Geospatial Public Policy: Global Best Practices for Harnessing the Potential of Satellite Technologies and Applications

This publication presents six case studies of public policies that promote the development and use of geospatial technologies and applications, which can be categorized in five layers: institutions, tools, data, skills and industry. The evolution of these technologies and applications over the past decade has been driven by the understanding that where people and things are located is central to smart decision making. As a result of low-cost launch vehicles, increasing numbers of satellites in orbit, new sensor technologies, machine learning algorithms, advances in cloud computing, and the emergence of other technologies such as drones and high-altitude platforms, the geospatial economy is now expanding into many new geographies and sectors. This expansion calls for the development of innovative applications that benefit government in areas such as agriculture, environment, energy, aviation, maritime, transport, health, education, business, and society.