Geospatial Knowledge
Infrastructure to Power
Decisions at All Levels
INTERVIEW
Can you share with us your thoughts around the larger
impact of COVID-19 on the world economy and society?
is is a very important question. I think everyone around the world
is currently trying to measure, assess and predict the impact of the
pandemic. is is certainly the most challenging crisis since World War
II. It is a global health calamity unlike any other, and is increasing human
suffering, destabilizing and endangering the global economy, and upending
the lives of billions of people. e International Monetary Fund has already
predicted a global recession worse than 2008. e International Labour
Organization has said that nearly 300 million people will be rendered
jobless. We have entered a global recession of record dimensions.
As mitigating this crisis requires the closing of borders,
travel bans and quarantine measures, the tourism
sector has been completely devastated — the
UN World Tourism Organization has
predicted a 60%-80% decline in the
sector.
1
e GDP growth of some
developing countries, especially
small island nations, is heavily
dependent on tourism. Many other
1 hps://www.unwto.org/news/
covid-19-may-statement-unwto-secre-
tary-general.
If developed properly, geospatial knowledge
infrastructure can help in coordination and
bridging the geospatial digital divide, apart from
enabling the private sector to recover quickly
from the current crisis and empowering all
stakeholders, emphasizes Milorad Kovacevic,
Chief of Statistics, United Nations
Development Programme
www.geospatialworld.net | May-June 2020
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