What is the projected world population in 2015? What areas are likely to see the most growth or decline? What is the correlation between female adult literacy and land degradation in West Africa? The Poverty mapping website (www.povertymap.net) provides resources to answer these and other questions relating to poverty around the world. Poverty maps are visual tools that show “linkages between poverty andfood insecurity, the environment and development” and are therefore of great use to government agencies, non-governmental organizations(NGOs) and concerned individuals. This easy-to-navigate website presents what it calls a “Geography of Poverty,” a collection of maps and graphics giving the research era quick and understandable picture of poverty and its many correlative factors — internal conflict, emigration, agricultural practices, biodiversity and nutrition rates to name a few.

This poverty-mapping database, which began as a project funded by the Norwegian government and is now maintained by the United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP/GRId-Arendal), has been compiled from various sources, including the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Food Policy Research Institute and Worldwatch Institute. It provides not only global maps, but also many national, regional and even local maps andgraphics. These can be accessed by theme—demographic indicators, economy and market, education, energy, food security, health, poverty indicators, urban areas and water and sanitation — and address a wide range of correlative issues with, for the most part, up-to-date information.

In addition to maps and graphics, the website offers access to publications and articles (most available as PDFs) falling into the following categories: methods for poverty mapping, poverty and the environment, and food security and poverty mapping. There are also case studies from nine countries in Africa, Asia and Central and South America and an exhaustive list of links to other agencies, websites and publications addressing poverty-related issues.