the Faculty of Geography at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) (2017-2021), and as the Vice Dean for Research and Cooperation at the same faculty (2013-2016). He earned his Ph.D. in geography from Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany with a magna cum laude distinction in 2008. In 2013, at the age of 37, he was appointed as a full professor in the field of disaster geomorphology.