[PLEASE READ - DO NOT SCROLL DOWN without reading first] Dear all: I have 3 things to ask... Please take the time to respond. 1. Do a good deed for the day: please suggest to a colleague that he/she subscribe to the newsletter.... at least 1 person who is not yet receiving it. 2. Those of you involved in municipal/city SDI efforts, please send me details. I have too few examples of these in Africa, but I know they're out there. Developing SDI happens at all levels, local to global. I will compiled whatever is sent and share back with all of you. 3. I am making a request for 'internship opportunities.' My thinking is that graduate students in developed countries focusing on RS/GIS/SDI might be able to secure their own funds to be able to spend several months with your institution, providing hands-on training and helping to facilitate SDI activities. If you're interested in hosting an 'intern', please provide an 'advertisement/notice' of what you'd like that intern to do and what expertise you're looking for. If you can craft a position description, GSDI will advertise and circulate these notices, and hopefully, there will be a match. It could be an opportunity for cost-effective support. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.... And now for a bit of humor from Africa: The 3rd Annual Nigerian E-Mail Conference http://j-walk.com/other/conf/index.htm "How to write better emails" and "make more moneys".... -------------------------------------------------------------------- SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA UPDATE VOL 2, NO. 11 - 18 SEPTEMBER 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 Reuben Mavima, SADC Region Remote Sensing Unit (Zimbabwe); CJ Cote, ESRI (USA); Craig von Hagen, FAO/Africover (Kenya); Didier Devers, University of Maryland (USA); Olubodun Ayeni, Geoinformation Society of Nigeria (Nigeria), Mark Reichardt, OpenGIS Consortium (USA); Surveyor's General Department (Swaziland); Felicia Olufunmilayo Akinyemi, Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University (Nigeria); Wilber Ottichilo, RCMRD (Kenya); Jide Kufoniyi, RECTAS (Nigeria); NSIF (South Africa); Henry Tom (ISO TC211 Outreach); and Annette Rolfe, OCHA (Sierra Leone) for their contributions to this issue of the newsletter. -------------------------------------------------------------------- SDI NEWS, LINKS, PAPERS, PRESENTATIONS - HAVE YOU READ? -------------------------------------------------------------------- In Vol 2., No. 10 of this newsletter, I highlighted the recently held workshop 'Implementing Standards for Geographic Information in Africa' (10 August 2003), organized by EIS-AFRICA and USGS/EDC, and sponsored by UNECA, GSDI, and USAID (EMIS). The following link summarizes the outcomes of the discussion groups and identified 'action items' that country specialists can/will pursue to advance standards development and implemention. Kindly review and identify items that you can address. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/report_iccwkshopaug2003.doc Standards workshop summary http://www.nsif.org.za/news/ICC/iccreport.doc Workshop Summary prepared by NSIF http://www.isotc211.org/Outreach/Newsletter/Newsletters.htm ISO/TC 211 Outreach newsletter. The ISO/TC 211 Outreach Mission is to promote the awareness, adoption, and advocacy of ISO/TC 211 standards in user communities. At the moment, there are 29 participating (voting) nations and 27 observing nations contributing to the work of ISO/TC 211. Of the 29, 2 are from Africa (Morocco and South Africa), and of the 27, 4 are from Africa (Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Any queries about participating in ISO/TC 211 Outreach activities can be sent to Henry Tom, Co-Chair, ISO/TC 211 Advisory Group on Outreach, Tomcaros@cs.com See link below to obtain contact information for your national standards body: http://www.iso.ch/iso/en/aboutiso/isomembers/index.html http://www.opengis.org/pressrm/ogcuser/ OGC User Magazine is a free quarterly e-mail publication of the Open GIS Consoritum that highlights the use of OpenGIS Specifications in building interoperable solutions for spatial and related technologies. Subscription information is available at: http://www.opengis.org/ogcSubscribe.php. The Open GIS Consortium (OGC) announces OGC User Magazine, a free OGC User will provide detailed studies of how and why organizations are choosing to build their small to enterprise solutions around these specifications and the benefits and challenges they see. If you have a story suggestion for a future issue, please contact the editor at adena@opengis.org. -- SDI update from South Africa http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/MetadataMonthly_30%20August_1.doc As highlighted before, NSIF publishes a monthly metadata newsletter to keep the geospatial data community motivated and informed. I encourage you to take a look, and hopefully to do something similar in your own country. Also note the following documents that have been added to the NSIF website: http://www.nsif.org.za/policies/strtad.doc National address database project (background document) http://www.nsif.org.za/policies/Post_ad.ppt National address database project (presentation by Propnet) http://www.nsif.org.za/news/workshop.html Workshop on harmonizing spatial information initiatives to promote decision-making and support service delivery held on 15 July 2003. -- SDI update from Sierra Leone The Information Management Committee has been endorsed by the main strategic committee in Sierra Leone, under the Vice President. The first official Information Management Committee Meeting was held September 17, 2003. They are beginning with a data inventory. Colleagues in Sierra Leone have mentioned that they find Kenya's SDI materials helpful to them. -- SDI update from Zimbabwe A Zimbabwe SDI workshop is scheduled for 13 November 2003. This will follow a metadata training workshop that has been planned for 11-12 November. The Surveyor General's Department has indicated that they would like to host a standards follow-up meeting on 10 November, to further discussions from the standards workshop they hosted on September 4th. For further details, contact Reuben Mavima, rmavima@fanr-sadc.co.zw, rmavima@hotmail.com -- SDI upate from Botswana The Department of Surveys and Mapping hosted the 'Third Surveys and Mapping Conference,' 15-19, September 2003 at Ghanzi. The focus of this conference was mainly to promote the optimum use of geo-information in the country for sustainable development. The Theme of the conference was: "Geo-Information in Development - Towards Vision 2016" -- SDI update from Ethiopia http://www.measuredhs.com USAID/Ethiopia is sponsoring a workshop with the Central Statistical Agency, Population and Housing Commission and Ministry of Health. Participants will learn principles of geographic information systems (GIS) database development, incorporate Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data into a GIS, and perform exploratory analyses using the 2000 georeferenced Ethiopia DHS data. Anyone who would like more information about the DHS can go to link above; the data can also be downloaded. -- SDI update from Kenya Poverty Mapping 'roll out', 30 September 2003. The Poverty GIS Mapping "role out" will be officially launched by the Minister of Planning and National Development (Prof.Anyang' Nyong'o) between 25 and 28 September 2003. During the launch, there will be media (radio and TV) discussions on the importance of development of NSDI and use of GIS as a planning and data management tool. The Minister of Planning, Minister for Lands and Settlement (Hon.Amos Kimunya), Mr. David Nalo (Permanent Secretary (Ministry of Planning) and Dr. Ottichilo (RCMRD) will participate in the discussion. The poverty maps were prepared by the Ministry of Planninng (Central Bureau of Statistics) in collaboration with ILRI, Rockefeller Foundation, and the World Bank. -- SDI update from Swaziland http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Swazi-SDI-workshop_agenda.doc http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Swazi-SDI-workshop_minutes.doc http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Swazi-SDI-workshop_discussiongoups.doc http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Swazi-SDI-InterimSecretariat_minutes_Aug29.doc The Surveyor General's Department of Swaziland, in collaboration SADC RRSU, RCMRD, and USGS/EDC, with support from USAID, held a 1 1/2 day Stakeholders' Workshop on National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in Mbabane, 19-20 August, 2003. The workshop was well-attended by stakeholders from public and private sectors, as well as specialists from Geospace Int'l and HSRC in South Africa. Two Principal Secretaries participated, plus a keynote speech was given by Professor Mushala of the Univesity of Swaziland. Participants discussed the needs for the establishment of NSDI and identified several 'first steps' to take. A follow-up Intertim Secretariat meeting was held on 29 August. The links above from details on the workshop agenda, discussion groups, and the minutes of the Interim Secretariat meeeting. The next meeting is scheduled for 26 September 2003. -- SDI update from Nigeria The Geoinformation Policy Committee submitted the "draft" policy to the Hon. Minister of Science and Technology on 11th September. The Minister received the policy himself and promised implementation. There were two fundamental changes to the policy: (1) An NGDI Council was introduced, composed of eight ministers with the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Chairman - this is to ensure top-level support for the infrastructure (2) The NGDI Committee representation is now at the minimum level of Director with rotational chairmanship as well as rotational representation in some cases. -- Also note from Nigeria: http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AGA_Reg_Form.doc http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AGA_GSoN_Brochure.doc Geoinformation Society of Nigeria, First Annual General Assembly and Conference (GEOSON Abuja 2003), November 26-28, 2003, NUC Auditorium Theme: Application of Geoinformation to the Development and Management of Nigeria's Resources. Contact: Contact: Olubodun Ayeni, ooayeni@yahoo.com Deadline (revised) for submitting abstracts Sept. 30, 2003. http://www.gsdi7.org.in 7th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Conference Feb 2-6, 2004, Bangalore, India http://www.gsdi.org/GSDI7/Gsdi7FirstAnnouncementFinal.pdf Focus: Spatial Technologies, Applications and Policies For further information, contact Mukund Rao, Indian Space Research Organisation, mukundr@blr.vsnl.net.in -------------------------------------------------------------------- GIS TOOLS, SOFTWARE, DATA -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ogcnetwork.org/docs/03-050r1.pdf OpenGIS® Web Map Server Cookbook, Version 1.0.1., August 13, 2003 The Cookbook provides the basic understanding and steps needed for implementing and exploiting the WMS interface and related technologies. In addition, the Cookbook includes examples of implementations, applications, and related helpful information for beginners and more advanced users. The Cookbook includes "recipes" or step-by-step instructions and recommendations on developing OpenGIS infrastructures using the WMS interface. It is an implementation guide. http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/guo/ http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/guo/esri_gis.asp http://www.unhabitat.org/programmes/guo/documents/press%20announcement%20of%20MoU.htm UN HABITAT Grant Programme. The goal of the grant program is to provide GIS technology and training for up to 1,000 cities in developing countries so that they can participate in the collection of urban indicator information. Urban indicators include information about poverty, environmental degradation, lack of urban services, degeneration of existing infrastructure, and the lack of access to land and adequate shelter. Cities can use GIS for the collection and analysis of urban indicator data to facilitate better urban management and the formulation of participatory development policies. (Appropriate applicants would be city councils or whomever is responsible for collecting/maintaining data about city infrastructure and services). Contact: Martin Raithelhuber , Global Urban Observatory, Tel. 254-2-62-3665, E-mail: Martin.Raithelhuber@unhabitat.org http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/data/ The GEOCOVER 2000 dataset covering the Congo Basin - which consists of orthorectified Landsat 7 ETM+ scenes dating from June 1999 to March 2002 - has been put online by the University of Maryland. You can access the data and download them for free. For people and institutions with slow internet connections, a copy of that dataset (on CD's) will be available shortly at the OSFAC office in Kinshasa. The GEOCOVER 2000 dataset will come in addition to 500+ Landsat scenes, dating from 1984 to 2002 - already existing at OSFAC. You can access all these data for free online at or in Kinshasa for the simple costs of reproduction. For more information regarding access to data at OSFAC, contact Didier Devers, Tel 301.405.8298, ddevers@glue.umd.edu or Jean-François Bizenga at bizenga@hotmail.com http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/data/ Les données GEOCOVER 2000 couvrant le Bassin du Congo - scènes Landsat 7 ETM+ orthorectifiées datant de juin 1999 à mars 2002- ont été mises en ligne par l'université du Maryland. Vous pouvez accéder aux données et les télécharger gratuitement. Pour les gens et les institutions avec des connections à l'internet difficile, une copie de ces données (sur CD) sera disponible prochainement dans les bureaux d'OSFAC à Kinshasa. Les données GEOCOVER 2000 viendront en sus de plus de 500 scènes Landsat existant déjà à Kinshasa. Vous pouvez accéder à ces données gratuitement en ligne ou à Kinshasa contre un simple prix de reproduction. Pour plus d'informations concernant l'accès aux données chez OSFAC, contactez Didier Devers, Tel 301.405.8298, ddevers@glue.umd.edu ou contactez Jean-François Bizenga à bizenga@hotmail.com http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu GLCF has its Landsat 7 GeoCover holdings online. You can try downloading and redistributing any and all of this product. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/Southern_L7.bmp Also, the MODIS 16-day composites are now available. GLCF is currently negotiating an arrangement to provide low-cost orthorectification services for new data, so stay tuned. For more information, contact Ben White, bgwhite@umiacs.umd.edu Global Land Cover Facility has over 19,000 Landsat FREE Landsat scenes. In addition, a variety of new MODIS tree cover and composite products have come out. Look for MODIS fire maps and ASTER data in the near future. https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/ Landsat circa 1990 coverage available. Zoom in/out, or 'Select Image' to open a new window (requires javascript) to view or download the Landsat scene. https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/tutorial/Landsat%20Tutorial-V1.html An Introductory Landsat Tutorial -------------------------------------------------------------------- GEOSPATIAL RESEARCH / APPLICATIONS / REFERENCE MATERIAL -------------------------------------------------------------------- Geographic Targeting for Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria: a geographic information system (GIS) approach, by Felicia Akinyemi, Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University. http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/geo_targeting_poverty_nigeria.doc This paper (presented at ICA in Beijing in 2001) demonstrates the utilization of GIS in simulating geographically targeted poverty alleviation programmes at household and neighbourhood levels within the city of Ibadan (a World Bank/UNDP, UNCHS (Habitat)"Sustainable Urban Management Programme" case study). Geographic targeting analysis and mapping using GIS enabled the vulnerability of each household and neighborhood to poverty to be related to their actual locations in space. It not only targeted the poor, but in a situation where a planner's budget can only run a poverty alleviation programme in few households or neighbourhoods, transfers to the poor can be according to their ranking under a given poverty measure. Moreover, mapping helped us to discover several causal relationships between socio-economic variables, which tend to engender poverty in households. Had the results been left only in tabular, spreadsheet form or aggregated as charts or graphs, such relationships may be hidden. Mapping helps to identify the patterning of poverty as it occurs in each sample area. This reveals that there is a spatial dimension to poverty and its alleviation. http://www.hyg.uni-heidelberg.de/sfb544/pdf/DP_03_2002.pdf Bayesian and GIS Mapping of Childhood Mortality in Rural Burkina Faso. Various geographic information systems (GIS) are now widely used to map the distribution of diseases and mortality. However, the mapping of raw mortality rates has been found to be inappropriate since it does not account for the spatial heterogeneity of the population at risk. Bayesian techniques have therefore been suggested as a solution to the problem. http://www.directionsmag.com/article.php?article_id=340 GIS -- A Light in the Darkness in the Sahel In order to jump-start the electrification process of rural Senegal, the government is implementing an ambitious program. The country has been divided into 18 rural electrification districts for implementation purposes. Three of the districts have been selected for GIS pilot study purposes -- for data capture techniques, data modeling and analysis, and visualization capabilities. http://www.region-reunion.com/fr/canasuc/programme/geographic.html Use of GIS to Assess the Suitability of Sugar Cane Lands in Mauritius for Mechanized Crop Production, by Maryse Chung Tze Cheong and Errol Jacquin. The Mauritian Sugar Sector Strategic Plan (2001-2005) has clearly spelt out the need to maintain the profitability of the Mauritian sugar industry by reducing the cost of production, in particular by decreasing the size of the labour force. The mechanization of cultural operations, especially harvesting, has therefore become of great importance. However there are several constraints to mechanization, such as in-field rockiness, slopes, drainage pattern, and so on. This paper demonstrates the use of GIS for categorizing cane land according to a mechanization suitability index, so that the necessary land planning, capital investment and machinery pooling, may be envisaged. In addition, an alternative use for land now under sugar cane may be considered in areas where land improvement for implementation of mechanical practices would not be feasible. http://www.pcigeomatics.com/tech-papers/igarss02_kaya_paper.pdf Kaya, S. 2002. The Use of Radar Remote Sensing for Identifying Environmental Factors Associated with Malaria Risk in Coastal Kenya. Submitted to the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS ’02), Toronto, June 24-28, 2002. 3p. ArcNews Summer 2003 ArcNews Online, http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/arcnews.html "Focus on Africa" articles include... http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/summer03articles/in-egypt-sudan-namibia.html "In Egypt, Sudan, and Namibia, GIS Helps Compare Human Strategies of Coping With Arid Habitats" By Olaf Bubenzer and Andreas Bolten, University of Cologne, Germany http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/summer03articles/cape-peninsula.html "Cape Peninsula National Park, South Africa, Develops a GIS-Based Environmental Information System" There are other articles focusing on applications in Africa in the printed version. The printed version of ArcNews is distributed free of charge within the United States. You can subscribe to ArcNews online, http://gis.esri.com/news/arcnews/subscribe.cfm, or send your name, organization, type of organization, GIS application (if any), address, and phone number via e-mail to requests@esri.com. Interested readers from other countries can view the online version or contact your local ESRI distributor about ordering the publication. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES / AWARDS / SUPPORT -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.soros.org/ip/item_doc.php?area=18&type=5&id=158 Grants for social software development September 30, 2003: Application deadline The OSI Information Program is pleased to issue a request for project proposals for its ICT Toolsets initiative. This initiative seeks to advance and support open society principles and practices by funding the development of software tools designed to meet the mission objectives of civil society organizations and actors. Contact: toolsets@osieurope.org http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/index.asp http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/Assessment/index.asp?nc=4144&id=769&msid=93 Call for proposals for the Comprehensive Assessment Competitive Research Grant Scheme This is the second announcement of funding being available for projects focused on water management issues in agriculture through competitive bidding. These funds are made available through the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture which is an international program supporting research, capacity building and knowledge sharing with the objective of reducing poverty in the developing countries. This program will fund projects of up to US$ 75,000 and the selection will be based on research merit and maintaining a balance among the themes and objectives of the Comprehensive Assessment of water Management in Agriculture. The deadline for the submission of proposals is the 6th of October, 2003. For more details, instructions and the format required please see the Guidelines for Proposals. http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/assessment/FILES/word/proposals/announcements/CAPropGuide22.doc Write to comp.assessment@cgiar.org for any further clarification. From: Directions Magazine, Thursday September 4, 2003 "We are announcing today the launch of our first Remote Sensing Contest that will be held throughout October. The contest is open to everyone who wants to submit any remotely sensed image from an earth-observing platform (satellite, air photo, RADAR, LIDAR, etc.) in one of three categories: - Classified/thematic imagery: regarded as those images that have been digitally enhanced through image processing and use a single image on which the classification was employed. - Image Maps: regarded as having been the result of integrating multiple digital images, or a single image that has been integrated with other digital data such as terrain or other georeferenced data. - Unique Geomorphologic Images: regarded as those that show an unusual land feature, otherwise know as "pretty pictures from space." Entries to the contest can be submitted between October 1 and 20; voting for winners begins on October 21 (GMT 0) and will end on October 31. We want to acknowledge and thank our sponsors for supporting the contest: DigitalGlobe, our primary sponsor and the company responsible for our unique prizes (to be announced shortly), and RADARSAT. More details will be forthcoming but the guidelines for the contest can be downloaded now by clicking: http://www.directionsmag.com/images/contest/DirMag_RSContest_Guidelines.pdf Random prizes will be drawn for those who vote for winners of the three categories above. http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/P3_Announcement.pdf http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/P3_Announcement.doc http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/P3_Application.pdf http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/P3_Application.doc START/IIASA Call for Proposals 2003 A Call for Research Proposals related to Global Environmental Change and Vulnerability. START, in partnership with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and with the financial support of the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, invites applications for Institute Fellows to participate in an Advanced Institute on Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change. The Advanced Institute is to have three components: a three-week long Seminar to be held 3-21 May 2004 at IIASA in Laxenburg, Austria; one-year research grants for successful Institute Fellows; and a culminating workshop that will follow completion of the research. Deadline for submissions is 15 October 2003 http://www.gsdi.org/SDIA/INSA-JRD_Tata_Fellowship.doc INSA-JRD Tata Fellowship Deadlines for receipt of applications are 31st March and 30th Sept. The Fellowship provides an opportunity for young scientists, teachers and researchers from the developing countries all over the world to undertake research studies in India. It covers short-term, participatory research studies in all major disciplines of science and technology including engineering and medical sciences at the Indian Centres of Excellence selected by the scientists. The Fellowship awardees are provided considerable freedom in availing the opportunity and formulating the contents of their research work in india. The awardees may either choose any institute or seek the assistance of the Indian National Science Academy. The Academy may arrange the placements accordingly for the awardees and also a research collaborator/ supervisor at the host institute in India About 20 Fellowships are likely to be provided annually. The Fellowship covers to and fro airfare, board and lodging at the affiliated institution/, and an adequate allowance in Indian currency to cover incidental expanses. The minimum period of award will be 3 months, not exceeding six months. http://www.csfp-online.org/cgi-bin/schemes.pl?display=scheme&id=15 http://www.sun.ac.za/international/study/splitsidedoct.doc Commonwealth Split-Site Doctoral Scholarships are offered within the framework of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom. These awards are designed for junior faculty or students of developing institutions who are studying for a doctoral degree at their home institution and would benefit from one year of full-time study in the United Kingdom as part of their PhD programme. Nominations for 2004 entry should be with the Commission by no later than 31 December 2003. http://fp6.cordis.lu/fp6/call_details.cfm?CALL_ID=78 The European Commission's Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS), issues regular calls for its framework programme for research, FP6. CORDIS has published a new Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) call for proposals covering the thematic priority research area "Global change and ecosystems." The call will be open till 9 October 2003, with some activities open till 17 February 2004. The total indicative budget for the call is 180 million euro. The specific themes covered by this call are: Impact and mechanisms of greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric pollutants on climate, ozone depletion and carbon sinks; Water cycle, including soil related aspects; Biodiversity and ecosystems; Mechanisms of desertification and natural disasters; Strategies for sustainable land management, including costal zones, agricultural land and forests; Operational forecasting and modelling, including global climate change observation systems; and Cross cutting issues: sustainable development concepts and tools. Gamos and Big World's Video for Development Competition Closing date: October 30 2003 Gamos and Big World are holding a competition in the field of video for development. Seeing digital video as an important and emerging technology for information and communication in the development field, they are offering three video cameras and accompanying technical training to the winners of the competition. Application requirements include a written script for a local content video project. Examples of successful proposal scripts might capture useful local information, document a local problem for advocacy work, or bring important health or livelihoods information to communities. For more information see: http://www.sustainableicts.org/vcvidcomp.htm http://www.undp.org/equatorinitiative/secondary/2004-EquatorPrize.htm Equator Prize 2004 - will focus global attention on local success stories. Six outstanding grassroots initiatives from throughout the equatorial belt will each receive the US$30,000 prize. The 25 prize finalists will also be given a chance to share the lessons of their experience with the wider world. The pool of nominees together will form an elite cadre of development practitioners with the ability to affect real change. 5 Oct 2003 is the deadline for nominations. http://www.challenge.stockholm.se/ The Stockholm Challenge Award 2003/2004 Now Open for Project Submission - You can enter your Project On-line. For the 6th time, the City of Stockholm welcomes IT projects using information technology for the benefit of people, society and the environment to show their best use of IT. The online entry form is open for submission until November 1, 2003. The aim of the Stockholm Challenge is to identify and reward innovative use of IT within areas such as citizen empowerment, education, health care, economic development and environment. http://www.iicd.org/stories/ 2003 ICT Stories Competition. Deadline September 26, 2003. By entering the competition you not only give visibility to your specific project, but at the same time offer other people the possibility to learn from your experiences on ICTs contributing to development. Programme d'Échange d'Enseignants de l'AUA/DAAD http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AAU-DDAD_staffexchange2003-4-eng.doc Association of African Universities (AAU) / German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Staff Exchange Programme 2003/2004 Academic Year. The deadline for nominations is 30 October, 2003. The Programme's objectives are to: 1) improve the quality of training and research inAfrican universities; and 2) promote the mobility of lecturers. Eachparticipant in the Programme must be nominated by an AAU member institution that needs his/her services. Les objectifs du programme suivants: 1)améliorer la qualité de la formation et de la recherche dans les universités africaines; et 2) promouvoir la mobilité des enseignants. La date limite des nominations est fixée au 30 octobre 2003. Contact Agnes Apedoe, aapedoe@aau.org, http://www.aau.org/ http://www.darwin.gov.uk http://www.darwin.gov.uk/applications.htm Applications sought for the 12th round of biodiversity grants programme. The Darwin Initiative, run by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is seeking applications for its 12th round of funding. Applications are invited from British institutions and organisations for support for projects to commence in April 2004. The closing date for Stage 1 applications is 15 October 2003. Applicants successful at Stage 1 will be notified in December 2003, and asked to submit full applications for Stage 2 by 19 January 2004. http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/icsu_twas_unesco_vsp.pdf ICSU-TWAS-UNESCO Visiting Scientist Programme The objective of the programme is to provide institutions and research groups in developing countries, especially those with limited outside contacts, with the opportunity to establish long-term links with world leaders in science and therefore develop capacity-building in their country. The deadline for applications is 1 October 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.refer.sn/article871.html Centres Linux et logiciels libres pour le développement Appel d'offres | Date limite : samedi 1er novembre 2003 En partenariat avec l'Association Francophone des Utilisateurs de Linux et Logiciels Libres (AFUL), l'Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), via son programme « TIC et appropriation des savoirs », lance le présent appel d'offres pour la mise en place de Centres Linux et logiciels libres pour le Développement (3L Dev) fondés sur le développement et l'utilisation de solutions technologiques et pédagogiques ouvertes dans les pratiques d'enseignement, de recherche ou de communication, là où les universitaires de toutes disciplines en exprimeront le besoin. http://www.giscentrum.lu.se/english/educationInternational.htm http://www.giscentrum.lu.se/Internetcourse/index.htm Basic GIS Course - No Tuition Fees An Internet based university course given by Lund University GIS Centre and Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Analysis, Lund University, Sweden. The GIS Centre can only accept approximately 50 students, so the first 50 valid students will be selected. Shortly after having submitted the on-line registration form, you will be contacted by email for further information. - Click 'Basic GIS Course', a new course web page should open, from this course web page, choose 'Application Form' from the left menu. The actual course is planned to start sometimes in October 2003. The Centre is looking forward in having you as students. For further information, contact Jean-Nicolas Poussart, GIS Centre, Lund University, jean-nicolas.poussart@giscentrum.lu.se, http://www.giscentrum.lu.se http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/smallads/costed.htm http://www.cig.ensmp.fr/~iahs/smallads/jncasrform.rtf JNCASR-COSTED Fellowship Programme This fellowship programme is jointly instituted by the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) and the Committee on Science and Technology in Developing Countries (COSTED) to foster free mobility and exchange of scientists from developing countries and to promote South-South co-operation. -- The fellowship covers short-term (up to 3 months) research, training or participatory research work in physical, chemical and biological sciences in reputed scientific institutions in India including the JNCASR. The programme is open to scientists, teachers and research scholars in the developing countries in Asian, African, Arab and Latin American regions. -- Applicant must be a scientist, teacher or a research scholar affiliated to a scientific or academic institution in a developing country in Asia (other than India), Africa, Latin America and Arab region. -- Application forms may be obtained online and from COSTED Central Secretariat, 24 Gandhi Mandapam Road, Chennai 600 025, India Tel:91-44-4430228/4419466, Fax:91-44-4914543, Email: costed@vsnl.com The deadlines for receipt of applications are: 30 June and 31 December every year. http://www.watsoninstitute.org/GE/Watson_Scholars/ http://www.watsoninstitute.org/GE/Watson_Scholars/callapp.html Watson International Scholars of the Environment Program - A unique collaboration providing relevant postgraduate curricula for outstanding environmental leaders from developing nations. Call for Applications for the Spring 2004 Program (27 Jan - 12 May) An intensive program in sustainable ecosystem management, to provide mastery of critical concepts, relevant tools and transferable processes necessary for successfully managing ecosystems. The 3.5 month curriculum is designed for environmental leaders fromnon-governmental organizations, governments and university faculties throughout the developing world. Participants are expected to be at a mid-point within their careers in environmental science, policy and technology fields. Several full and partial fellowships will be offered by the Program to the most meritorious applicants whose enrollment would be impossible without this support. Deadline for receipt of completed applications is October 1, 2003. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAVEL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.comsci.org/grants/g-docs010.htm The Commonwealth Science Council Travel Grant Applications should be submitted on the official form for travel grants (photocopy acceptable), to reach the CSC Secretariat in London at least 8 weeks before the conference/meeting/course date. 1.Grants cover the actual costs of the return economy international air fare and registration up to a total of 1,000 GBP. They do not cover other costs such as local travel and accommodation. No correspondence will be entered into about the terms of the grant. 2.Payments will be made against originals of invoices or receipts only, and can, on request, be directed to travel agents and event organisers. Receipts or invoices must be received by 30 June in the financial year of the activity. There will be no objection to nominees raising additional funds if this amount is not sufficient to cover their travel costs. 3.In any 3-year period, there is a limit of GBP 1,000/per person. 4.Barring exceptional circumstances, travel grants may not be used in conjunction with a CSC Fellowship award . As far as possible successful applicants will be notified of the result within 4 weeks of receipt of their form. Grantees should provide a report to the Commonwealth Science Council within 30 days of return to their home country. Forms which are not endorsed by the CSC member or are received less than 8 weeks before the meeting or course date will not be considered. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Lecturer in Agricultural and Rural Development, Cuamba, Mozambique http://www.vso.org.uk The Faculty of Agriculture at the Catholic University of Mozambique is the only institution in the North of the country to provide tertiary level education in Agriculture or related subjects. Working in partnership with VSO, The University is seeking a lecturer in Agriculture who can assist in the development of the faculty. The position is open until filled. VSO recruits volunteers of any nationality who are living in Canada, the US, the EU and Kenyan Nationals living in Kenya and Philippino nationals living in the Philippines. For more information or application details, visit the VSO website or email enquiry@vso.org.uk. Technical Programme Coordinators, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.iucn.org/about/vacearo.doc Three positions available with the IUCN Regional Office for Eastern Africa. · Ecosystem Management · Conservation Finance · Biodiversity and Species The Technical Programme Coordinators will be senior staff, reporting to the Regional Programme Coordinator and located in the Nairobi office but traveling widely in the Eastern Africa Region. Deadline for applications: 30 September 2003. Email: hr@iucnearo.org Long Term Expert, Zambia In the context of a tender application for one part of a GTZ project "Decentralized rural development in the southern province of Zambia" ARCOTRASS GmbH is offering the position of a Long term expert for district and community planning. The project will last from 01/2004 to 12/2006. The expert’s tasks will include Consulting Services to the Zambian Regional Administration concerning creation and maintenance of institutional structures for development planning and co-ordination; Consulting for impact monitoring systems for poverty reduction strategies. Apply by Sept. 30, 2003 For further information, contact ARCOTRASS GmbH, susann.worschech@icon-institute.de, http://www.icon-institute.de. Technical Advisor, Kigale, Rwanda http://wcs.org/home/getinvolved/careers/6168/ Closing date: 14 Oct 2003 The Wildlife Conservation Society is seeking an enthusiastic individual to act as Technical Advisor to support the project: Restoration of Conservation Capacity for the Biodiversity Values of the Protected Areas in Rwanda. The project will seek to prepare a UNDP-funded Global Environment Facility (GEF) PDF-B project in Rwanda. This full GEF project proposal will be designed to ensure the conservation of Rwanda’s biological diversity through support to the strengthening of the national protected area system, its technical and financial sustainability, and its cooperative links to local, national and regional constituents. Term of appointment: 1 year. For more info, contact: Dr. Graeme Patterson, WCS Africa Program, wcsafrica@wcs.org; subject heading: RWANGEF). Program Manager/GIS Analyst, New York, NY http://wcs.org/home/getinvolved/careers/6168/ The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) seeks a person skilled at applying Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to support WCS efforts to save wildlife worldwide. The Program Manager / GIS Analyst will oversee the day to day operations of the Landscape Ecology laboratory, while stationed at the Bronx Zoo, New York. The successful applicant will be expected to support GIS analyses conducted by the Living Landscapes Program, WCS field scientists, and other WCS units; train WCS staff on the use of GIS; and administer computer hardware, software and networks in a Windows NT/2000 computing environment. Deadline October 15, 2003. For more info, contact: Dr. Eric Sanderson, Associate Director, Wildlife Conservation Society, esanderson@wcs.org. Assistant Professor - Image analysis, International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) http://www.itc.nl/about_itc/vacancies/0024.asp Application deadline: 27 September 2003. Director of Research and Programmes, Accra, Ghana http://www.aau.org/announce/jobs/index.htm Responsible for overseeing research and studies, programme development, management and fundraising for Association of African Universities. Post-doctoral experience in a research and/or training environment required. Deadline: 10 October, 2003 GIS Consultant, Abuja, Nigeria http://www.maps-geosystems.com/ MAPS geosystems seeks someone with 5 years experience (preferable experience in West Africa) in GIS domain to work for the well known company MAPS geosystems (www.maps-geosystems.com) in Abuja for a 6 month contract . The candidate should be very efficient with ESRI Products (ArcView & ArcGIS) and must be fluent in English. Please send your CV at the following address: jam@mapsuae.com Director of its Africa Division, Lome, Togo http://www.ifdc.org/director_africa_081203.html International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development seeking a Director of its Africa Division to be posted in Lome, Togo.The principal duties include providing leadership to technical and administrative staff within the Africa Division. Email: Personnel Office, dedwards@ifdc.org, Reference: FJA-Vac-2890. Closing date: Sept. 30, 2003. Agricultural Systems Modeler - Decision Support Systems, Settat, Morocco http://www.ifdc.org/Employment/agricultural_systems_modeler_042803.html Working for IFDC, compile and organize existing information on soil types, climate, production systems, prices, and establish the databases needed for developing the proposed IDSS; Establish the actual IDSS; Design and manage the case studies at the farmer community level within three on-going IFAD projects in Morocco and Syria. Email: Personnel Office, dedwards@ifdc.org. Deadline: open until filled. -------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.confluence.org/index.php The goal of the project is to visit each of the latitude and longitude integer degree intersections in the world, and to take pictures at each location. The pictures and stories will then be posted at the website. The project is an organized sampling of the world. There is a confluence within 49 miles (79 km) of you if you're on the surface of Earth. There are still 13,676 to be found. http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ESSD/sdvext.nsf/81ByDocName/PovertySocialImpactAnalysis Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) Website (and Guide) http://poverty.worldbank.org/files/12685_PSIA_Users_Guide_-_Complete _-_High_resolution_-_English_-_May_2003.pdf http://poverty.worldbank.org/files/14804_PSIA-French.pdf The World Bank has developed a PSIA User's Guide that is intended for practitioners undertaking PSIA in developing countries. It introduces the main concepts underlying PSIA, presents key elements of good practice approaches to PSIA, and highlights some of the main constraints and operational principles for PSIA. This User's Guide highlights some of the key tools that practitioners may find useful to analyze poverty and social impacts of policy reforms, but does not aim to be comprehensive in coverage. Source: FRAMEgram Issue No. 42, August 15, 2003, http://www.frameweb.org/ Draft proceedings are now available from the FRAME meeting on 'Mainstreaming Natural Resources Management into Development Efforts' that was held from June 9-13, 2003 in Alexandria, Virginia. The workshop produced concrete recommendations for integrating NRM into poverty, agriculture, governance and conflict strategies that were presented to USAID, multilateral donor agencies, international and African NGOs and other agencies. To see the proceedings, please go to: http://www.frameweb.org/ev.php?URL_ID=7155&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201&reload=1061232586 Send your comments to Boubacar Thiam at bthiam.tdy@irgltd.com http://www.dev-zone.org/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=5956 Questionnaire on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) International Institute for Environment and Development. This questionnaire is to gauge your opinion on the usefulness of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and your suggestions as to how they should be applied. Preliminary findings will be reported to the Conference that IIED is organising on November 18th, 2003. A final report will be on IIED’s web-page by mid-December, 2003 ICMA seeks case studies for upcoming conferences The Washington, D.C.-based International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is asking for case studies that will be used for group discussion at two conferences planned for next year. ICMA will hold its Best Practices 2004 conference in Annapolis, Md., on April 22-23, 2004; the organization also will sponsor an International Best Practices Symposium in Melbourne, Australia, on May 21-23, 2004. For the former event, the topics will include environmental management and sustainability; smart growth, redevelopment and transportation planning; partnerships with other jurisdictions and private entities; dealing with changing demographics; electronic government/GIS; strategic and financial leadership; and performance measurement and performance appraisal. The latter conference will include many of the same topics, but also will include organizational development; effective citizen/customer service; workforce and contact management; and facilitative leadership with elected officials, employees and others. For details on submitting case studies, visit http://www1.icma.org/main/ns.asp?nsid=565&hsid=1&scid=1&t=0 -------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFERENCES - YOU'RE INVITED! -------------------------------------------------------------------- September 19, 2003, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa http://www.disaster.co.za/conf.htm DMISA 2003 Disaster Management Conference Disaster Management: the key to sustainble development 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 http://digitalearth03.geogr.muni.cz/ProgFinal.html 3rd Symposium on Digital Earth - deals with: Earth observation and processing technologies for Digital Earth, the meaning of sustainability and policy of its formulation, delivery, monitoring and evaluation in the conditions of the Information Society. 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, Maputo, Mozambique XIII Meeting of Lusophone Directors of Statistics (including Directors of Statistics of Angola, Cape Vert, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome and Principe). Hosted by Instituto Nacional de Estatística of Mozambique, http://www.ine.gov.mz/ 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 25-27, 2003, Bremen, Germany http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SAP/act2003/iaf/index.html UN/IAF Workshop on "Education and Capacity Building in Space Technology for the Benefit of Developing Countries" with emphasis on remote sensing applications. To review a number of education and capacity building initiatives that are being carried out by various entities through international cooperation and to look for ways to build synergies among them. 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 http://www.gims.com/Home/7ShowsConferences/GISinAfrica GIS in Africa: the 5th GIMS User Conference, South Africa's Contact: GIMS, Lauren Solomon, lauren@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 02, 2003, Alexandria, Egypt http://www.unhabitat.org/scp http://www.unhabitat.org/CONFERENCE/scpAnnouncement.pdf Global Meeting of the Sustainable Cities Programme (SCP) and Localising Agenda 21 Programme (LA21) E-mail: scp@unhabitat.org Sustainable Cities Programme / Local Agenda 21 Global Meeting 2003 Theme: Environmentally Sustainable Urbanization - Developing Environmental Planning and Management Capacities for Poverty Reduction 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 Deadline (revised) for submitting abstracts Sept. 30, 2003. http://www.gsdi7.org.in 7th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Conference Feb 2-6, 2004, Bangalore, India October 1, 2003 - Deadline for abstracts http://www.maptrade.org/docs/events/25/2004_tours_callfor_papers.pdf Abstracts must be in English, 200-400 words in length, and submitted in MS Word format. Entry deadline is 1 October 2003. The International Map Trade Association (IMTA) has issued a ‘Call for Papers,’ to be presented at its Global Conference in Tours, France, February 26-26, 2004. This conference will bring together the major data providers, publishers, manufacturers, designers, and retailers from across the world representing the map, globe, travel product, and spatial information industry. 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 1-3, 2003, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.fivims.org/static.jspx?lang=en&page=registration_more_info 7th annual meeting of the Inter-agency Working Group on FIVIMS 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 12-15, 2003, Johannesburg, South Africa Information and Communication Technology in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS in Africa Organised by: International Medical Informatics Association The conference will bring together expert clinicians and researchers in HIV/AIDS together with regional and international experts in health informatics in a unique forum. The goal of this meeting is to introduce all participants to the broad range of issues of mutual concern facing those who develop and manage HIV/AIDS interventions, and the potential for information and communication technologies to further these aims. Contact details: Dr Sedick Isaacs, President, South African Health Informatics Association, +27-21-404-2058, Seisaacs@pawc.wcape.gov.za October 12-17, 2003, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana Source: http://www.africanconservation.org/ http://www.nrf.ac.za/saeon/eltosa/enter.htm "Second ELTOSA Workshop" - Environmental Long-Term Observatories Network of Southern Africa. Theme: Long-term Consequences of Hydrological Variability in the Southern African Region Venue: Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre (HOORC), Objectives a) Information exchange and planning concerning LTER/EON in Southern Africa, including Business Plan; b) Building partnerships and identifying potential joint projects among EON centres and LTER sites elsewhere in the world; c) Informing current and future decision-makers in Botswana on BENRON, ELTOSA, and ILTER; d) Advancing the formation of BENRON as an ILTER country network. 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 12-17, 2003, Nairobi, Kenya Harnessing Crop Technologies to Alleviate Hunger and Poverty in Africa. Organised by: African Crop Science Society 'How can the trained cadres of agricultural specialists in Africa better focus and redirect their efforts to work with farmers and policy makers in overcoming the persistent deficiencies in African agriculture in order to catalyse greater food security and rural well-being?' This conference will seek to underline this issue throughout its deliberations. Contact details: Prof. Agnes W. Mwang’ ombe, mwangombe@kenyaweb.com October 13-14, 2003, University Park, PA (USA). http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AESEDA_Symposium_program.pdf http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AESEDA_Description.pdf Inaugural Symposium for the Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Development in Africa (AESEDA), Pennsylvania State University, For further information, contact Rachel Altemus, rla7@psu.edu October 13, 2003, Pretoria, South Africa http://www.nsif.org.za The National Spatial Information Framework will be hosting its 5th Anniversary workshop. October 13-17, 2003, Mmabatho, North West Province, South Africa Joint Population Conference on Sustainable Population Development in Urban and Rural Areas. The conference will provide the opportunity to researchers to disseminate findings of recent research and outline needs and techniques for future research. For Conference program, registration, accommodation, transport and other information contact Willien Marais, ewmarais@nwpg.org.za 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. Contact: oact@wissal.com 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 http://www.isocarp.org/pub/events/congress/2003/main.htm 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 23-30, 2003, Yaounde, Cameroon 18th Session of the African Commission on Agricultural Statistics (AFCAS) 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 tentative: START Pan-Africa Regional Committee (PACOM) Meeting Contact: Eric Odada, eodada@uonbi.ac.ke November 2-6 2003, Nairobi, Kenya Baseline Conference - CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food http://www.waterforfood.org/firstAnno.asp http://www.waterforfood.org/pdf/CP%20Electronic%20Brochure.pdf A forum for interaction between development professionals and scientists. November 2-22, 2003, E-Conference http://www.ruaf.org/events/2003/11global.html Optimising Agricultural Land Use in the City Area. The objectives of this electronic conference are to share and discuss local experiences on: Alternative strategies to improve access of the urban poor to land within the city boundaries for food production; and the development and enforcement of municipal by laws, norms and regulations on access to land for urban agriculture. 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. GIS Day 2003 CDs Register your GIS Day event to receive a copy of the GIS Day 2003 CD. The CD will be mailed to you and includes a variety of materials, including PowerPoint presentations, logos, sample agendas, banners, and grade-specific activities for students, to help you plan a successful GIS Day event. All the materials on the CD are also downloadable from the GIS Day web site. http://gis.esri.com/gisday/detail.cfm?id=5753 For example: Kenya: RCMRD, Demonstration, Open House, Moi University, MTL Library, Conference Hall, Eldoret, November 19th 2003, from 8.00am to 5.00p.m, Event description: "GIS The root to Sucessful Environemental Management and Planning" http://gis.esri.com/gisday/detail.cfm?id=5692 Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee, 19th November 2003, Mombasa, Event Description: Demostrate the use of GIS in coastal resources management http://gis.esri.com/gisday/detail.cfm?id=5756 Southern Africa Humanitarian Information Management Network (SAHIMS), Wednesday 19 Novemmber 2003, Johannesburg, Presentation of mapping and data visualization activities that help understand crucial development and social vulnerability trends in the southern Africa Region. http://gis.esri.com/gisday/detail.cfm?id=5740 Zimbabwe, Africa Resources Trust, Nov. 19, Gweru. Event Description: workshop to discuss and demonsrate the potential of gis in development in Zimbabwe. Attendance will include students from Midlands State University in Gweru, Zimbabwe as well as captains of industry. November 26-28, 2003, Abuja, Nigeria http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AGA_Reg_Form.doc http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/AGA_GSoN_Brochure.doc Geoinformation Society of Nigeria, First Annual General Assembly and Conference (GEOSON Abuja 2003). Venue: NUC Auditorium Theme: Application of Geoinformation to the Development and Management of Nigeria's Resources. Contact: Olubodun Ayeni, ooayeni@yahoo.com December 1-2, 2003, Port Elizabeth Technikon, Saasveld Campus, SA http://tutor.petech.ac.za/unigis/Postgrad/UNIGIS.htm UNIGIS Conference 2003: GIS: A Tool for Sustainable Development Contact: ann@petech.ac.za 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 2-10, 2003, Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/afrikanistik/mega-tchad/ http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/afrikanistik/mega-tchad/nouvelles/dernieres_nouvelles/colloque.pdf Mega Chad Conference 2003 "Man and the Lake" Contact: gilliam22002@yahoo.co.uk, mega.tchad@mae.u-paris10.fr 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) http://www.cap2003tunisie.com/Publish/Uaps_eng.asp?IDArticle=63 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. Feb 2-6, 2004, Bangalore, India http://www.gsdi7.org.in/ 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 February 26-28, 2004, Tours, France http://www.maptrade.org/index.cfm?sectn=events&men=13&id=Forthcoming %5Fevents%2Ecfm&event=25 International Map Trade Association, imta@maptrade.org IMTA Global Conference and Trade Show Facing the Future - A Mapping Challenge For more information, please contact Mike Cranidge, Executive Director IMTA (EAME) (imtaeurope@btinternet.com) March 2004 http://www.eurisy.asso.fr/ Symposium on Remote Sensing and Public Health Based on the French project RED GEMS (Re-Emergent Diseases Global Environment Monitoring form Space) it will be an in-depth concentration on tele-medicine and tele-epidiomology. 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 1-3, 2004, Kampala, Uganda http://www.ifpri.org/2020AfricaConference/index.htm Assuring Food and Nutrition Security in Africa by 2020 Organized by 2020 Vision Initiative of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC. Contact Rajul Pandya-Lorch, Head, 2020 Vision Initiative, r.pandya-lorch@cgiar.org. 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/June 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 May 10-12, 2004,Johor, Malaysia http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/gisdeco7_Malaysia_May2004.doc 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, 2004, Gavle, Sweden http://www.hig.se/geoinformatics/ Geoinformatics 2004: Geospatial Information Research: Bridging the Pacific and Atlantic, 12th International Conference on Geomatics. Deadline for Abstracts: 01 December 2003. July 12-16, 2004, Johannesburg, South Africa http://www.wits.ac.za/geoscienceafrica/ GEOSCIENCE AFRICA 2004 The conference will embrace several parallel symposia catering for different areas of specialization, including economic geology, palaeontology, tectonics, geophysics, sedimentology, geohydrology, geological education and geomorphology, together forming the Geoscientific Forum. University of the Witwatersrand July 12-23, 2004, Istanbul, Turkey http://www.isprs2004-istanbul.com Geo-Imagery: Bridging Continents International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing oaltan@srv.ins.itu.edu.tr The organizing committee is providing a limited number of grants and fellowships to deserving attendees from developing countries. August 9-13, 2004, San Diego, California, USA http://www.esri.com/events/uc/index.html http://www.esri.com/events/uc/dates.html ESRI International User Conference September 2004, Maputo, Mozambique Southern Africa Geonames Meeting. Contact: dinageca@teledata.mz http://www.dinageca.gov.mz September 15-17, 2004, Agro-Montpellier, France http://www.itc.nl/personal/hengl/PM/WEB/DSM_Workshop_2004.htm Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping The Workshop (GW-DSM) aims to discuss and further develop new rapid and economic methods for digitally mapping soil classes and attributes (and their uncertainties) particularly at resolutions of 20 metres to 500 metres. The Workshop should be of interest to all those concerned in the future of soil resource assessment. For expressions of interest, and more details, please contact Phlippe Lagacherie, lagacherie@ensam.inra.fr. October 18-21, 2004, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.gsdi.org/docs/SDIA/The5thAARSEConference-1stAnnouncement1.1.doc 5th African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) Conference. Jointly hosted by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), Ministries of Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife and of Lands and Settlement in Kenya, and UNESCO/UNEP Office, Nairobi. The theme of the 5th AARSE Conference is "The Role of Geo-Information Technologies (GIT) in the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD)". Contact: rcmrd@rcmrd.org or ottichilo@rcmrd.org October 20-24, 2004, Udine, Italy http://www.dpvta.uniud.it/~agroenv http://www.dpvta.uniud.it/~agroenv/docs/brochdraft1.ppt Agro Environ 2004: Role of Multi-purpose Agriculture in Sustaining Global Environment The Symposium covers a wide range of topics addressing key environmental and agricultural issues through applying new technologies that aim at sustaining agricultural systems, monitoring environment and conserving natural resources. Participants are invited to submit papers, coherent with the above said objectives and topics, that will be published in the proceedings. Submit a 250-word summary (no figures or references) by November 30, 2003 to the e-mail address: agroenv@uniud.it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/The next issue of the SDI Africa newsletter will be sent later this month, but here are a few time-sensitive items that you should take note of. Regards, Kate p.s. My requests from before still hold. I can safely say that most of you failed to do the honorable thing!.... but there is still time. Please take a moment to respond. 1. Do a good deed for the day: please suggest to a colleague that he/she subscribe to the newsletter.... at least 1 person who is not yet receiving it. 2. Those of you involved in municipal/city SDI efforts, please send me details. I have too few examples of these in Africa, but I know they're out there. Developing SDI happens at all levels, local to global. I will compile whatever is sent and share back with all of you. 3. I am making a request for 'internship opportunities.' My thinking is that graduate students in developed countries focusing on RS/GIS/SDI might be able to secure their own funds to be able to spend several months with your institution, providing hands-on training and helping to facilitate SDI activities. If you're interested in hosting an 'intern', please provide an 'advertisement/notice' of what you'd like that intern to do and what expertise you're looking for. If you can craft a position description, GSDI will advertise and circulate these notices, and hopefully, there will be a match. It could be an opportunity for cost-effective support. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.... -------------------------------------------------------------------- SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE AFRICA SDI AFRICA, VOL 2, NO. 12 - add on - 01 OCTOBER 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 for Reuben Sessa, FAO/GLCN (Italy) and David Stevens, Office for Outer Space Affairs, United Nations Office at Vienna (Switzerland) for their contributions to this news flash. -------------------------------------------------------------------- FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES / AWARDS / SUPPORT -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.catia.ws/tenders.htm http://www.catia.ws/Documents/tender.pdf http://www.catia.ws/Documents/final%20report.pdf Tenders are invited to establish and develop two Centres of Expertise in ICT Policy in Africa. One Centre located in and working on behalf of stakeholders in East and Southern Africa; One Centre located in and working on behalf of West and Central Africa. The Centres will play a leading role in developing the capacity of African stakeholders to contribute effectively to international decision-making on information and communications technology, products and services (ICTs) and on the role of ICTs in development; and in building multi-stakeholder national policymaking capacity in African countries. Final proposals are due October 30, 2003 but draft proposals are due October 15, 2003 containing enough detail for the selection of an initial shortlist of candidates at that time. For further information, contact Michele at michele@catia.ws. http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/P3_Announcement.doc http://www.start.org/links/announce_oppo/P3_Application_rev.doc START/IIASA Call for Proposals 2003 A Call for Research Proposals related to Global Environmental Change and Vulnerability. START, in partnership with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), and with the financial support of the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, invites applications for Institute Fellows to participate in an Advanced Institute on Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change. The Advanced Institute is to have three components: a three-week long Seminar to be held 3-21 May '04 at IIASA in Laxenburg, Austria; one-year research grants for successful Institute Fellows; and a culminating workshop that will follow completion of the research. Deadline for submissions is 15 October 2003. The Advanced Institute is open to young scientists and professionals, 40 years of age or younger, from developing countries. http://www.undp.org/equatorinitiative/ A call for nominations for the 2004 Equator Initiative Prize. This biennial prize is awarded to recognise outstanding communities from developing countries in the tropics that demonstrate, in practical terms, how efforts to conserve biodiversity can also reduce poverty. Six outstanding grassroots initiatives from throughout the equatorial belt will each receive the US$30,000 prize. The Equator Initiative is a partnership that brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, business, and local groups to build the capacity and raise the profile of sustainable communities in developing countries within the equatorial belt. The deadline for nominations is 5 October 2003. -------------------------------------------------------------------- TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.fao.org/gtos/meetDAK.html GLCN land cover mapping training workshop Dakar, Senegal from 10-14 November 2003 (following AfricaGIS '03) People can still send their applications by 03 October (selections should start next week). Applications are needed in particular from Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Total number of participants will be 24. Expert Meeting on the "Use of Available Global Landsat Data Sets forMeeting the Information Needs of NEPAD" Dakar, Senegal, 3 November 2003 If you would like to participate, please fax in the Application Form by Friday this week (October 3). The Information Note with the Application Form can be downloaded at the following URL: http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/SAP/stdm/dakarinfonoteE.pdf This Expert Meeting is being organised as a Pre-Conference Meeting of the AfricaGIS '03 Conference and 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. Limited funding is available to support travel expenses of experts representing institutions from Western Africa. -------------------------------------------------------------------- EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES -------------------------------------------------------------------- Senior Advisor Natural Resources Management, SNV Cameroon, Yaoundé Deadline for applications: October 6, 2003 Contract period: three years The Senior Adviser, working under the direct responsibility of the team coordinator, will facilitate the change process of client organizations, deliver technical expertise and support organisational and institutional development of the forest sector. The Senior Adviser in Natural Resource Management (NRM): - Is responsible of the delivery of efficient and high quality advice and expertise to client organisations and networks - Follows up and contributes actively to national policies and development issues in the field of his/her expertise - Develops tools for support-advice and monitoring-evaluation in the field of natural resources management - Continuously searches for and exchanges new information and developments in the field of natural resource management and forestry (including community forestry) Requirements: university degree (MSc or equivalent) in the field of natural resource management, forestry or related subject; at least 8 years in rural development or similar field, of which 4 years of specific working experience in programmes of community management of natural resources (ligneous and non-ligneous forest products) in Africa; fluent in French, good working knowledge of English. For further information, contact Mrs. Llywela van der Stam, dsterre@snv.nl -------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFERENCES - YOU'RE INVITED! -------------------------------------------------------------------- Register for AfricaGIS '03 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' Revised deadline for submitting abstracts: October 15, 2003 Feb 2-6, 2004, Bangalore, India http://www.gsdi7.org.in/ http://www.gsdi.org/GSDI7/Gsdi7FirstAnnouncementFinal.pdf 7th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Conference Focus: Spatial Technologies, Applications and Policies -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/