-------------------------------------------------------------------- SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA UPDATE VOL 2, NO. 10 - 29 AUGUST 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Spatial Data Infrastructure Africa (SDI-Africa) is a free email newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. To subscribe to SDI Africa, unsubscribe, or change your email address, contact: klance@usgs.gov If you're subscribing, please indicate your institutional affiliation and how you learned about the SDI-Africa newsletter. I began putting information into a newsletter in an effort to provide information to colleagues in Africa (particularly since surfing the web can be costly in Africa). I am involved in a number of projects that aim to build SDI capacity in Africa; however, there is no project or organization that is called SDI Africa. I will send out issues as time permits. If you have news or information related to GIS, remote sensing, and spatial data infrastructure (e.g., workshop announcements, publications, reports, websites of interest, etc.), kindly send me the materials so that I can include them in the newsletter. This will ensure that issues are sent more frequently. The newsletter depends upon your continued interest and input. You are welcome to forward this message onto colleagues who may find the information useful. If you do so, please include the newsletter contact information at the bottom of this message so that others will know about the newsletter and subscribe themselves. Back issues of the newsletter are at the GSDI and GISD websites: GSDI: http://www.gsdi.org (go to GSDI newsletters) GISD: http://www.opengis.org/gisd/sdi_news.htm Best regards, Kate Please note: Some long URLs (internet addresses) may occupy 2 lines. In that case, copy both lines into your browser. -------------------------------------------------------------------- INPUT TO THIS ISSUE -------------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to Moswela Dintweng, Surveys and Mapping (Botswana); Enias Chinjekure, Surveyor General’s Department (Zimbabwe); Amna Hamid, Remote Sensing Authority (Sudan); Jocelyn Fenard, UNITAR (Switzerland); Annette Rolfe, SLIS - OCHA (Sierra Leone); M. T. Usman (Nigeria); Jide Kufoniyi, RECTAS (Nigeria); Francis Harvey, University of Minnesota (USA), and CJ Cote, ESRI (USA) for their contributions to this issue of the newsletter. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SDI NEWS, LINKS, PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS - HAVE YOU READ? -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/GLOBALM.DOC Technical specialists from 17 African countries participated in the 2nd Global Mapping Seminar that was convened by the Japanese Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Mapping, Survey of Kenya and RCMRD in Nairobi, August 25-28, 2003 [Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe]. The 4-day seminar was organizered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM), and RCMRD. Additional supporting organizations included the Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping (KISM) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The objective of the seminar was to discuss policy and technical dimensions of Global Map Development, application of Global Map data, and the contribution of Global Map to Spatial Data Infrastructure. 21st International Cartographic Conference http://www.icc2003.gov.za/ Over 600 people from 67 countries participated in the 21st International Cartographic Conference held in Durban, South Africa, August 10-16, 2003. Representatives from many African countries participated in the Conference, ans also two workshops held in conjunction with the ICC focusing data standards and framework data development in Africa. The Director of the Survey of Kenya, Haggai Nyapola, gave one of the ICC keynote presentations entitled, 'Towards the Entrenchment of the Spatial Data Infrastructures in Africa'. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/ICC2003Keynote.doc Justice Kriegler also gave a key note presentation, highlighting the importance of spatial information in the 1994 and 1999 South African elections. Correct boundaries were demarcated in record time, implemented with the aid of GIS and with the cooperation of government departments -- Stats SA, the Department of Land Affairs and the Electoral Commission. Justice Kriegler emphasized that the dedication and methodology of the project provides a blueprint for future national projects/tasks addressing national interests using GIS. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/iccworkshopprogramme.doc ICC Pre-Conference Standards Workshop 'Implementing Standards for Geographic Information in Africa,' 10 August 2003. Sponsored and organised by EIS-AFRICA, USGS/EDC, GSDI, and UNECA. The workshop objective was to identify supporting interventions that will take forward the implementation of geographic data standards in Africa, enabling wider usage of geographic information. Presentations were made by national specialists, as well as colleagues from ISO TC211. Preliminary results of the standards survey initiated by USGS/EDC and EIS-AFRICA earlier in the year were presented. Fifty-six people from 13 countries participated. Presentations from the workshop and a summary of further actions to be taken can be found at the EIS-AFRICA website, http://www.eis-africa.org. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/MAPPING.DOC The Mapping Africa for Africa meeting, 13 August 2003, was well attended - not an empty seat in the room. Dr. Makgalemele, the Director General of the South Africa Department of Land Affairs, chaired the meeting. The importance of spatial data in decision making was highlighted, particularly as it is in line with the WSSD Plan of Implementation. The meeting included a brainstorming session and then formulated the main points to be addressed in an action plan. CODI-GEO will be used as the institutional mechanism to drive the process forward. A 'Durban Statement' was drafted and is now in the process of being officially submitted to UNECA. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AfricaForAfrica2.doc Durban Statement from the ICC Mapping Africa for Africa workshop, 13 August 2003, summarizes the recommendations from the workshop held under the auspices of the International Cartographic Association and the Department of Land Affairs of the Republic of South Africa. Upcoming - Regional Workshops on the SISEI programme include: for Africa French-speaking countries, 8-12 September, Bamako, Mali (host STP/CIGQE) for African English-speaking countries, 22-26 September 2003, Accra, Ghana (host Ghanian Environmental Protection Agency) For additional information, contact Mr. Jocelyn Fenard at UNITAR: Tel: +41 22 917 85 20; Fax: +41 22 917 80 47; E-mail: jocelyn.fenard@unitar.org. http://egov.unitar.org/sisei (website being set up) ITU and UNITAR are initiating a new cycle of activities of the programme titled 'Environmental Information System on the Internet for Africa' (SISEI Programme). The SISEI is a capacity development programme on the applications of information and communication technologies. The programme aims at strengthening national capacities in the field of environmental information circulation and management. One of the major objectives is to generate adequate frameworks that would lead to support and enhance the value of information generated and results achieved through past and on-going initiatives, and to enhance the synchronization among multilateral environmental agreements. In sum, this is an Internet based and distributed environment information service built locally around the concept of a collaborative community of country institutions, users and providers of environmental information. In a first stage, SISEI Programme activities will be conducted in collaboration with the ten first African countries having formally expressed their interest in participating to the programme. They are the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Zambia (Group of English speaking countries), and Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco and Niger (Group of French speaking countries). Upcoming - 22-24 October 2003, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.ungiwg.org Fourth Plenary Meeting of the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG). This meeting will be hosted by UNEP. Upcoming - 3 November 2003, Dakar, Senegal Expert Meeting on the "Use of Available Global Landsat Data Sets for Meeting the Information Needs of NEPAD". The Expert Meeting is being organised as a Pre-Conference Meeting of the AfricaGIS '03 Conference. This meeting will bring together 30 experts representing Western African and Regional Institutions to define possible projects that take advantage of the available global data sets and also to discuss a strategy to promote the wider use of the available data. If your institution is interested in getting involved and participating in this Pre-Conference Expert Meeting, email David Stevens asap, david.stevens@unvienna.org. -- SDI update from Sierra Leone http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Info_Mgt_Committee_030820_Minutes_Sierra_Leon e.doc An Information Management Committee that was established in February 2003 evolved from a more informal GIS User Group. The stakeholders decided to formulate the committee into a formal entity reporting to the Technical Committee of the National Recovery Committee (NRC), which will be merged with the Development Partnership Committee (DEPAC). A recent meeting held in August discussed the draft Terms of Reference for the Committee, which were written in consultation with Statistics Sierra Leone, identified organisations, and GoSL Ministries that should be represented and should outline a future work plan. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/TOR_InfoMgmt_Dv.2.doc Information Management Committee Terms of Reference Draft v.2, 08th August 2003 http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/SLIS_0308_Newsletter.doc Sierra Leone Information System Project Update, August 2003. SLIS is designed to be an information provider to the humanitarian community. The newsletter aims to keep people informed of new and forthcoming products from the SLIS. -- SDI update from Zimbabwe http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/National_Digital_Mapping_4_Sept_03_Zimbabwe.d oc Zimbabwe National Digital Mapping and Geographic Information Standardisation Workshop to be held 4 September 2003 (Harare Cresta Lodge Hotel). The need for the development of standards was identified at quite an early stage in Zimbabwe. The realisation came from a wide spectrum of problems encountered in handling geographic information (GI) -- problems ranging from duplication of effort, to minimal interaction and coordination within, and between, the public and the private sectors and the classic lack of a national policy for the introduction of GI systems in the country. The Surveyor General’s Department is re-initiating/re-invigorating the country's national digital data standards efforts by holding a stakeholders workshop to discuss a plan for the way forward. Participants are asked to review the following standards document before attending the workshop. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/zimbabwe_digital%20geographic%20info_standard s.doc Digital Geographic Information: Zimbabwe National Standard (1996), prepared by S.Banda, E Chinjekure, K.Heggen, S.Hoseggen, Y.Jairosi -- SDI update from Botswana September 15-19, 2003, Ghanzi, Botswana Geo-information in Development - Towards Vision 2016 [3rd Land Survey Workshop]. Contact: tsebina@gov.bw -- SDI update from Nigeria The Geographic Information Policy Committee has scheduled a meeting Sept 9 -11, 2003 to finalise the draft policy document so that it can be officially submitted to the government. The draft document can be reviewed at the following link: http://www.gsdi.org/SDIA/NGDIfinaldraftpolicy.doc -- SDI update from Sudan A number of meetings have been organized in Sudan involving more than 34 different organizations from public and private sectors that work in the geoinformation field. The first meeting was held the 17th of July, 2003. The second meeting took place on 24July, the third on 7 August, and the fourth on 17 August. The results of these meetings is a concensus for the establishment of a national body to promote development of geoinformation. A workshop was also organized on 25-26 August to highligt the neccesity of NSDI and an NSDI coordinating body. In short, geospatial specialists in Sudan are working hard to organize their efforts in order to develop geoinformation resources in the country. For further information, contact Amna Hamid, amnaah71@hotmail.com, Remote Sensing Authority, Khartoum. Register for AFRICAGIS '03 [Nov. 4-8, 2003, Dakar, Senegal] http://213.154.74.37/agis2003/default.htm (francais) http://www.eis-africa.org/events_africaGIS.htm (english) -------------------------------------------------------------------- GIS TOOLS, SOFTWARE, DATA -------------------------------------------------------------------- The African Water Resource Database The development of AWRD is a work in progress being carried out under the guidance of the Inland Water Resources and Aquaculture Serivce of FAO. It is a GIS-based analytical platform that allows users to visualize and analyze the complex hydrological and ecological relationships within, specific river reachers, larger-scale river basins, or entire megabasins. There are over 75 data layers. The objective of the AWRD is to provide water and natural resource managers with tools that foster the sustainable use of water resources as a means of promoting the responsible management of inland aquatic resources and increasing food security. In general, the source scale of these data support analyses from 1:1,000,000 to 1:5,000,000 for vector data and a nominal resolution of 1 to 5 kilmeters for raster data. The AWRD also includes a 'Surface Waterbodies Module', 'Watershed Statistics Module', and an 'Aquatic Species Module.' The first version of the AWRD will be makde avaiable in late 2003 as an FAO technical publication and a set of CD-ROM data disks. For more information, contact: Jose Aguilar-Manjarrez, jose.aguilarmanjarrez@fao.org http://www.teamgeomedia.com/ http://imgs.intergraph.com/ Intergraph Mapping and Geospatial Solutions announced the expansion of the Team GeoMedia Registered Solutions Center (RSC) program with its first member in Africa, Software Engineering Consulting cc, South Africa. http://www.secon.co.za/ http://www.geoconnexion.com/magazine/article.asp?ID=869 Creating DEMs and Orthos from ASTER Satellite Imagery This tutorial sets out to show how easily a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and orthorectified image can be created from low cost ASTER satellite imagery. A DEM created automatically from ASTER imagery can be expected to have a vertical accuracy of 25 meters on average. This can improve to approximately 11 meters in areas with less vegetation or fewer man-made features. It is therefore useful for small to medium scale mapping applications, 1:50,000 to 1:100,000 in scope. ASTER-generated elevation models at this scale can prove a useful source of information in areas where DEM data is currently not available, or as an alternative to commercial off-the-shelf or government-owned DEM products. In addition to creating the DEM, ASTER imagery can be orthorectified to create a useful map-accurate orthoimage describing the land cover. Ramsar Wetland Data Gateway updated http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/ramsardg The Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands passed a resolution at the 8th Conference of Parties, held on November 18-26, 2002 in Valencia, Spain, authorizing the Ramsar Bureau to make the Ramsar Sites Database available over the Internet through SEDAC's Ramsar Wetland Data Gateway. The Gateway now provides access to data on 1,198 Ramsar sites designated as of August 30, 2002, in combination with complementary data on land cover, population, and other spatial features. SEDAC will continue working with the Ramsar Bureau and Wetlands International to ensure regular updates to the Gateway and to expand the range of data available through the Gateway. http://www.maptools.org/ MapTools.org is a resource for the open source mapping community, and a home to many open source projects. The projects hosted here offer essential services including: project news, latest downloads, CVS repositories for source code, bug lists, community mailing lists, and project documentation. http://www.maptools.org/maplab/index.phtml MabLab is a suite of web-based tools that simplifies the creation and management of MapServer maps and web-mapping applications. http://www.maptools.org/maplab/index.phtml MapLab 2.0 Available May 28, 2003 - The latest release of MapLab is version 2.0, and is now available for download. Developed by DM Solutions Group, MapLab simplifies the process of deploying MapServer Web mapping applications. http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/ MapServer 4.0 beta Available June 6, 2003 - The beta release of MapServer 4.0 is available from the MapServer site. It includes several new features. http://www.maptools.org/php_mapscript/index.phtml PHP MapScript beta Available June 9, 2003 - To coincide with the MapServer 4.0 distrbution, new PHP MapScript binaries are available for download. -------------------------------------------------------------------- GEOSPATIAL RESEARCH / APPLICATIONS / REFERENCE MATERIAL -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.mtnforum.org/resources/library/kwsex01a.htm Aerial Photography and Landcover Mapping of Mt Elgon (2001) Digital maps of landcover on Mt Elgon were produced in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service, the Forest Department and Photomap (Kenya) Limited. A comparison of vegetation cover on the mountain in the 1960s and 1999 shows that indigenous forest cover declined by a third in this period, from 53,281 ha (49% of the protected area) to 35,140 ha (33% of the protected area). In the same period, the area of shamba on the mountain increased from zero to 9,582 ha. http://lead.virtualcentre.org/en/dec/default.htm Global Livestock Densities and Nutrient Balances Maps The concentration of animals and the related concentration of nutrients are the core factors of water, soil and air pollution related to livestock production. Spatial analyses based on nutrient balance calculations and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), allow to screen whole continents and predict areas where pollution of land and water is probable. Specifically, the "hotspot maps" display areas location where livestock is likely to be the main contributor to nutrient overload on crop land. Livestock distribution maps are also useful to give a clear overview on the spatial trends of global livestock densities for the main species : cattle, small ruminants, pigs and poultry. This information tool is intended for policy makers, planners, researchers and teachers, and is presented in Microsoft Powerpoint format for easy access and display. Meta data is also available. http://www.itc.nl/library/Papers_2003/msc/nrm/shu.pdf Neba Shu, G. Detection and analysis of land cover dynamics in moist tropical rainforest of south Cameroon. The dynamics of the vegetative cover of the Operational Technical Unit (OTU) Campo Ma’an are still poorly understood. This study investigated land cover dynamics in the OTU Campo Ma’an in two subperiods; from 1985-1991 and 1991-2001. Land cover change analysis permitted the identification of areas were forest conversion is occurring and areas vulnerable to change in the future. This information if used in conjunction with information on the spatial distribution of species habitats permits the identification of biodiversity 'hotspots,' thereby helping planners in the prioritisation of conservation efforts. http://www.geospatialtoday.com/articles/article_5.asp Flood Mitigation Strategies of the Bulozi Floodplain (West Province, Zambia). By Allan David Mulando. Flood disasters manifest natural processes on a larger scale and information provided by remote sensing is a most appropriate input to analysis of actual events and investigations of potential risks. An analytical and qualitative image processing and interpretation of remotely sensed data as well as other data such as rainfall, population, settlements not to mention but a few should be used to derive good mitigation stratergies. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES / AWARDS / SUPPORT -------------------------------------------------------------------- Fellowship Opportunities at the University of Minnesota The Compton Peace Fellowship Grants supports students interested in pursuing Ph.D. degree work at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota. Students should have earned at least a Bachelor's degree before applying for a Fellowship. The Compton Peace Fellowship has two objectives. The first is to build institutional capacity that can be applied to the challenges of conflict resolution in African nations, and to peace and security issues both within sub-Saharan Africa and between that region and the rest of the world. The second is to build and sustain a community of Fellows, who, as future leaders and scholars in sub-Saharan Africa, can help link peace and security to population and environmental issues. Before applying for a Compton Peace Fellowship, the student must apply for admission to an academic department. Candidates must be nominated by the department and should indicate on their application their request to be nominated for a Compton Peace Fellowship by the end of December of the year preceding the targeted admission to graduate studies. Two fellowships were awarded for the academic year 2003-2004. For further information contact: Dr. Francis Harvey, Assistant Professor Department of Geography, 414 Social Sciences Building University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA Tel: +1 612.625.2586, Fax: +1 612.624.1044, Email: fharvey@umn.edu Web: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~fharvey http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/articles/news/fellowship/ http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/articles/grants/research/obf/ http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/articles/grants/research/obf/fr/ (en francais) British Ecological Society (BES) Overseas Bursaries and Fellowships The British EcologicalSociety (BES) Overseas Bursaries scheme provides grants for ecologists in developing countries for innovative ecological research. Examples of possible research areas include plant-animal interactions, restoration ecology, microbial and viral ecology, ecological processes and community ecology. The bursaries aim to encourage links between ecologists in developing countries with those in the UK and other European countries. Each grant is a maximum of £7,000 over an 18 month period and is intended for the purchase of the basic tools needed to conduct a research project, limited in-country travel and part of the applicant's salary. It cannot be used for international travel or education. Successful applicants will be linked by the BES with ecologists based in the UK or other European countries who share related research interests. Applications must be received by the BES by 1st September 2003. http://www.swissre.com/INTERNET/pwswpspr.nsf/vwAllByIDKeyLu/SBAR-59FDAE RE-Source Award for Sustainable Watershed Management August 31, Nomination deadline Swiss Re has committed itself to supporting the planning, evaluation and implementation of water-related projects with the aim of promoting awareness and encouraging the efficient use of this precious resource. To support and encourage water-related initiatives, Swiss Re is now launching the RE-Source Award for Sustainable Watershed Management. The RE-Source Award is worth USD 100 000 in total and is granted to one or several projects selected by a jury. http://network.idrc.ca/ev.php?URL_ID=24327&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Internship Awards Closing Date: 12 September 2003 The IDRC Internship awards provide exposure to research for international development through a programme of training in research management and grant administration under the guidance of IDRC programme staff. The internship is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences in research programme management - in the creation, dissemination and utilisation of knowledge from an international perspective. The programme is aimed at candidates who, through demonstrated achievements in academic studies, work or research, have shown interest in the creation and utilisation of knowledge from an international perspective. Candidates can be Canadians (or permanent residents) or citizens of developing countries, and should have had some training at the Master's level. Candidates need not be affiliated with an institution. They may participate in internships as part of an academic requirement. 2004 Stockholm Water Prize - Water Actions, Actors and Activities Nominations Sought from Around the World for the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize -- an international award for excellence in water action, water awareness building, water management or water science. Deadline to Nominate for $150,000 Prize is Sept. 30, 2003. http://www.siwi.org/downloads/SWP%20Nomination%20Form%202003.pdf (nomination form). Eligibility for the $150,000 Stockholm Water Prize is open to individuals, institutions, organisations and companies that have made a substantial contribution through research or concrete results within the last 10 years. The prize honours achievements that increase knowledge of water, raise understanding of the many faceted aspects of this precious resource, and protect its usability and availability for all life. http://www.wilsoncenter.org/fellowships Fellowships at The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington DC, USA. The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars announces the opening of its 2004-2005 fellowship competition. Fellows are provided stipends which include round trip travel, private offices, access to the Library of Congress, Windows-based personal computers, and research assistants. Deadline: October 1, 2003. http://conservation.bp.com/ Deadline: October 31, 2003 BP Conservation Program to Support Student Project Teams Since 1985, the BP Conservation Program (BPCP) has supported and encouraged conservation projects that address global conservation priorities at a local level. The program provides advice, training, and financial awards to student project teams helping with high priority conservation field projects. Program partners include BirdLife International, Conservation International, Fauna & Flora International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. Each year awards are presented in Gold, Silver, and Bronze categories. These awards range between $7,500 and $17,500. The program also provides several Follow-up Awards ranging from $20,000 up to $55,000 each. These are given to the best proposals for follow-up work submitted by one of the previous years' winners. There are also two $75,000 Consolidation Awards given to the best continuing conservation projects that the program has helped to seed since its inception. The program is open to teams from all over the world. Teams should be led by and must contain an overall majority of students at the under- or post-graduate level in full or part-time education who will take ownership of the project. See the BP Conservation Program Web site for complete guidelines, application forms, and links to related Web sites and resources, including the program's Conservation Project Manual. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept. 4, 2003, Abdus-Salami Abubakar Youth Centre, Minna, Nigeria A one-day Sensitization Workshop on "Remote Sensing Applications to Water and Ecosystem Management" Key Objectives: (1) Gather Stakeholders and identify priority needs in the application of remote sensing to ecosystem and water problems in Nigeria. (2) Create awareness on a proposed applications project onClimate and Water Resources Management in the Kainji Lake area of Nigeria. Sponsored by UNESCO. Organisers include the Department of Geography, Bosso Campus, Federal University of Technology,PMB 65, Minna, Nigeria. http://www.sac.co.za Remote Sensing training, 20 -24 October 2003, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa. The Satellite Applications Centre is hosting a 5-day training course in Satellite Remote Sensing in association with the French Aerospace Remote Sensing Development Group GDTA. The training course is entitled "Widening Horizons: Satellite Imagery and Geospatial Information in Support of Environmental and Security Solutions for Africa." Expanding upon experience from prior training courses, the course will provide a full schedule of lectures to provide an understanding of satellite remote sensing applications theory and practice. It will also include a mid-course field trip. Geoffrey Quick, GJQuick@csir.co.za, from SAC is coordinating the course; also see website for more information. http://www.dse.de/zel/landinfo/pinboard/SADC-TBRB%20Sept-1.pdf September 2003: Workshop in Southern Africa: Transboundary water resources management. A joint program with IWMI, SADC and GTZ. November 2003: Workshop Southern Africa. Transboundary land and water management. Joint workshops with IWMI, SADC and GTZ Participants typically are nominated by their employers (partner institutions in Eastern and Southern Africa). Other institutions and NGOs involved in park management and rural development are also invited to nominate qualified staff. Interested individuals can also apply, provided they apply through or with the permission of their employer. Contact: thomas.petermann@inwent.org, InWEnt - Capacity Building International, Germany http://www.inwent.org/en/uberinwent/zusammenarbeit_mloop_pdfdownloadmitte_3 _20030225122707.pdf Advanced Training for Executive and Specialized Staff from Africa This document provides an overview of the training and dialog programs offered by InWEnt to executives and specialists from developing and transition countries. It is structured by continents and regions. For example: Use of geographic information systems (GIS) for the environment. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAVEL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ictp.trieste.it/%7Etwas/SM_Form.html Grants for Scientific Meetings in Developing Countries The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) with generous funds from the Italian Government (through the Direzione Generale per la Cooperazione allo Sviluppo) encourages the organization of high level international and regional scientific activities in developing countries by offering financial assistance to the organizers of conferences, workshops, symposia and special meetings held in these countries. The support is normally provided in the form of travel grants for principal speakers from abroad and/or participants from developing countries other than the country where the meeting is held. The amount provided normally does not exceed US$4,000. Scientific institutions and organizations in Third World countries holding meetings in their countries may apply for grants to cover the travelling expenses of lecturers from abroad and/or young scientists from the region. Organizers of international conferences being held in developing countries may apply for grants to assist with travelling expenses of eminent scientists from developing countries, the travelling expenses of principal speakers who are unable to obtain sufficient funds from other sources or travelling expenses for young promising scientists from the region. Grants are offered for meetings in the following fields of Natural Sciences: Agricultural, Biological, Chemical, Engineering, Geological and Medical Sciences. Grants are not offered for meetings in Physics and Mathematics which are covered under a similar programme sponsored by the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP). The closing dates for receipt of completed requests are: 1 June for meetings to be held during January-June of the following year; 1 December for meetings to be held during July-December of the following year. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Ad_CGIS-NUR_Web_based.doc The National University of Rwanda (NUR) as part of the Rwanda Development Gateway Group (RDGG) invites applications for several positions in the recently created Center for Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing at the NUR(CGIS-NUR), for the implementation of activities related to the Rwanda Development Gateway Group. Positions include: (a) Project Coordinator, (b) Senior Remote Sensing Coordinator, (c) GIS Coordinator, (d) ICT Coordinator, (e) GIS Technician. Deadline for applications for all positions is 31 August, 2003. http://www.unops.org/ Environmental Education Lead Specialist , UNOPS, Sudan Closing Date: 31-Aug-2003 The Environmental Education Lead Specialist will provide the senior technical expertise and leadership for the Environmental Education and Public Awareness component of the Nile Transboundary Environmental Action Project. The Lead Specialist will play a key role in ensuring effective basin-wide communication and collaboration among national specialists, relevant thematic working groups, consultants, and stakeholder groups. The Education and Awareness Lead Specialist will preferably originate from the Nile Basin Countries and will have at least 10 years of related working experience, with recognized technical expertise in environmental education. Interested applicants are invited to send a cover letter and full CV by 31 August 2003 to: Mr. Juan Luis Larrabure, Chief, Division for Environmental Programmes, United Nations Office for Project Services, Fax: 41-22-917-8062, e-mail: envp@unops.org with a copy to the Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat, attention: Mr. Meraji Msuya, Executive Director, P.O. Box 192, Entebbe, Uganda, fax: 256-41-320971, e-mail: nbisec@nilesec.org. Ref: RAB/01/G31 - Environmental Education Lead Specialist -------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000465/index.php Sustainable development and the Millenium Development Goals: the environment-poverty nexus in the Southern African context, by Selim Jahan. This presentation is from a recent UNDP workshop in Johannesburg on MDG issues, has just been posted on the SARPN website. (Source: Richard Humphries, Co-ordinator, Southern African Regional Poverty Network (SARPN), http://www.sarpn.org.za) http://www.internationalbudget.org/resources/howto/kenya.pdf Local Government Decision-Making: Citizen Participation and Local Accountability - Examples of Good (and Bad) Practice in Kenya (May 2002) African-Space-Science-Network@yahoogroups.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/African-Space-Science-Network/ African Space Science Network: is a network of African space science students, faculty and their collaborators. The purpose is to disseminate knowledge of space, space techology, and applications through education and research. The group is open to any one in any fields of education. -------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFERENCES - YOU'RE INVITED! -------------------------------------------------------------------- September 8-17, 2003, Durban, South Africa http://wcpa.iucn.org/wpc/wpc.html Vth World Congress on Protected Areas Sept. 9-12, 2003, Delft, Netherlands http://www.irc.nl/news/wis6.html Sixth Water Information Summit 2003. The Summit's theme is "Breaking the barriers: Let water information flow!" Water and information have a lot in common. Both flow from a source to users. There can be too much of it, or too little, it can be clear or 'polluted'. This event is a joint effort of the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre and the Water Web Consortium, with assistance from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and International Institute for Communication and Development. September 10-11, 2003, Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa Spatial Solutions for Africa, VII Annual FAGIS Conference FAGIS is an acronym for Free State Association for GIS Users. For further information on registration fees and forms, questions or comments, contact the Conference Co-ordinators: Sharon Barkhuizen Mobile: +27 83 298 2005 Fax:+27 51 436 8746 E-mail: sbark@worldonline.co.za Dr. Herman Booysen Phone: +27 51 430 1740/33 Fax: +27 51 430 1745 E-mail: h.booysen@netgroup.co.za -- At the first light of the African Renaissance, Africa is seeking solutions to not only its spatial dilemma but also the maturity of its people and technology. With extremely high infant mortality rates, worsened by the voracious HIV/Aids, the future it seems lies in the eyes of the beholder. With this year's theme Spatial Solutions for Africa, we hope to present workable solutions to perhaps some of the challenging issues that face Africa today by 'brain sailing' among the GIS community. As GIS is one of the best scientific and technological tools of today, it is a most exciting industry to be in. Some of the major buzzwords that reflect the GIS technology at present are Digital Elevation/Terrain Models together with 3D mapping, analysis and fly-by technology; Location-Based-Services (LBS); High-Resolution Satellite Imagery; Web-based Mapping and Real-Time data; Subject-Oriented Application development; Open GIS; Disaster Management and Security. The Conference will spark attention to the buzzwords of GIS and their application in South Africa, albeit Africa. For your convenience the Conference will begin late morning on 10 September 2003 with opportunity for networking and convivial conversing at the evening meal. The Conference will continue on the morning of 11 September 2003 ending with a delightful lunch, after which the customary lucky draw will take place. Opportunity exists for presenting a paper and/or exhibition of products, projects and applications. September 12, 2003, Graz, Austria http://www.ceos.org/ CEOS Data Policy Workshop for data related to Earth Observation Education and Training. The goal of this one-day workshop will be to finalize a set of data principles established specifically for Earth Observation Education and Training purposes. September 14-17, 2003, Cape Town, South Africa http://www.iwaconferences.co.za/develop/water_1.html Water: Key to Sustainable Development in Africa International Water Association Regional Conference Contact Details : tecloete@postino.up.ac.za September 14-20, 2003, Edinburgh, Scotland http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/bblza/sav2003/ International Conference on Tropical Savannas and Seasonally Dry Forests: Ecology, Environment and Development. The aim of this meeting is to bring together leading researchers in savanna and dry forest formations throughout the tropics. The conference will focus on five principal themes: Plant Biodiversity; Animal Biodiversity; Palaeo-ecology and Environmental Change; Environment and Environmental Processes; and Human Ecology and Development. The conference is linked to the June workshop in Nairobi (June 2-7) and the E-discussion (March 17 - April 25) September 15-19, 2003, Ghanzi, Botswana Geo-information in Development - Towards Vision 2016 [3rd Land Survey Workshop]. Contact: tsebina@gov.bw September 17-18, 2003, Tehran, Iran http://www.igctmu.org/edefault.htm The Second International Congress of the Geographers of the Islamic World. Email: info@igctmu.org September 17-19, 2003, Quebec, Canada http://www.gfis.net/showannoun.php?id=24 Information Interoperability and Organization for National and Global Forest Information Systems. The goal of the conference is to bring together international scientists, practitioners, administrators, and information professionals to discuss and announce recent research and advances in the use and organization of information within national and global forest information systems. September 21-23, 2003, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa http://www.uovs.ac.za/faculties/nat/geog/geohome/fotos/SSAGInvite.jpg Society of South African Geographers Biennial Conference September 21 - 25, 2003, Brno, Czech Republic http://digitalearh03.geogr.muni.cz 3rd Symposium on Digital Earth September 21-16, 2003, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/aetfat/prog_papers.html The theme of the Congress is "Biodiversity, Ecology, Taxonomy and Phytogeography of African Plants". A number of symposia relating to the theme, and a workshop on threatened plants are planned for the Congress. Original research papers (in English or French) on the conservation, floristics, taxonomy, vegetation and ecology, phytogeography, economic botany and forestry in Africa are invited for presentation and submission for the XVIIth AETFAT Congress. September 22-24, 2003, Biskra, Algeria http://larhyss.net/ http://www.aghtm.org/services/echanges/internationaux/fichiers/14_1. pdf Oasis, Water and Population Conference This conference will consider issues regarding water resources and population in the Oases, town and country planning, and water quality and treatment in arid zones. Contact: info@larhyss.net; Tel: 213-33-733-204; Fax: 213-33-733-204 Dans le cadre de l'année Internationale de l'Eau Douce, l'université de Biskra organise un colloque international: Oasis, Eau et Population September 22-26, 2003, Abuja, Nigeria http://www.lboro.ac.uk/wedc/conferences/29contents.htm 29th WEDC Conference: Towards the Millennium Development Goals - Actions for Water and Environmental Sanitation. Organized by the Water, Engineering and Development Centre (WEDC) and National Water Resources Institute, this conference will consider the following topics: water supply; environmental sanitation; institutional issues; water resources; and cross cutting issues such as social exclusion, sustainability, urbanization, sustainable livelihoods, poverty and gender linkages, corruption. Contact: Dot Barnard, Conference Co-organizer, WEDC, wedc.conf@lboro.co.uk September 26-28, 2003, Bremen, Germany http://bremen.unsgac.org/ http://bremen.unsgac.org/apply/ The Space Generation Congress (SGC) is a meeting of approximately 200 international young delegates to articulate the vision of young people on the future utilization and exploration of space. Over the course of the three days of the SGC, delegates will work together on projects and initiatives on the theme of 'Building an active global community'. Students and young professionals between the ages of 18-35 who have an interest in space and space policy are encouraged to apply, particularly those from developing countries. September 29 - October 1, 2003, South Africa http://www.gims.com/7ShowsConferences/GIMSUserConferenceNews/Home/7S howsConferences/GISinAfrica GIS in Africa: the 5th GIMS User Conference, South Africa's Contact: GIMS, Patrick McKivergan, pmckivergan@gims.com, This year there will be a new format and GIMS will be offering Pre- Conference Workshops on Monday 29 September ahead of the 2 day Conference (30 September and 1 October). http://www.gims.com September 29-October 1, 2003, Japan http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/africa/ticad3/concept.html The Third Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD III). TICAD III is not a meeting for pledging but one for delivering philosophy for African development toward the 21st century. The backbone for TICAD III will be support for NEPAD, the manifestation of Africa's ownership. September 29 - October 3, 2003, Weimar, Germany: http://www.eumetsat.de/en/area2/conf_work/Weimar/1Ann_Draftrev-2.pdf The 2003 Eumetsat Meteorological Satellite Conference September 29 - October 3, 2003, Moscow, Russia http://wccc2003@mecom.ru World Climate Change Conference. Executive Secretariat (scientific issues): Yu.Izrael@g23.relcom.ru October 1-2, 2003, Paris, France http://www.esrifrance.fr/actu/SIG2003/accueil_sig2003.htm SIG 2003 de la Conférence Francophone ESRI PACI (Palais des Congrès d'Issy les Moulineaux) Email: sig2003@esrifrance.fr October 2-3, 2003, Stellenbosch, South Africa October 6-7, 2003, Rabat, Morocco, http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/CEOS_newsletter_excerpt.doc http://www.ceos.org/pdfs/CEOS_NL20.pdf http://www.ceos.org/ CEOS World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) Follow-up Programme - Module 1 (education, training and capacity building) and Module 2 (water resource management) October 6-8, 2003, Sun City, South Africa http://www.saoug.co.za/conference/2003/index.asp Oracle User Group Conference October 6-11, 2003, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria Community Forestry and Stakeholders’ Participation in Sustainable Development [Source: African Conservation website, http://www.africanconservation.org/] Cultural Centre, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria The conference is being organized by the Forestry Association of Nigeria, the largest body of professional foresters in Africa. The Conference will focus on Community Forestry and Poverty Alleviation, Gender issues in Community Forestry, Stakeholders’ Roles in Community Forestry, Socio-economic Challenges and Conflict, and Research and Capacity Building in Community Forestry. Conference Registration Fee for participants from outside Nigeria is US$700. This is an all-inclusive cost which covers costs of local airfare within Nigeria, conference materials and proceedings, lodging and feeding, and excursion. Contact: Dr. S. O. Akindele, Chairman of the Organising Committee, Department of Forestry & Wood Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Phone: +234 (0) 803 473 9375; Email: femi_akindele2@yahoo.com or see: http://www.crossriverstate.com or email fanconference2003@yahoo.com. October 13-17, 2003, Port Harcourt, Nigeria 25 Years of Nigeria Cartographic Association. On Oct. 13-17, Nigerian Cartographers will gather to mark the Silver Jubilee anniversary of the Nigerian Cartographic Association (NCA). They are expected to discuss the critical issues of Cartography and GIS for Sustainable Environmental Management. A charter status from the Government of Nigeria for the NCA will also be discussed, which could give the body the legal status required to regulate the process of map making in Nigeria. The body would also be able to conduct professional examination for its prospective members. Additionally, it would enjoy an annual budgetary allocation from the government. (announcement from ICA News, No. 40, June 2003, http://www.icaci.org) October 13-14, 2003, Pretoria, South Africa http://www.nsif.org.za The National Spatial Information Framework will be hosting its 5th Anniversary. The first day will include a session on African Spatial Information perspectives, most likely including speakers from SADC countries. October 16-17, 2003, Rabat, Morocco 3eme Atelier Nord Africain sur l'unification du system de reference geodesique, organise de l'Agence Nationale de la Conservation Fonciere du Cadastre et de la Cartographie (ANCFCC), en association avec l'Organisation Africaine du Cartographie et de Teledetection (OACT). Cet 3eme atelier anime par des experts des Pays Nord Africain et Etrangers vise la mise en oeuvre d'un referential unifie pour l'Afrique du Nord, la definition d'un geoide et le choix d'une representation plan unifiee necessaire pour les projets developpment integres. October 16-18, 2003, Montreal, Canada http://www.ihdp.uni-bonn.de/html/other/open%20_meeting_2003.htm http://www.ihdp.uni-bonn.de/word_docs/other/5thOpen%20Meeting.doc Open Meeting of the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Research Community. Updated information will be posted at the 2001 open meeting web site: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/openmeeting/ October 16-18, 2003, Genova, Italy http://www.gisig.it/coastgis/home.htm Fifth International Symposium on GIS and Computer Cartography for Coastal Zone Management. CoastGIS is a collaborative initiative of the International Geographical Union's Commission on Coastal Systems and the International Cartographic Association's Commission on Marine Cartography. October 17-22, 2003, Cairo, Egypt http://www.isocarp.org The 39th International Planning Congress Organized by: International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISoCaRP). Email: secretariat@isocarp.org October 19-31, 2003, Bonn, Germany 6th Conference of the Parties to the Convention to Combat Desertification. Contact: CCD Secretariat: Tel 49-228-815 2800; Fax 49-228-815 2898/99; secretariat@unccd.int; http://www.unccd.int October 22-24, 2003, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.ungiwg.org Fourth Plenary Meeting of the United Nations Geographic Information Working Group (UNGIWG). This meeting will be hosted by UNEP. October 23-24, 2003, Trieste, Italy http://www.ejds.org/meeting2003 Developing Countries Access to Scientific Knowledge "Quantifying the Digital Divide" is an open round table on the dissemination of science and the transfer of knowledge and (open source) technology towards developing countries. The goal is to bring together all interested parties to analyze, share experiences, promote ideas and discuss better understanding and quantifying the digital divide, concrete strategic alternatives, innovative technological tools and e-contents licensing issues to support scientists working in remote areas and having low-bandwidth, or expensive access to on-line database services and the Internet. Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics. October 27-29, 2003, Cape Town, South Africa http://www.nrf.ac.za/saeon/globalchange/saglobal.htm http://www.nrf.ac.za/saeon/globalchange/announcement.htm Global Change and Regional Sustainability in South Africa Symposium The South African Scientific Committee on Global Change (SASCGC) announces a national symposium on the implications of important drivers of global change for national and regional sustainability of human and ecological systems in South Africa. The SASCGC is a national committee of the International Science Union (ICSU), functioning under the auspices of the National Research Foundation. Complete the registration form in full and submit to e-mail before 29 August if you wish to attend. October 27-30, 2003, Johannesburg, South Africa http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/UNESCOSouthAfricaAgendaProv-2.doc Provisional Agenda - Stakeholders and Resources Mobilisation towards Implementation of the Regional Ocean Observing and Forecasting Systems for Africa (ROOFS-AFRICA). In partnership with the South African Weather Service and under the Auspices of the Steering Committee of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) October 2003, Capetown, South Africa (tentative) Science Policy Conference on Global Change and the Vulnerability of Land and Water Resources in Africa. Contact: Eric Odada, eodada@uonbi.ac.ke Also tentativel: START Pan-Africa Regional Committee (PACOM) Meeting Contact: Eric Odada, eodada@uonbi.ac.ke November 3, 2003, Dakar, Senegal Expert Meeting on the "Use of Available Global Landsat Data Sets for Meeting the Information Needs of NEPAD". The Expert Meeting is being organised as a Pre-Conference Meeting of the AfricaGIS '03 Conference. This meeting will bring together 30 experts representing Western African and Regional Institutions to define possible projects that take advantage of the available global data sets and also to discuss a strategy to promote the wider use of the available data. If your institution is interested in getting involved and participating in this Pre-Conference Expert Meeting, email David Stevens asap, david.stevens@unvienna.org. November 4-8, 2003, Dakar, Senegal http://213.154.74.37/agis2003/default.htm (announcement in French) http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/First_announcement_def.pdf AfricaGIS '03. Check EIS-AFRICA website for more details as they become available. http://www.eis-africa.org. The main theme for AfricaGIS '03 is 'Meeting the Information Needs for the NEPAD'. Le thème principal retenu pour GIS Afrique ’03 est 'vers une satisfaction des besoins informationnels du NEPAD' November 3-7, 2003, Johannesburg, South Africa http://www.sastat.org.za/ties2003.htm http://www.cmis.csiro.au/ties2003/ 13th International Conference on Quantitative Methods for the Environmental Sciences. [The conference originally was meant to be held from 21-24 August 2003 at the Friendship Hotel in Beijing, China. Unfortunately, due to the SARS virus, many institutions and companies are refusing to let their staff travel to China. The conference has thus been moved to South Africa, and will be held as a parallel conference to the 50th Anniversary conference of the South African Statistical Association (SASA). Major Theme: Quantifying how our environment affects us **** DATE CHANGE **** GDIN Conference has been postponed to March 26-29, 2004! It had been scheduled for November 4-7, 2003. See below. November 10-14, 2003, Honolulu, HI, USA http://isrse.pdc.org/ 30th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment November 19, 2003 - GIS Day http://www.gisday.com Visit the website for ideas on organizing an event in your country. December 2003, Lebanon http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/ Symposium on Water Resources and Desertification As a follow up to the Rabat Symposium which covered this topic for the regions of North Africa and the Sahel in 2002, this Symposium will be held in Lebanon for Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Syria and, of course Lebanon. It will be co-organised with UNESCO and co-sponsored by the United Nation's Office for Outer Space Affairs. December 2-5, 2003, Marrakech, Morocco http://www.fig.net/figtree/morocco/ Urban-Rural Interrelationship for Sustainable Development Monde urbain et rural pour un environment durable 2nd FIG Regional Conference for the Arab Countries and Francophone Africa, 10th Anniversary of ONIGT, and 3rd National Surveying Day. Organised by FIG, Ordre National des Ingenieurs Geometres - Topographes ONIGT. Co-sponsored by FIG Commissions 2, 3 and 5. Contact: FIG Office, email: fig@fig.net The conference will be held in English, French and Arabic. Early bird registration fee is 250 euros and the early bird rates are available until 30 September 2003. December 2-6, 2003, Yaounde, Cameroon http://www.pdm-net.org/africites/fr/inscription/form2003Ang.pdf AFRICITIES 2003: 'Ensuring the access to basic services in African Local Governments'. Contact: Mr Souleymane Maiga (PDM), smaiga@pdm-net.org December 4-5, 2003, Lyon, France http://www.cities-lyon.org/ World Summit of Cities and Local Authorities on the Information Society. The aim of this meeting is to facilitate taking into account the specific perspectives of cities and regions by the World Summit of heads of state and government. It will also highlight and make known the initiatives taken by cities and local authorities as well as those of the private sector and civil society. December 8-12, 2003, Tunis, Tunisia http://www.uaps.org/cap2003/cap2003eng/indexcap2003en.htm http://www.uaps.org/cap2003/cap2003eng/appelcom.htm (call for presentations) The Fourth African Population Conference For more information: Mister Mbaye Diouf Ndiaye, cap2003@uaps.org Sub-themes (informal sessions) 1. Community Approaches And Implementing Population Policies(APAC) 2. NGO Partnership In Reproductive Health And Poverty(CEFA) 3. Methods Of Quality Data Collection And Analysis(CERPOD) 4. Governance, Civil Society And Poverty(UNDP) 5. Governance And HIV/AIDS(IDRC/RARS) 6. Geographic Information System From EDS Data(MACRO Internatinal) 7. Access And Use Of Data(MACRO International) December 10-12, 2003, Geneva, Switzerland http://www.itu.int/wsis/ World Summit on the Information Society, First Phase. early 2004, Cape Town, South Africa (dates to be determined) http://www.afrea.org/content/index.cfm?navID=18&itemID=206 Third African Evaluation Association (AfrEA) Conference The theme of the conference is proposed to be Evaluation for Effective Development in Africa Feb 2-6, 2004, Bangalore, India http://www.gsdi.org http://www.gsdi.org/GSDI7/Gsdi7FirstAnnouncementFinal.pdf 7th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Conference Focus: Spatial Technologies, Applications and Policies Revised deadline for submitting abstracts Sept. 30, 2003. February 9-11, 2004, Marrakech, Morocco http://enaweb.enameknes.ac.ma/~8imsmtc/ Soil Information: a basis for better land management and prevention of desertification in the mediterranean environment March 1-4, 2004, Berne, Switzerland IGS Symposium & Technical Workshop 2004 Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the International GPS Service The Symposium will recognize the unique history of the IGS as well as looking towards the future and what is on the horizon for an international GNSS services in the next decade. The Technical Workshop Series will focus in detail on many critical issues, analysis results, network/communication aspects, data systems, and the various applications addressed by the Projects, Working Groups, and Coordinators of the IGS. March 26-29, 2004, Washington, DC http://gsdi.org/SDIA/gdinfinal.pdf http://www.gdin.org GDIN2004. Sixth Conference of the Global Disaster Information Network. Global Disaster Information Network (GDIN) is an organization that is dedicated to improving the flow of information before and during natural disasters. Conference themes include: emergency telecommunications, disaster manager needs, the UN International Strategy on Disaster Reduction, information management (including homeland security), urban search and rescue, and many more. Contact: gdin2003@hotmail.com [the GDIN Secretariat is pleased to announce that the Government of South Africa has offered to host the 7th GDIN Conference]. April 20-29, 2004, New York, NY, USA http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn.htm http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/englishUNGEGN.pdf http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/frenchUNGEGN.pdf (francais) The Twenty-second Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) May 10-12, 2004,Johor, Malaysia http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/GISDECO_2004.doc (announcement) http://www.fab.utm.my/gisdeco2004 7th Conference on GIS and Developing Countries: GISDECO 2004, on GIS Capacity Building and Infrastructure. Proposals for papers and posters dealing with the following topics should be sent to the GISDECO Secretariat by November 30, 2003. GISDECO Secretariat: Email :b-haris@utm.my. General information on GISDECO or details of past events please see: http://www.itc.nl/gisdeco/ or email Richard Sliuzas, GISDECO Int'l coordinator at GISDECO@itc.nl. June 2-7, 2004, Orleans, France http://www.gsdi.org/SDIA/1st_Circular-CAG20.doc http://cag20.brgm.fr 20th Colloquium of Africa Geology - First circular 20eme Colloque de Geologie Afrique - Cirulaire premiere Symposia topics include: Geodynamics of Africa; Earth Resources and Sustainable Development of Africa; Geohazards, Environmental management, Paleoclimatology and Human Evolution in Africa; and Geoscience Education in Africa. There will also be workshops: 1) The future role of African Geological and Mining Surveys, 2) Earth resources, sustainable development and poverty alleviation in Africa, 3) Geoscientific Maps of Africa including Tectonic map of Africa (CGMW), and 4) Initiative for integrated research projects in Africa (CNRS-INSU, Univ., IRD, IFREMER, BRGM, etc.). June 7-9, 20iþÿúÿÝÝ.ÝÝ(GdK sites and resources, including the program's Conservation Project Manual. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Sept. 4, 2003, Abdus-Salami Abubakar Youth Centre, Minna, Nigeria A one-day Sensitization Workshop on "Remote Sensing Applications to Water and Ecosystem Management" Key Objectives: (1) Gather Stakeholders and identify priority needs in the application of remote sensing to ecosystem and water problems in Nigeria. (2) Create awareness on a proposed applications project onClimate and Water Resources Management in the Kainji Lake area of Nigeria. Sponsored by UNESCO. Organisers include the Department of Geography, Bosso Campus, Federal University of Technology,PMB 65, Minna, Nigeria. http://www.sac.co.za Remote Sensing training, 20 -24 October 2003, CSIR, Pretoria, South Africa. The Satellite Applications Centre is hosting a 5-day training course in Satellite Remote Sensing in association with the French Aerospace Remote Sensing Development Group GDTA. The those concerned in the future of soil resource assessment. For expressions of interest, and more details, please contact Phlippe Lagacherie, lagacherie@ensam.inra.fr. -------------------------------------------------------------------- You are welcome to forward this message onto colleagues who may find the information useful. If you do so, please include the newsletter contact information at the bottom of this message so that others will know about the newsletter and subscribe themselves. If you have news or information related to GIS, remote sensing, and spatial data infrastructure (e.g., workshop announcements, publications, reports, websites of interest) kindly send me the materials so that I can include it in the newsletter. This newsletter depends upon your continued interest and input. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kate Lance EROS Data Center/International Program Address: Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Secretariat USGS 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive Mail Stop 590 Reston, VA 20192 Email: klance@usgs.gov Tel: 703-648-4564 Fax. 703-648-5755 Website: http://edcintl.cr.usgs.gov/ http://www.gsdi.org/