The UN-GGIM Fundamental Data Themes

In recent decades, geospatial information has been recognized as an essential resource for global agendas to implement sustainable development, support disaster risk management, and improve communities’ access to services that enhance their quality of life. In 2011, the United Nations Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution to establish the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) to promote the use of geospatial information in policymaking processes and development agendas and enhance global cooperation in geospatial information management.

The Member States drive the work programs and priorities of the UN-GGIM and organize their activities through five regional committees, four thematic groups, and multiple working groups. In collaboration with international organizations, universities, and the private sector, governments are encouraged to develop strategies to build and strengthen their geospatial capacity and use geospatial data and technologies that support sustainable development and other global agendas.

With representatives from national governments and international organizations, between August 2017 and August 2018, the Working Group on Global Fundamental Geospatial Data Themes was tasked with the identification of data themes and guidelines that could support the Members States and UN-GGIM work program. Led by the UN-GGIM Regional Committee for Europe (UN-GGIM Europe), the Working Group established 14 themes and their descriptions, emphasizing small island developing states (SIDS) and the technical elements of the themes. 

Where can the UN-GGIM community access data layers for each of the themes? Esri, the leading geospatial technology company has actively supported the UN-GGIM in the development and implementation of strategic frameworks, including the fundamental data themes. With a plethora of geospatial tools and applications, Esri has made data layers relevant to the Fundamental Data Themes available through its  ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World .

The section below features a list of relevant ArcGIS data layers available for each of the 14 Fundamental Data Themes. Learn how to access content from ArcGIS Living Atlas and discover the capabilities that these layers and maps can support  here . 

The Global Geodetic Reference Frame is the framework which allows users to precisely determine and express locations on the Earth, as well as to quantify changes of the Earth in space and time. It is not a data theme in the sense of the other themes, but it is a prerequisite for the accurate collection, integration, and use of all other geospatial data.

An Address is a structured label, usually containing a property number, a street name and a locality name. It is used to identify a plot of land, a building or part of a building, or some other construction, together with coordinates indicating their geographic position. Addresses are often used as a proxy for other data themes such as Land Parcels.

A Building refers to any roofed structure permanently constructed or erected on its site, for the protection of humans, animals, things, or the production of economic goods. Settlements are collections of buildings and associated features where a community carries out socioeconomic activities.

The Elevation and Depth theme describes the surface of the Earth both on land and under a body of water, relative to a vertical datum

Functional Areas are the geographical extent of administrative, legislative, regulatory, electoral, statistical, governance, service delivery and activity management areas.

Geographical Names provide orientation and identity to places. They are location identifiers for cultural and physical features of the real world, such as regions, settlements, or any feature of public or historical interest. They are often used as a proxy for other data themes such as Buildings and Settlements.

Geology is the composition and properties of geologic materials (rocks and sediments) underground and outcropping at the Earth’s surface. It includes bedrock, aquifers, geomorphology for land and marine environments, mineral resources and overlying soils. Soils are the upper part of the Earth’s crust, formed by mineral particles, organic matter, water, air, and living organisms.

Land Cover represent the physical and biological cover of the Earth’s surface. Land Use is the current and future planned management, and modification of the natural environment for different human purposes or economic activities.

Land Parcels are areas of land or more generally of the Earth’s surface (land and/or water) under common rights (such as ownership or easements), claims (such as minerals or indigenous land) or use. This theme can include individual fields and cadastral parcels.

Orthoimagery is geo-referenced rectified image data of the Earth's surface, from satellite or airborne sensors. Although technically not a theme in its own right, Orthoimagery is included as, when interpreted, it’s a widely-used data source for many other data themes.

The Physical Infrastructure theme includes industrial & utility facilities, and the service delivery facilities associated with administrative & social governmental services such as public administrations, utilities, transport, civil protection, schools and hospitals.

The Population Distribution theme covers the geographical distribution of people, including population characteristics.

Transport Networks are the suite of road, rail, air, cable and water transport routes and their connectivity.

The Water theme covers the extent and conditions of all water features including rivers, lakes and marine features.

The Global Fundamental Geospatial Data Themes to produce standardized, fundamental data, for use within Member States, and also, to support global agendas such as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF). To implement and measure our progress toward the 17 Sustainable Goals Member States and other stakeholders need access to timely geospatial data. The data layer featured above can be integrated to provide important insight into access to services, people’s movements, and environmental challenges and help advance informed decision-making process for economic, social, and environmental policies.