INTRODUCING PAVOCARTO

PavoCarto is an educational project dedicated to the application of geoscience methods and tools to the analysis and mapping of land and climate resources for sustainable land management.

Over the years, much of the knowledge I’ve helped create as international expert has faded into obscurity, stored in unpublished paper reports and maps with limited access—often confined to commissioning organizations’ dusty archives (or paper shredder).
When I began in the mid-70s, mapping was an entirely manual process. Fieldwork relied on black-and-white aerial photos, boundaries were drawn using pocket stereoscopes, and maps were resized with light tables, pantographs or even with a grid drawn on tracing paper. Reports were typed on typewriters and reproduced using stencil machines. Contrast that with today’s GIS tools, which integrate data from diverse scientific disciplines and satellite platforms, alongside freely available remote sensing products.
Although raised in the era of ‘paleo-mapping,’ I’ve always embraced technological progress to stay current.

The digital age offers a second chance to rescue this work. Through scanning, digitizing maps, and reviewing content for accuracy, PAVOCARTO makes these resources accessible to a wider audience. Think of it as giving old, valuable furniture, after a thorough polishing up, a second life in a new home.

Despite the availability of numerous websites offering land and climate resource maps, I’ve often been disappointed not to find more of my own contributions. Even when the work had broader relevance, funding shortfalls, typically linked to projects, often prevented proper editing and publication, leaving valuable data, methods, insights and maps unpublished. This website remedies that gap, allowing me to share my love for maps—especially those I’ve crafted myself—while reflecting on a career spent creating them.

Over time, global attention has shifted from land resources to climate, largely driven by the IPCC’s work since 1988. My own focus has evolved too, integrating land and climate data to explore the impacts of climate variability and change on agriculture and food security, and the importance of sustainable land use planning in developing adaptation and mitigation strategies.

In the pages ahead, you’ll find an exploration of these approaches and stories behind the maps.

The structure of this website is straightforward. Along with an introduction and a summary of the professional services I offer, the main focus is on the studies I have undertaken. These are organized under three primary headings in the website’s header: Themes, Maps, and Publications.

Navigating the website:
• Explore main topics: use the header menu to select a main topic, then follow the links to delve deeper into areas of interest.
• Recognize links: text sections highlighted in brown indicate the presence of links. Click on these to view or download content at your convenience, adhering to the Terms of Use.
• Return to previous pages: to go back, simply use your browser’s back arrow (usually located at the top-left corner).
• Browse randomly: instead of navigating sequentially, you can explore the Themes sections in any order using the Table of Contents.

Language policy
English is the default language of this website, as it allows the widest possible audience to access the content. Occasionally, posts may appear in other languages, such as Dutch (NL) or French (FR), depending on the topic and intended readership. These will be clearly marked with a language prefix in the title or subtitle. When a text is available in multiple languages, cross-links between the different versions will be provided.