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Down to Earth Geographic Information for Sustainable Development in Africa (2002) / Chapter Skim
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4 Facilitating the Use of Geographic Data: Spatial Data and Telecommunications Infrastructures
Pages 37-51

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From page 37...
... Second, the orientation of technology development must be changed to pay greater attention to environmental factors (WCED, 1987~. The relationship between environment and development means that sustainable development requires scientific input to decision-making as well as the application of technologies.
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From page 38...
... , an intergovernmental institution covering 9 West African countries,2 is a second regional organization concerned with sustainable development. CRESS has launched the Sahel 21 initiative that encourages Sahelians to define the future of development in their region.
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From page 39...
... Agenda 21 Implementation ~ ~ ~ q F3 Ad: .~.~.~.~.~..~.~.~ ~...~ i.
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From page 40...
... 40 DOWN TO EARTH TABLE 2-4 Afiican Countnes with Local Agenda 21 Activities Number of LA21 Country Initiatives Algeria 3 Benin 1 Burundi 2 Cameroon Congo, Democratic Republic of Egypt 7 Gabon 1 Ghana Kenya 11 Libya 2 Madagascar Mali Malawi Mauritania 1 Morocco 5 Mozambique 2 Namibia Nigeria 5 Rwanda 1 Senegal 3 South Aflica 20 Sudan 1 Tanzania 13 Togo 2 Tunisia 1 Uganda 5 Zambia 4 Zimbabwe 39 SOURCE: UN(2002b)
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From page 41...
... In addition, national policies and laws relating to environment and development have been agreed upon and international environmental treaties have been signed by the majority of African countries. Effective translation of these measures into operational programs will require increased use of geographic information in decision-making (ECA, 20014.
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From page 42...
... These geographic data are often grouped into framework foundation data, framework thematic data, and other thematic data. Framework foundation data, such as geographic position ant!
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From page 43...
... Many countnes agree on the value of collecting and organizing certain geographic information within the structure of a national spatial data infrastructure (NRC, 1995, 2001; FGDC, 1997, 2002; ECA, 2001) (Chapter 41.
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From page 44...
... SUMMARY Agenda 21 is being implemented worldwide at all scales and in all sectors, but progress has not been as rapid as anticipated at the UNCED in 1992. The use of geographic data and related technologies will help overcome a number of implementation challenges, in particular the traditional fragmented approach toward sustainable development.
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From page 45...
... Geographic information can be used to support African governments' efforts to monitor the state of natural resources for environmental protection, hazard reduction, and for international environmental reporting required by treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of which many African countries are signatories. The Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Biodiversity Forum convened representatives from the public, private, and non-profit sectors in Mombasa, Kenya in 2000 to discuss using biodiversity to strengthen livelihoods (Emerson and Maganya, 2000~.
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From page 46...
... FGDC (Federal Geographic Data Committee)
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From page 47...
... 1995. A Data Foundation for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure.
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From page 49...
... The community is becoming increasingly coordinated, and consists of Afiicans and international partners from non-government organizations, universities, private companies, and foreign governments including the space and aid agencies that currently are a major source of geographic data, information, training, and support. This chapter introduces some geographic information activities in Africa and highlights the applications in tables.
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From page 50...
... .~ ~ ~~ ~~ ::::::::::::::: :::::::: ::::~::::::s::g::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~: ~ :g ~ : s ~ :::: g: ::s I: ::: ~ i::: ::::::: I: :::::::: .: ~ :~ ::: :: ~ : i:: ~ i: ~ ~ ~~ ~ i: ~~ ~ i: ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~~: ~ ~ ~ : ~ i: - ~ ~^ F^ s ~ s : ~ g g ~~ ~ ~ :g: s :~ go ::: :g : :' ~ :d ~ ~ n~ ~ ~ ~ ~ in FIGURE 3-] Case-study regions in Africa: the Upper Niger Basin in West Africa, the Limpopo-Zambezi region of southeastern Afiica, and two in East Ahica (the Afiican Great Lakes region and the Kenya/Tanzania coastal zone)
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From page 51...
... Agency for International Development (USAID)
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Key Terms

  • geographic data
  • south africa
  • data infrastructure
  • african countries
  • national spatial

  • data infrastructures
  • global spatial
  • population distribution
  • sustainable development
  • international development

  • framework foundation
  • foundation data
  • southern africa
  • accessed july
  • data committee

  • west african
  • framework thematic
  • economic commission
  • federal geographic
  • food security

  • information framework
  • developing spatial
  • thematic data
  • satellite image
  • environmental information

  • coordinated spatial
  • coastal zone
  • cadastral information


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