Page 153 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

Biodiversity More than 70 countries have promised to conserve 30 percent of land and ocean by 2030 (30 by 30). Foundational work has been done to build the data to find areas in need of conservation and that are important to address to save imperiled species. Deciding where to conserve is an element for which we have the technology and approach to support. That specificity can be found in precision conservation, a relatively new methodology that is redefining how landscape and seascape conservation should be approached with smart maps ensuring that conservation projects are of the right size, implemented at the right place, at the right time, and at the right scale. As the 30 by 30 directive ushers in a new era of needing to work with nature rather than against it, we must reevaluate lands and seas with an eye on biodiversity, carbon emissions, and other environmental factors. We also must be mindful of issues of environmental justice, as well as the interests of Indigenous populations, economic health, and local communities. To accomplish this, we can borrow from the fields and practices of precision agriculture and precision public health and make advances in precision conservation. These precision approaches are made possible by the range of data collection, management, and analysis supported by a modern GIS, which helps answer questions about the balance between natural systems and human-made systems. The location intelligence you can apply through precision conservation can reveal pathways to smart conservation. For instance, 30 by 30 goals aim to set aside last-chance intact ecosystems before they are harmed. Working with a modern GIS, scientists can quantify available places, qualify an area's ability to enhance biodiversity or harden climate resilience, and provide critical context to help us understand the role of local and regional ecosystems in the bigger picture. Today, entirely new kinds of maps and data visualizations are made possible by the instrumentation of natural and human- made systems and the integration of many types of data. This enables radically enhanced contextual awareness, which lets us understand and optimize issues and entire complex systems. As we've seen with issues such as climate change and sustainability, this greater contextual awareness is critical to our decision-making and problem-solving. GIS is the technology of contextual analysis. GIS not only integrates and analyzes diverse datasets but also brings the physical world, including people and place, into the core of that analysis, enabling us to see the interconnectedness of our many systems. By applying nature-based conservation strategies, 30 by 30 aims to slow and reverse the environmental degradation that has led to species decline and extinction. This idea of designing with nature has long been a guiding focus of GIS, a technology that works by layering large varieties of data on an interactive map for deeper understanding. GIS can capture a wealth of expert knowledge in a single place: a hydrologist's understanding of streamflow, a geologist's understanding of earth structure and processes, a botanist's knowledge of plant physiology and classification an oceanographer's understanding of fish migrations and hurricanes, a policy maker's understanding of implications, and the domain expertise of many more specialists and generalists. Sharing maps, models, and GIS-based analysis within a 30 by 30 decision-support system will empower stakeholders to accelerate action and ensure sustainable impacts. 152