In a truly unique effort, the book “Mapping for a Sustainable World” was co-published by the International Cartographic Association and the United Nations in 2021 as an open access document according to the CC BY-NC license, authored by Menno-Jan Kraak, Robert Roth, Britta Ricker, Ayako Kagawa and Guillaume Le Sourd. Drawing from cartography, the book offers guidelines for mapping geographic datasets related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by introducing basic principles of map design and use, discussing established best practices and conventions, and explaining how different mapping techniques support understanding of the SDGs.
The English language is available here:
- Web version: https://www.un-ilibrary.org/content/books/9789216040468
- Print version: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3898826?ln=en&v=pdf
As the book embarks on the highly relevant topic of making the Sustainable Development Goals tangible and accessible through maps, translations in other languages was an immediate demand. The French version is titled “Cartographier pour un monde durable” and can be found here:
The Japan Cartographers Association (JCA) has picked the idea up to make the book available also in Japanese language. In a tremendous effort under the leadership of Dr. Momoko Yoshida and strategic guidance from Dr. Hiroshi Ota, Professor Takashi Morita and many more eminent cartographers in Japan, the book is now available and will be disseminated as print and online version in the upcoming months.
To me, this is another fantastic example of the enormous relevance of cartography and maps in the context of Sustainable Development Goals, which now becomes easily accessible for all Japanese-speaking interested persons!
This translation project has allowed the ICA and UN editorial team to draft a “MSW Translation Principles and Style Guide” to facilitate the translation process for JCA, and in case there are other ICA National Members and Affiliated Members who are interested to embark such a project in other languages in future. The documentation is intended to facilitate some best practices to ensure the quality and integrity of the spirit of the original version. Please contact the Publication Committee of ICA if you are interested in the “MSW Translation Principles and Style Guide”.
Source: Takehide Hishiyama, Japan Cartographers Association
