Review of the United Nations Expert Group
Meeting on Contemporary Practices in Census
Mapping and Use of
Geographical Information Systems
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Overview of the EGM
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29 May-1 June 2007
United Nations, New York
Organized by the Demographic Statistics Section of the
United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
Participants from 22 Member Countries
Final Report issued mid-June 2007
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Attendees of the EGM
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Representatives of:
• national statistical offices
• national mapping offices
• academic/research institutions
• private sector companies, and
• international and regional organizations
Member Countries:
• Australia , Brazil, Canada, China, India, Indonesia,
Jordan, Kenya, Latvia, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia,
Oman, the Philippines, Portugal, Russian Federation,
Sierra Leone, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago,
Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States of America
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Other Participants
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Academic/research institutions:
• Florida State University
• George Washington University
Private Sector companies:
• GeoSpace International
• ESRI
International and regional organizations:
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• CPS - Secretariat Général de la Communanté du
Pacifique
See Annex 2 of the Final Report for List of Participants
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Objectives of the EGM
1. Review the conceptual framework and different
approaches to census mapping and the capabilities
offered by advanced geospatial technologies (GIS, GPS,
Remote Sensing, Internet Mapping, etc.) to support
census mapping operations
2. Review of geo-coding concepts and approaches with
respect to data collection
3. Assess the use of GPS and other geospatial technologies
for digital delineation of enumeration areas and data
collection
4. Review the development of geographic databases,
spatial analysis and data dissemination
5. Identify organizational and institutional issues associated
with census cartography.
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Main Topics Presented
1. GIS-based census mapping approaches: some country
experiences
2. Geo-coding concepts and definitions, and approaches to
data collection
3. Use of GPS and geospatial technologies for data
collection, and digital delineation of enumeration areas
4. Geographic databases, spatial analysis and data
dissemination
5. Organizational and institutional issues
6. GIS-based census mapping applications by GIS services
providers.
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Presentations
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All papers and presentations are available at:
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/demographic/meetings/egm/
CensusMappingEGM07/default.htm
See Annex 3 of the Final Report for Organization of
Work, including the list of presentations
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - General
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The meeting recommended and strongly supported the
use of geo-spatial and Geographical Information
Systems technologies for the 2010 round of population
and housing censuses, taking into consideration national
and local circumstances.
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - General
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National Statistical Organizations should:
• Develop and set-up institutional and organizational
structures to implement a census geography programme;
• Ensure the availability of adequate resources to that end;
• Institute and maintain training programmes for national
staff;
• Develop mechanisms for retaining GIS trained staff; and
• Actively participate, in partnership with other national
authorities, in the development of a national geographical
information capacity, including the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI).
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - General
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United Nations Statistics Division should:
• Continue to facilitate exchange of national experiences
• Introduce on-line facility including e-learning material for
exchange and sharing of knowledge
• Compile lessons learned emphasizing advnatges and
limitations
• Develop guidelines for census geography
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - Use of contemporary
technologies for census geography
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Applying these technologies (satellite imagery, aerial
photography, GPS, GIS) is beneficial to the efficiency
and quality of the population and housing census,
specifically for
• Delineation of enumeration areas
• Supervision of data collection
• Dissemination at small area level
Single solution does not fit all
Significant investment in hardware, software and human
capital
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - Geo-coding for
statistical purposes
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Geo-coding: Associating geographical to features such as
structures, buildings, dwellings, streets, addresses,
enumeration areas
Different methods – GPS, PDA, satellite imagery
National statistical agencies need to consider geo-coding
approach for 2010 round of censuses
Geographical coding schemes – harmonization and
uniformity
Dwelling Frame/Address Registry
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - Geographical databases
and data dissemination
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Significant value of geographical database for census
data collection, processing and dissemination for small
areas
Inclusion on non-census items such as schools, roads,
rivers, settlements …
Long-term and significant commitment is crucial
National statistical agencies should develop web-based
mapping tools
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - Handbook on geographic
information systems and digital mapping
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - Handbook on geographic
information systems and digital mapping
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Current issue – still valuable
Requires updates and review
Putting a focus on censuses
Emphasizing continuous character of census geography
programmes
Underway
Expected by mid-2008
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007
Recommendations - Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI)
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Definition - the technology, policies, standards, human
resources, and related activities necessary to acquire,
process, distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial
data
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Part of a nation’s e-Gov strategy
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www.GSDI.org
Workshop on Census Cartography and Management, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago,
22-26 October 2007