D
Acronyms
AARSE
African Association for Remote Sensing of Environment
ACMAD
African Centre of Meteorological Forecasting
ACODE
Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment
ADDS
Africa Data Dissemination Service
ADG
Africover Database Gateway
AGRHYMET
Agriculture, Hydrology, Meteorology Center
AID
Africover Interactive Database
AIM
Africover Interpretation and Mapping System
ALC
African Learning Channel
ALIN
Arid Lands Information Network
ALIN-EA
Arid Lands Information Network-Eastern Africa
AMSR-E
The Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System
AOCRS
African Organization for Cartography and Remote Sensing
ASARECA
Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa
ASCN
African Sustainable Cities Network
ASI
Italian Spatial Agency
ATSRA
long Track Scanning Radiometer
AVHRR
Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer
BADEA
Bank for Economic Development in Africa
BATS
Biosphere Atmosphere Transfer Scheme
BIFAD
Board for International Food and Agriculture Development
BRGM
Bureau of Geological and Mining Research
CABGLEN
Capacity Building for Geographic Information Production and Management for Sustainable Local Environment and Natural Resources Management
CAD
Computer Aided Design
CBNRM
Community Based Natural Resource Management
CDMA
Code Division Multiple Access
CEN
European Committee for Standardization
CEOS
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites
CERPOD
Center of Applied Research in Population and Development
CGIAR
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
CIDA
Canadian International Development Agency
CIESIN
Center for International Earth Science Information Network
CILS
CEOS Information Locator System
CILSS
Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel
CIUEM
Information Science Center, Eduardo Mondlane University
CNRIT
Center for Natural Resource Information Technology
CODI
Committee On Development Information
CRSP
Collaborative Research Support Program
CRTEAN
Regional Center for Remote Sensing of North African States
CRTO
Regional Center of Toronto
CSE
Ecological Monitoring Center
CSIR
Council for Science and Industrial Research
DAAC
Distributed Active Archive Center
DANIDA
Danish National Aid Program
DBMS
Database Management Systems
DEM
Digital Elevation Model
DEVECOL
Development Ecology
DfID
Department for International Development
DHS
Demographic and Health Surveys
DIAPER
Permanent Diagnostic Project
DIGEST
Digital Geographic Information Exchange Standards
DISD
Development Information Services Division
DLR
The German Center for Air and Space Travel
DMC
Drought Monitoring Center
DMSP
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program
DOQQ
Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quad
DOT
Digital Opportunities Taskforce
ECA U.N.
Economic Commission for Africa
ECOWAS
Economic Community of West African States
EIS
Environment Information Systems
EOS
Earth Observing System
EPA
Environmental Protection Agency
EROS
Earth Resources Observation Systems
ERTS
Earth Resources Technology Satellite (Later renamed Landsat)
ESMI
European Spatial Metadata Infrastructure
ESRI
Environmental Systems Research Institute
ETM+
Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus
FAO
Food and Agriculture Organization
FDI
Foreign Direct Investments
FEWS NET
Famine Early Warning System Network
FEWS
Famine Early Warning System
FGDC
Federal Geographic Data Committee
FIPS
Federal Information Processing Standards
FPAR
Fraction of Photosynthetically Active Radiation
FSS
Federal School of Surveying
FTP
File Transfer Protocol
GAC
Global Area Coverage
GDTA
Aerospace Remote Sensing Development Group
GIS
Geographic Information System
GISciences
Geographic Information Sciences
GISD
Geographic Information for Sustainable Development
GOFC
Global Observations of Forest Cover
GOLD
Global Observations of Land Dynamics
GPS
Global Positioning System
GPW
Gridded Population of the World
GRID
Global Resource Information Database
GSDI
Global Spatial Data Infrastructure
GSI
Geographical Survey Institute
GSM
Global System for Mobile Communication
GTOS
Global Terrestrial Observing System
GTS
GNU Triangulated Surface
GTZ
German Agency for Technical Cooperation
HIPC
Highly indebted poor countries
ICA
International Cartographic Association
ICLARM
International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management
ICLEI
International Council for Local Environment Initiatives
ICT
Information and Communications Technology
IDRC
International Development Research Center
IFREMER
French Institute for Oceanic Research
IGAD
Intergovernmental Authority on Development
IGADD
Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development
IGBP
International Geosphere/Biosphere Programme
IGBP-DIS
International Geosphere/Biosphere Programme Data and Information System
IGN
National Geographic Institute
IHDP
International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change
ILRI
International Livestock Research Institute
IMS
Institute for Marine Sciences
INEGI
National Institute of Geographic and Information Science and Statistics
INRSH
Nigerian Institute of Social Science Research
INSAH
Institute of the Sahel
IRI
International Research Institute
ISO
International Standards Organization
ISS
International Space Station
IUCN
World Conservation Union
JPL
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JRC
Joint Research Center
JSG
Joint Steering Group
KARI
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute
KEMFRI
Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute
LA21
Local Agenda 21
LAI
Leaf Area Index
LAN
Local Area Network
LCCS
Land Cover Classification System
LEWS
Livestock Early Warning System
LIDAR
Light Detection and Ranging
LQI
Land Quality Indicator
LTRS
Laboratory for Remote Terrestrial Sensing
LUCC
Land Use and Cover Change
MARA
Mapping Malaria Risk in Africa
MIT-AITI
Massachusetts Institute of Technology-African Internet Technology Initiative
MODIS
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
MSS
Multi-spectral Scanner
NAFGIM
National Framework for Geospatial Information Management
NAPA
National Academy of Public Administration
NARS
National Agricultural Research Centers
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASDA
National Space Development Agency (Japan)
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NAVSTAR
Navigation Satellite Timing and Ranging
NDVI
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index
NEMC
National Environmental Management Council
NEPAD
New Partnership for Africa’s Development
NESDIS
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
NGDC
National Geophysical Data Center
NGO
Non-governmental Organization
NICI
National Information and Communication Infrastructure
NIIRS
National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale
NIMA
National Imagery and Mapping Agency
NIRS
Near Infrared Spectroscopy
NNF
Namibia Nature Foundation
NOAA
National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNPOESS
National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System
NSDI
National Spatial Data Infrastructure
NSF
National Science Foundation
NSIF
National Spatial Information Framework
NUTBAL
Nutritional Balance Analysis Model
OAU
Organization for African Unity
ODA
Official Development Assistance
ODA
Overseas Development Aid
OGC
Open GIS Consortium
OLS
Operational Linescan System
ONC
Operational Navigation Chart
ORNL
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
OSS
Observatory of the Sahara and the Sahel
PNGIM
National Program for Environment Information Management
PLSS
Public Land Survey System
PMT
Photo Multiplier Tube
POES
Polar-Orbiting Environmental Satellite
PTO
Public Telecommunications Operator
PVO
Private Voluntary Organization
RCMRD
Regional Center of Mapping Resources for Development
RCSSM
Regional Center for Services in Surveying and Mapping
RCSSMRS
Regional Center for Services in Surveying, Mapping, and Remote Sensing
RECTAS
Regional Center for Training in Aerospace Surveys
REIMP
Regional Environmental Information Project
RFE
Rainfall Estimate
RGB
Red, Green, Blue
SADC
Southern African Development Community
SADCC
Southern African Development Coordination Conference
SCAR
Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research
SCT
Spatial Characterization Tool
SDI
Spatial Data Infrastructure
SDST
Spatial Data Transfer Standards
SiB
Simple Biosphere Model
SISEI
Environmental Information System on the Internet
SPOT
Système Pour l’Observation de la Terre
SPP
Single Point Positioning
SRTM
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission
SSM/I
Special Sensor Microwave/Imager
SST
Sea-Surface Temperature
START
System for Analysis, Research, and Training
STI
Sexually Transmitted Infection
STWG
Science and Technical Working Group
TB
Tuberculosis
TCMP
Tanzania Coastal Mapping Partnership
TDMA
Time Division Multiple Access
TM
Thematic Mapper
TREES
Tropical Ecosystem Environment Observations by Satellite
TRMM
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission
UNDP
United Nations Development Program
UNECA
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
UNECA-CODI
UNECA-Committee on Development Information
UNEP
United Nations Environment Program
UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
UNFPA
United Nations Population Fund
UNICEF
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
UNITAR
United Nations Institute for Training and Research
UNL
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
URI
University of Rhode Island
USAID
United States Agency for International Development
USFS
United States Forest Service
USGS
United States Geological Survey
UTM
Universal Transverse Mercator
VSAT
Very Small Aperture Terminal
WCRP
World Climate Research Programme
WRI
World Resources Institute
WSSD
World Summit on Sustainable Development
WWF
World Wildlife Fund