State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

geospatial data

  • 35 Years of Harnessing the Power of Geospatial Data for Decision Making

    35 Years of Harnessing the Power of Geospatial Data for Decision Making

    CIESIN’s mission is to make complex environmental, social and economic data easy to access and use so that people can make better decisions about pressing issues like climate change, disaster response and sustainable development.

  • A Life Well Mapped

    A Life Well Mapped

    Mark Becker believed in the power of geospatial data and analysis to motivate our stewardship of the environment and guide development of sustainable approaches that balance human and environmental needs.

  • The Intersection of Population and Elevation Examined

    The Intersection of Population and Elevation Examined

    This map shows the estimated number of people in 2010 living at different elevation levels across several Southern Asian countries. The database it’s taken from lets users without specialized geospatial training or software compare populations in various environmental contexts in different countries.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

  • 35 Years of Harnessing the Power of Geospatial Data for Decision Making

    35 Years of Harnessing the Power of Geospatial Data for Decision Making

    CIESIN’s mission is to make complex environmental, social and economic data easy to access and use so that people can make better decisions about pressing issues like climate change, disaster response and sustainable development.

  • A Life Well Mapped

    A Life Well Mapped

    Mark Becker believed in the power of geospatial data and analysis to motivate our stewardship of the environment and guide development of sustainable approaches that balance human and environmental needs.

  • The Intersection of Population and Elevation Examined

    The Intersection of Population and Elevation Examined

    This map shows the estimated number of people in 2010 living at different elevation levels across several Southern Asian countries. The database it’s taken from lets users without specialized geospatial training or software compare populations in various environmental contexts in different countries.