13 May - Ten years to go to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

Did you know that...

• 650 million people still live in poverty
• If women farmers have the same access to resources as men, the number of hungry people can be reduced up to 150 million
• 70% of the SDG’s are related to geo–information

The countdown begins, only one decade to go to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all and surveying professionals have a key role to play. It is therefore of crucial importance that FIG member organisations and surveyors are aware and prepared on how their work contributes to the achievement of the SDGs and vice versa.

In the first article of today you will read about how the FIG community is helping to achieve and monitor the SDGs and what the role of the surveying community will be in the coming 10 years.

This article is followed by contributions from the FIG Commissions on Cadastre and Land Management (Commission 7), Spatial Planning and Development (Commission 8), Valuation and the Management of Real Estate (Commission 9) and Construction Economics and Management (Commission 10). The chairs will highlight for you the hot-topics, the ground breaking research, and the hidden gems in the proceedings from the their respective perspectives.

Lastly, are you crazy about history? Join us in an Afternoon of History…

Enjoy the articles.

Ten Years to go to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals - Unlocking valuable contributions of the FIG Working Week 2020

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and related land indicators will re-shape and influence our profession profoundly in the decade to come. It is considered to be of crucial importance that FIG member organisations and surveyors are aware and prepared on how their (daily) work contributes to the achievement of the SDGs and vice versa. Read the article.

FIG Commission 7: Cadastre and Land Management

Land challenges in a revolving world

Has your world changed in the last four weeks? It has for Commission 7 also, and we are adjusting quickly to the new needs of our world. During this pandemic, every day the COVID19 virus is changing how we relate to our land from border closures to restrictions to citizens to be confined into private parcels. The current pandemic has shown how important it is to have a land inventory (the cadastre), and to be able to understand and change it (hopefully temporally) un terms of rights, restrictions and responsibilities of owners and occupiers. Read the article.

FIG Commission 8:  SSpatial Planning and Development

Highlighting spatial planning and development at FIG2020 – Contributions to the Working Week from FIG commission 8

From a planners’ perspective it is key to optimize the spatial allocation of various land use types. This applies to both land-based and water-based functions and activities. As such, spatial planning aims to balance the interests of various policy domains and stakeholders in pursue of an overall sustainable development. As land and water are a limited and often scarce resource, those interests may clash, and sometimes hard decisions have to be made.  Read the article.

FIG Commission 9: Valuation and the Management of Real Estate

Valuation – key to transparency in performance measurement

Valuation covers a wide range of assets classes and purposes. A valuation may be required to initiate a loan on a single residential home or for a complex infrastructure project that crosses international boards or possibly the estimate of value of a transport vehicle or a Rembrandt painting. All will require valuation for a variety of purposes from loan security, insurance, regulatory and financial reporting. It’s a great and exciting job being a valuer! Of course, you need specialist skills for the particular area of valuation work you are undertaking but the opportunities are unimaginable. Read the article.

FIG Commission 10: Construction Economics and Management

Construction economics is fundamental in responding to coronavirus

Global construction will be critical in countering the economic effects of the coronavirus. Whilst most construction has been adversely affected in the short and medium term by closing sites, social distancing, material shortages and investment uncertainty, it will provide an important stimulus to the world economy if governments enable projects to proceed after the virus abates. Coupled with this, the crisis is providing a catalyst for change in the industry in terms of the greater adoption of technology, consideration of sustainability and social value impacts, and greater collaboration. Read the article.

An Afternoon of History

Crazy about history? Join us in an Afternoon of History… This year, The FIG Permanent Institution of History of Surveying joint forces with De Hollandse Circle to put together a programme for an afternoon of history during the FIG Working Week. In this article we have highlighted a few of the papers that are related particularly to the history of Dutch Surveyors and Dutch Surveying which takes you all the way to Japan. Read the article.

Follow up...

Yesterday's theme Integrated land and water management calls for a celebration of the 8th anniversary of the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests. Please enjoy this short video from UN-Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

FIG values the cooperation with FAO. During the FIG Working Week 3 sessions had been planned. These sessions are part of larger joint activities, and the Working Week is an excellent place to bring experts together.

Two webinars will be held during these coming months, so please look out for announcement of this. Planned sessions were:

1. TS01I: Land Consolidation Legislation: FAO Legal Guide and its Application at the Country Level
2. TS02I: The Role of Land Consolidation and Other Land Management Instruments in Development of Agricultural Land Markets – in cooperation with FIG Commission 8 on – Spatial Planning and Development
3. In cooperation with FIG Commission 2, the FIG Academic Forum on VGGT - VGGT and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification into the implementation of the Convention,TS03A

Thank you to our sponsors and supporters, we really do appreciate you being part - from the distance - of the FIG Working Week 2020!

Kind regards
FIG Office

Louise Friis-Hansen, Director and co-conference director
Claudia Stormoen, Event Manager
Maria Bangholz, Finance and Administration 

International Federation of Surveyors Fédération Internationale des Géomčtres Internationale Vereiningung der Vermessungsingenieure

During the days of the Working Week 2020 FIG and GIM Magazine will publish newsletters with articles that will guide you through the technical programme. Look out for the newsletters. If you do not already subscribe to GIM Magazine, you are encouraged to sign up now