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Kenya’s International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Kenya’s International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change , 15-17 September 2010, Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya has a wealth of biodiversity vital to human wellbeing and planetary health. Despite the value of the country's biodiversity, an inventory all species and the development of a national biodiversity framework that takes into account projected changes in land use and climate has yet to be accomplished. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), African Conservation Centre (ACC), Nat... (1932 more chars) |
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2011 Faculty for the Future Fellowships
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The Faculty for the Future program awards fellowships to women from developing and emerging economies to pursue PhD or post-doctoral studies in the physical sciences and related disciplines at top universities abroad.
The Faculty for the Future program grows each year and has become a powerful community that today stands at 142 pioneering women scientists from 43 countries. Ultimately these women return home to become leaders, to strengthen their faculties, contribute to the socio-eco... (1036 more chars) |
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IDRC’s Graduate Research Awards on Climate Change and Water
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Climate Change and Water Program (CCW) helps developing country researchers to understand the consequences of climate change on water resources and to find ways to improve the ability of citizens and governments to adapt to the changing environment.
The purpose of CCW’s Adaptation H20 Graduate Research Awards is to build the research capacity in developing countries by providing awards to graduate students working on s... (975 more chars) |
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KMFRI hosts coastal atlas workshop
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) hosted a workshop on the development of Coastal and Marine Atlases at the Sun n’ Sand Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya from 26 July – 6 August 2010.
Forty-five participants, representing more than 30 institutions from 22 countries participating in the Ocean Data and Information Network of Africa (ODINAFRICA) attended the workshop. The workshop covered: Ocean Data Collection Development (including the use of GeoNetwork for ... (1155 more chars) |
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Should Africa look to the stars?
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Africa is one step closer to setting up its own space agency after AU ministers approved a feasibility study to develop an 'African SpaceAgency'.
The idea is to draft a common space policy which - some say - would aid development and help Africa overcome many of its challenges.
But should Africa really be pouring its limited resources into space technology when some governments can barely provide for their own people and natural disasters ravage the continent? And if so, is it better for ea... (949 more chars) |
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Mwalimu Nyerere African Union Scholarship Scheme 2010
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| A call for applications for the Mwalimu Nyerere African Union Scholarship Scheme 2010 (Post-Graduate Studies in the fields of Water Sciences, Energy Sciences, Climate Change and Education Planning) ( pdf ) has been issued. The Mwalimu Nyerere African Union Scholarship Scheme is designed to enable young Africans to study in leading African Universities and Higher Education Institutions, in the areas of science and technology, with a binding agreement that beneficiaries will work in any Afric... (912 more chars) |
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GBIF Young Researchers Award: call for proposals
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Two GBIF Young Researchers Awards of Euro 4,000 each will be made available in 2010.
The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) is an intergovernmental initiative established to enable free and open access to biodiversity information via the internet to underpin sustainable development. The GBIF Young Researchers Award 2010 (YRA) is meant to foster innovative research and discovery in biodiversity informatics by graduate students in masters and doctorate programs at universiti... (263 more chars) |
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ITC interviews with African geospatial pioneers: Akinyede & Kufoniyi
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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A fulfilled career: ITC’s first PhD student ever
Interview with ITC alumnus Dr. Joseph Olusola Akinyede
Joint education programmes are beneficial and should continue
Interview with ITC alumnus Dr. Olajide (Jide) Kufoniyi
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AMESD Newsletter - August 2010
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) program has published the first issue of its monthly newsletter ( AMESD Newsletter, No. 1., August 2010 ).
The AMESD programme is poised to begin its implementation phase. AMESD has signed grant contracts with its Regional Implementation Centers RICs) to implement its five regional thematic actions: management of water resources (CEMAC Region), cropland and rangeland management (ECOWAS Region), land degradation mitiga... (171 more chars) |
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New NASA image reveals ocean dead zones
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| A new image by NASA reveals the extent of the world's marine dead zones, which a study in 2008 found were doubling every decade.
Created by satellite, the red circles on this map show the location and size of many of our planet’s dead zones. Black dots show where dead zones have been observed, but their size is unknown. Darker blues in this image show higher concentrations of particulate organic matter, an indication of the overly fertile waters that can culminate in dead zones. Ima... (1202 more chars) |
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IOC Fellowship Programme: call for Young Leaders in African Marine Science
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)'s Fellowship Programme for aims to contribute to the development of a new generation of African marine science leaders who will contribute to long-term adaptation to climate change, which is of special relevance for African coastal communities' livelihoods.
The Fellowship Programme will support 12 young African marine scientists to address ocean and coastal adaptation to climate change in their own countries. The award supports: ... (816 more chars) |
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Public consultation on GMES and Africa Action Plan
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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A period for public consultation on the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) and the Africa Action Plan recently concluded.
The GMES and Africa Action Plan is the result of a commitment assumed in December 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal, by African and European stakeholders, to extend GMES services to Africa and pave the way for long term coordination of collaborative Earth Observation activities in the African continent. It is part of the objectives of the Africa-... (1159 more chars) |
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Europe-Africa Marine Earth Observation Network kicks off
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| On 20-21 July 2010, a kick-off meeting was held for the Europe-Africa Marine Earth Observation (EO) Network (EAMNet) , which is a EU Framework Programme 7 (FP7) project launched under the space theme -- one of the three projects supporting the definition and implementation of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security and Africa (GMES-Africa) initiative.
EAMNet aims to construct a network linking Earth Observation (EO) information providers, user networks and centres of excellen... (2013 more chars) |
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Algeria launched ALSAT-2A
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Algeria has finally launched its new satellite ALSAT-2A after having postponed it for two years (delay not always due to the Algerian side).
The satellite, built by Astrium, is the first of the second generation after ALSAT-1 and should be followed by ALSAT-2B which will be built in Algeria (Arzew) with Astrium‘s collaboration.
ALSAT-2 was launched on July 12, 2010 from an Indian launch base, and will be used to observe Algeria with a resolution of 2.5m and a higher image qua... (1001 more chars) |
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26th Climate Outlook Forum for Greater Horn of Africa
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| 26th Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHACOF 26)
2-3 September 2010
Kisumu, Kenya
The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) , in collaboration with partners, is organizing the 26th Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHACOF26). The forum will be held within the framework of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) regional strategy for mainstreaming climate information in key socio-economic sectors for disaster r... (3137 more chars) |
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Call for papers: special issue with CEUS
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Call for papers: special issue with Computers, Environment and Urban Systems (CEUS) .
Theme: Pervasive location acquisition-technologies and the related spatio-temporal analysis and data mining / knowledge discovery . Submission deadline: October 1, 2010 .
The increasing pervasiveness of location-acquisition technologies (GPS, GSM networks, etc.) is leading to the collection of large spatio-temporal datasets and to the opportunity of better describing and understanding movement, ... (826 more chars) |
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BirdLife South Africa launches mash-up for Important Bird Areas
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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BirdLife South Africa has launched an interactive Google Maps mash-up for Important Bird Areas (IBA) , giving people access to maps, information, bird lists and resources about South Africa’s 122 IBAs.
This map shows the boundaries of Important Bird Areas in South Africa.
Visitors can also register as IBA supporters and thus become involved in assessing, monitoring, and conserving the IBAs they are passionate about. This high-tech, but easy to use, website brings t... (986 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (August 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The August 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 8) is available online.
Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details abo... (868 more chars) |
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Kenyan atmospheric scientist works with NASA on air quality
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Charles Kironji Gatebe’s early years read like a cliché. He grew up barefoot and poor in the small Kenyan village of Kenda at the foot of Mount Kenya, the son of coffee sharecroppers who raised their family on pennies a day. He walked nearly 10 miles each way to school for nearly a decade. He lacked adequate texts and other school supplies.
What he didn’t lack on those long daily walks was clean air. It was the contrast between the clear skies of his boyhood home and the ... (1372 more chars) |
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1st African Youth Summit on Climate Change 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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1st African Youth Summit on Climate Change 2010
20-22 August 2010
Kasarani Sport View Hotel
Nairobi, Kenya
The 1st African Youth Summit on Climate Change is organized by African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC) to serve as an avenue for African youth to come together and discuss issues relating to climate change, including the role of youth in adaptation and mitigation projects, public awareness and participation, biodiversity, and active participation in UNFCCC negoti... (555 more chars) |
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South Africa: 1st meeting of the Committee for Spatial Information
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The long-time-in-the-making Committee for Spatial Information (CSI) in South Africa held its inaugural meeting on 21 June 2010. CSI has been tasked with the responsibility of successfully implementing South Africa’s spatial data infrastructure (SDI) and with ensuring that the country uses its geospatial data effectively for the benefit of its citizens. CSI members have been appointed for a period of three years and may not serve more than two consecutive terms without ministerial approva... (2006 more chars) |
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Scholarship Program
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Scholarship Program has issued its first call for proposals. The goal of the Scholarship Programme is to help strengthen the scientific and technical capability in developing countries to contribute to climate science and research, and to develop and implement climate change policies and measures at the domestic and international levels. Proposals for this round of scholarships should focus on the following fields of study: underlying science... (1062 more chars) |
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Possible heavy showers expected in Darfur
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Caption: Seven-day rainfall forecast for Darfur.
In early July, there was an anomalous northward advancement observed in the Interâ€tropical Front (ITF). This led to an increase in moisture over a number of dry areas. Rainfall estimates ranging between 20â€40 mm were received over most of the IDP and refugee camps with the heaviest totals observed in the south Darfur region.
The ITF is expected to continue its seasonal advance further north, bringing increased moisture and... (950 more chars) |
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Call for papers: Remote sensing of soil
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The journal Applied and Environmental Soil Science will publish a special issue on remote sensing of soil. The knowledge of soil surface conditions (soil moisture content, roughness, temperature, and texture) is of the highest importance in agriculture, atmospheric sciences, and hydrological studies. Therefore, in the last years, many scientific studies have been developed to demonstrate potential of remote sensing in surface geophysical parameters estimation, based on different new satellite ... (1098 more chars) |
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Geoinformation for disaster and risk management: examples and best practices (2010)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This book aims to explain to governments, decision makers and disaster professionals the potential uses of geoinformation technologies for reducing disaster risks and losses, based on the knowledge and experience of experts in these fields. It covers all regions of the world and all aspects of disaster risk and its management. Disasters in China, Germany, Greece, Haiti, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, Sudan, and the USA are analysed in detail. The papers included in the boo... (935 more chars) |
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Two pan-African digital observatories to provide environmental information
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Scientists are pooling remote-sensing satellite data and geographical information services for two pan-African digital observatories that will provide accurate and readily accessible information on biodiversity and forest cover for policymakers. Under a grant awarded in 2009, the European Commission's (EC) Joint Research Centre (JRC) is supporting the development of the observatories, details of which were discussed at the 4th EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF 2010) on July 5th. One is the ... (1583 more chars) |
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SADC: AMESD course on GIS, remote sensing and GEONETCast
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A total of 19 participants from seven different SADC countries successfully concluded a Distance Education Course on “GIS, Remote Sensing and GEONETCast” on June 25th 2010. The course, which began on May 17, 2010, was undertaken in the framework of the Southern African Development Community Thematic Action (SADC THEMA) of the African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD). AMESD in southern Africa aims to empower SADC and its member states to manage their a... (1572 more chars) |
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GIS training in Zambia for Integrated Development Plans
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Government of the Republic of Zambia has placed priority on the preparation of the Integrated Development Plans (IDPs) so as to effectively foster economic growth and development in the Districts. The IDP further aims at coordinating the work of the local and other spheres of government in a coherent plan to improve the quality of life for all the people in the area. The major challenge in the formulation of IDPs in Zambia however, has been the lack of spatial data, and where the data is av... (1425 more chars) |
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Innovative use of mobile applications in East Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| With mobile phone penetration continuing to expand in Africa and technology becoming both more powerful and less expensive, new trends in mobile applications are emerging. A new report by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) on mobile applications in East Africa examines the services offered - from finance to health and education - the barriers to delivery, and approaches to successfully scaling-up applications beyond the pilot stage. The report, titled Innovative ... (893 more chars) |
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Experts discuss space-based solutions for disaster management
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| More than 100 decision-makers and senior experts on disaster-risk management experts from African countries, Europe, the Middle East and America are meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to discuss “regional space-based solutions for Disaster Management and Emergency Response for Africa.” The Regional Workshop , which is being held from 6 to 9 July 2010, is organized by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA) in cooperation with the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and with... (393 more chars) |
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Towards increased access to agricultural information in Rwanda
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The agriculture sector in Rwanda got a major boost with the inauguration of the Agriculture Information and Communication Centre (AICC/CICA). The centre is a one-stop shop to facilitate farmers’ access to accurate information on farming and product marketing among other accrued services. Built in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, AICC is equipped with information communication tools like Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Management Information Systems (MIS), a digital library, and a mode... (1053 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (July 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The July 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 7) is available online.
Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about ... (865 more chars) |
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Crop monitoring in Eritrea (June 2010)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| MARS Bulletin, Vol. 02 – 2010 Vegetation condition indices derived from satellite remote sensing data indicate that the season started in relatively good conditions in the pastoral areas and the agricultural areas of the Highlands and Eastern Escarpment zones in the Debub, Mekel, and North Red Sea zobas. The indices do not indicate particular dry spell during this season. An even noticeable increase in vegetation index is observed in April and beginning of May in the four closely monito... (858 more chars) |
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1st AMESD Environment Watch Bulletin on Monitoring of active bushfires
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This first issue of the bulletin of environment watch is issued by the Agrhymet Regional Centre as part of the AMESD project.This issue focuses on bushfires. As is indicated on page2, theses bushfires constitute a key component within the dynamics of the landscapes in West Africa. While they remain a means the populations use as a tool for managing natural resources, they are at the same time a plague to be fought against. The advances made in the domain of remote sensing make it possible nowad... (442 more chars) |
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South Africa gets Google Street View
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| After months of taking photographs, Google Street View is live for South Africa. After launching the vehicles in September 2009, Google has made available 27 cities and towns in its Street View program, allowing users to view street-level views in the internet giant's mapping site. Seven of South Africa's soccer stadiums will also be available at pitch level in Street View. Tourists should find Street View useful in that they would be able to explore tourist sites before physically ... (29 more chars) |
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South Africa: An interactive map to fight Aids
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| An interactive map uses an address to locate the nearest HIV testing facilities in South Africa has become the latest tool in the government’s national campaign against the spread of HIV. The map is part of the countrywide HIV Counseling and Testing Campaign (HCT) launched in April by the South African National AIDS Council (SANAC) and the Department of Health to test 15 million sexually active individuals in South Africa by 2011. The web map is used to search for the location of HIV ... (487 more chars) |
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Setting up CSIR's fire detection system in East Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The highly successful Advanced Fire Information System (AFIS) - a CSIR success story which draws on expertise from the CSIR Meraka Institute and support from the CSIR Satellite Applications Centre with funding from Eskom - will benefit countries in east and central Africa. Willem Marais of the CSIR Meraka Institute was responsible for the installation of an AFIS processing system at the Malindi ground receiving station of the Italian Space Agency (which is part of the European Space Agen... (1668 more chars) |
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Kenya ICT Board Call for proposals: digital content and software applications
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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The main purpose of this grant is to propel the emergent lucrative but yet underexploited local content industry to growth. The grant which targets the local content developers including software developers, film, animation, advertising, publishing, gaming and education professionals and all content creators, will provide the funding required for the development of quality applications relevant to the Kenya government and private sector.
Digital content, a major contributor and dri... (698 more chars) |
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Reunion Island to acquire Earth observation ground station
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Caption: Radarsat-2 photo of Reunion Island. Credit: MDA Corp. In 2008, the French State, the Regional Authority and the Research and Development Institute of the University of La Réunion set up a partnership to create a centre for excellence in remote sensing, to be named SEAS-OI. As a part of this project, The Regional Council of La Réunion, appointed as the contracting authority, recently signed a 7.15 million Euro contract with CLS, to deliver a receiving station for high-resolution sat... (2181 more chars) |
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Calling for volunteer mappers for West Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The MAPA project (Mapping Africa's Protected Areas) now is ready to tackle West Africa. The time has come for MAPA to recruit some more mapping volunteers, approximately 20 2-person teams to drive MAPA vehicles through West Africa between October 2010 and July 2011. This is very exciting for MAPA and means that Phase 2 is really underway. The MAPA Project aims to make Africa's conservation areas more visible, accessible and secure by creating a digital archive of the boundaries, roa... (900 more chars) |
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Helping to unveil the power of statistical data
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| We know that statistics and geography are closely linked because mapping is a fundamental requirement for the implementation of any census or survey. But what would be the role of Google Map Maker in the world of statistics? Can it make a difference? Google’s Map Maker team has been keen to answer these questions. Since our contribution to StatCom Africa II in January 2010, our team has embarked on a journey to actively engage with the statistics and mapping community in Africa wit... (994 more chars) |
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Earth observation for climate change
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The CSIS Technology and Public Policy Program released in June 2010 a new report titled Climate Change and Earth Observation which focuses on US challenges and opportunities for creating a robust and adequate earth observation architecture. Long-term changes in daily temperature are not well understood, in part because of limited observations of atmospheric changes. An understanding of how some anthropogenic (man-made) influences affect climate change is still incomplete. This report recomme... (2245 more chars) |
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Joint US-Egypt Workshop on Space Technology & Geo-information for Sustainable Development
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Joint US-Egypt Workshop on Space Technology & Geo-information for Sustainable Development 14-17 June 2010 Cairo, Egypt Hosted by Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Science , this joint US-Egypt workshop has the following objectives: (1) To provide a forum for participating Egyptian policy-makers to discuss with international, regional and local experts the use of geospatial tools and information to address a broad range of planning and management issues. The ulti... (1236 more chars) |
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Building capacity of DRC's Ministry of Environment
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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USAID CARPE Program Management Specialist Nicodeme Tchamou officially hands to the Chief of DRC Ministry of Environment cabinet Désiré Luhahi a desktop computer with valuable software for better monitoring of the forests.
Source: USAID/DRC News, April 2010
In an effort to strengthen the capacity of the DRC’s Ministry of Environment (MoE), USAID/ Central African Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) , through its partner Observatoire Satel... (1762 more chars) |
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3rd round of UNFCCC fellowship program
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The objective of the fellowship programme is to contribute to building capacity for addressing climate change in non-Annex I Parties, in particular small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs) Parties, through the development of local professional expertise by: Supporting innovative analytical work on climate change in the context of sustainable development; Promoting a network of experts who can bring creative and innovative options to bear on questions of ... (1942 more chars) |
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African Union science awards
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| AU-TWAS Young Scientist National Award The AU-TWAS Young Scientist National Award which is open to both male and female young researchers is designed to recognize the scientific achievements of young researchers working and living in Africa and to encourage them to continue to strive for excellence in their scientific careers. In each African country, the AU-TWAS award will be given annually in the following 2 fields of science: • Life and Earth Sciences; • Basic Sciences, Technolo... (2495 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (June 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The June 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 6) is available online.
Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about ... (865 more chars) |
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AMESD IGAD land degradation theme officially starting
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The financing agreement for the implementation of the IGAD Theme of the AMESD programme was signed on the 11th May 2010 by Professor L. Ogallo, ICPAC Director, at the headquarter of the AMESD programme in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This signature marks the official start of the 3 years grant, up to the 10th May 2013. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the IGAD, the African Union Commission, the EU delegation to the AUC, and the AMESD Programme coordination Team. The objective of the ... (999 more chars) |
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Launch of NigeriaSat-2 scheduled for October 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) based in Guildford, UK and owned by EADS Astrium NV, has announced that it will launch the NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X satellites on behalf of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) by a Dnepr launch vehicle from Yasny, Russia on 29th October 2010. NigeriaSat-2 is the most advanced small satellite ever to be launched, defining new standards in Earth observation and avionics. The spacecraft, which is based upon SSTL's flagsh... (1378 more chars) |
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Zambezi flood plain, Namibia
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Top image: NASA image courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Lower image: NASA Earth Observatory image created by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon, using EO-1 ALI data provided courtesy of the NASA EO-1 team. Caption by Holli Riebeek with information from Guido van Langenhove, Hydrological Services Namibia. The Zambezi River is one of the great rivers of Africa. Originating in swampy wetlands in Angola in southwestern Africa, the river flows 2,736 kilome... (1062 more chars) |
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Now available for download: South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas - a new atlas of local risk and vulnerability in the context of global environmental change - is aimed at equipping decision-makers with information on the impact and risk associated with global change in the region.
The Atlas provides easily understood global change sensitivity and vulnerability information at regional, national, provincial, and municipal levels. Part of the process of developing the Atlas included the establishment of a g... (338 more chars) |
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NARSS Egyptsat-1 satellite image catalog portal
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Egypt's National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) has launched its first portal that catalogs and enables ordering of images from the Egyptsat images archive.
The image catalog portal allows users to easily search (spatially), list , identify the images, and find for more information.
NARSS EgyptSat-1 is a full service mapping and imagery solutions provider. The onl... (1229 more chars) |
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Plume from Nyiragongo
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Nyiragongo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the world’s most active and dangerous volcanoes. For most of the 20th and 21st centuries a lava lake has partially filled the 3,470 meter (11,384 foot) high summit caldera. According to the Global Volcanism Program, 20 eruptions have occurred since 1884. Eruptions on the southeastern flank of the volcano in 1977 and 2002 drained the lava lake. During both eruptions extremely fluid lava flowed downslope at speeds up to 60 kil... (1029 more chars) |
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Dust storm over Egypt and Libya
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Thick dust defines a storm system over Egypt in this natural-color image from May 27, 2010. The distinctive green vegetation that outlines the Nile River is faded behind of thin veil of dust. Thicker dust blows north along the Red Sea and curls into a spiral over the Mediterranean Sea. The large image, which covers a wider area, shows the dust plume extending several hundred kilometers to the south. The previous day, the dust storm had been over the border between Egypt and Libya. The storm ke... (346 more chars) |
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Liberia preparing for a land cadastre
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| As the problem with land tenure and land title administration continues to pose a menace for the post-conflict government, the Liberian president, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has mandated the Minister of Lands, Mines & Energy to initiate the process of establishing a Land Cadastre, modeled on the Mining Cadastre commissioned at the offices of the Ministry of Lands, Mines & Energy (MLME) on Wednesday.
The Mining Cadastre Office, constructed with joint funding from the Ministry of Lands, Mine... (527 more chars) |
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NAVTEQ and Tracks4Africa launch off-road digital map
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| NAVTEQ, global provider of digital maps, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, announced in March 2010 a content agreement with eco-destination mapping company, Tracks4Africa .
“The offering, Tracks4Africa Off-Road Guide, combines the high quality map data and content from NAVTEQ with the unique outdoor content from Tracks4Africa”, said Alastair Protheroe, director Middle East and Africa map and content products from NAVTEQ.
... (1727 more chars) |
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Call for manuscripts - Climate Change Book Project
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Call for manuscripts - Climate Change Book Project, UNECA and ICSU Regional Office for Africa
All the contributions to the book should focus on the science of climate change, mitigation and adaptation in Africa
Deadline for submission: 30 July 2010.
Read more
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Call for papers - African Regional Perspectives, Sustainability Science Journal
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Sustainability Science Journal special feature on African Regional Perspectives will focus on four selected issues facing African regions:
•Impact of savanna and tropical forest alteration on biodiversity
•Indigenous forecasting of drought and rain
•Integration of energy systems in rural Africa
•Governance in resource rich countries
The Editors seeks research contributions with a sharp focus on where particular problems have the greatest effect, and how regi... (335 more chars) |
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Tanzania Biodiversity Information Facility (TanBIF) portal
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Tanzanian biodiversity data and information, much of which is currently held abroad (in sites such as natural history collections, observational databases and scientific literature) will soon be fully available and freely accessible via the Tanzania Biodiversity Information Facility (TanBIF) Portal . Access to this data and information will help Tanzanians to address important issues of great social and economic relevance such as land-use planning, setting up and managing protected areas, id... (1078 more chars) |
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Bio-informatics hub established in Guinea
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The main objective of the hub is to collect data on the biodiversity of Guinea (Conakry) to work towards making these data fit for use and freely available over the internet. In order to do so, the Center for Observation and Environmental Monitoring (COSE) formed a network of producers / holders of biodiversity data comprising sixteen (16) affiliates. Affiliate organisations are publishing the COSE data available to them to the network.
The data are provided either in hardcopy (paper) or... (468 more chars) |
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Near-real-time AIRS imagery of central African dust storm in March 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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A massive dust storm swept out of the southern Sahara desert and over west African coastal countries in late March, 2010. The dust storm caused the cancellation of airplane flights and posed a potential health hazard to numerous residents in the area. The capital city of Nigeria, Lagos, was cloaked in a twilight haze. According to weather experts, this event was an unusually late season manifestation of the harmattan.
This event lasted for more than three days (March 21-24, 201... (1420 more chars) |
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China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite announces end of CBERS-2B
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Launched on September 19, 2007, and after providing thousands of images to Brazilian and Chinese users, including others from South America and Africa, the CBERS-2B satellite had its life ended by JPC, acronym for the CBERS Joint Committee Program.
Brazilian and Chinese technicians first detected problems with the CBERS-2B satellite in March 2010, and they tried to restore normal operations. The satellite had been sending intermittent signals that indicated a lack of energy. On April 16, ... (1498 more chars) |
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CGIS-NUR to develop spatial data sharing policy document
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Awareness for the use of spatial data in Rwanda is very high as at an increasing rate, various institutions, especially the government ministries are aspiring to use spatial data in their day-to-day activities. Efforts in this direction include having different categories of their staff trained in GIS basics, for example, and producing spatial data relating to their domain of concern. The GIS and Remote Sensing Centre of the National University of Rwanda (CGIS-NUR) has being involved in the pro... (1830 more chars) |
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GIS/IPC cartographic protocols training in East and Central Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| GIS/IPC cartographic protocols training in East and Central Africa 24-25 May 2010 Nairobi, Kenya The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) is an innovative tool for improving food security analysis and decision-making. It is a standardised scale that integrates food security, nutrition and livelihood information into a clear statement about the nature and severity of a crisis and implications for strategic response. East and Central Africa has been identified for the roll out ... (909 more chars) |
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Standardized FAO-LCCS land cover mapping in heterogeneous tree savannas of West Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Land cover is a key parameter in geosciences and a linkage between many aspects of the physical and human environments. Savannas belong to the biomes where land cover mapping with remote sensing faces the most difficulties and several studies already addressed the challenging definition of savanna land cover classes. With the aim to standardize ongoing mapping activities, the Land Cover Classification System (LCCS) was initiated in 1993. The classification scheme has been repeatedly utilized fo... (925 more chars) |
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AEGOS Mid-term Conference: Spatial Data Infrastructure for Geo-resources in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Date: May 25th, 2010 Location: Southern and Eastern African Mineral Centre (SEAMIC), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Contact: Ketema Tadesse, ketema@seamic.org. This is a free conference open to data managers and decision makers in the field of geology-related natural resources (minerals, raw materials, groundwater and geothermal energy) in Africa. Registration is mandatory. The main objectives of the conference are to present the first results of AEGOS, to invite the end-users of the new Spatial D... (715 more chars) |
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AARSE Conference, abstract deadline extended
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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On the request of many, the deadline for abstracts for the 8th African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) Conference has been extended to 31 May 2010 .
8th International Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE 2010)
25-29 October 2010
United Nations Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract deadline extended to 30 May 2010 . Send to: abstracts@aarse-africa.org .
Final paper submission: 1 Sept... (485 more chars) |
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University students map Uganda
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Recently students at Makerere University, Uganda, participated in a “mapping your world” competition. The competition was designed to enable creation and improvement of maps of places that students know and love, as well as giving them the chance to win a prize whilst at it. Students used Google Map Maker, which allows one to create a map by adding or editing features to satellite images such as roads, businesses, parks, schools and more. More than 100 students registered from a r... (597 more chars) |
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Cyberseminar on RS for population-environment research, 10-21 May 2010
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| This Population-Environment Research Network (PERN) cyberseminar on remote sensing for population-environment research , 10-21 May 2010, is co-sponsored by GEO and the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center.
The first part of the seminar will focus on what sensors researchers have used in the past to answer different population-environment (P-E) related questions and how data integration challenges were met. The second part will would look towards future programmed missions and e... (651 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (May 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The May 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 5) is available online.
Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about a... (864 more chars) |
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UN/Italy Long-term Fellowship Programme on GNSS and Related Applications
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The Master in Navigation and Related Applications (MNA) Programme starts on 27 September 2010 and lasts for 12 months including a period ranging from 4 to 6 months for hands-on pilot project (internship).
The MNA Program study at Politecnico di Torino in Italy provides an extensive background knowledge in navigation/localization systems as well as a detailed analysis on NAV/COM integration and environmental monitoring applications (see Course syllabus ). Applicants should be:
• n... (817 more chars) |
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Great Escarpment, South Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This photo-like image of South Africa was captured on April 12, 2010, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. The topography of eastern South Africa is dominated by dramatic transitions. Along the coast, the individual mountain ranges of the Cape Fold Belt are interrupted by wide valleys that run from east to west. Beyond the northernmost of these ranges, the elevation drops off dramatically into an expansive basin called the Eastern Cape ... (888 more chars) |
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Sahara dust storm
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This image, captured by the MODIS on the Aqua satellite on April 28, 2010, shows a dust storm off the coast of West Africa. Some six days prior, the storm was blowing over the Sahara. The island chain at the top of the image is the Canaries. Dust plays an important role in ocean ecosystems. Dust is a source of iron, a key nutrient for tiny plant-like organisms—phytoplankton—that grow in the sun-lit surface waters of the ocean. Phytoplankton are the base of the marine food chain... (17 more chars) |
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US-Africa workshop: expanding AfricaArray network to support multidisciplinary science
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| A US-Africa workshop on expanding the AfricaArray seismic network to support multidisciplinary science in Africa will be held June 2-4, 2010 in Washington D.C. at Howard University.
The purpose of the workshop is to bring together U.S. scientists and program managers engaged in geoscience research in Africa and their African collaborators to examine and codify the scientific rationale for expanding the AfricaArray seismic network into a multidisciplinary science network. The workshop will... (524 more chars) |
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South Africa, Brazil, and India agree at trilateral summit to joint satellite programme
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| South Africa, India and Brazil have agreed to jointly develop a satellite to be launched into orbit for purposes of detecting natural disasters and for scientific research. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told a media briefing at the end of the latest India-Brazil-SA (IBSA) summit meeting held on 15 April 2010 in Brasilia, that the bloc will develop two satellites. “The first for climate studies and the second to observe the earth,” he said. “They will benefi... (997 more chars) |
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Breakthrough in Lake Victoria digital mapping
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Maritime experts from the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) have located a survey point after a two-year search, and can now complete the development of a digital navigation map of Lake Victoria showing the ports of Kisumu, Mwanza and Port Bell. The experts from the Commission spent two years searching for the point, which was eventually found with the help of MMT Bathymetric, a survey company of Sweden, whose officials visited the British Admiralties Archives in Taunton, England, where ... (532 more chars) |
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Namibia Flood SensorWeb
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Last year, the southern African nation of Namibia experienced its worst flooding in decades as the Zambesi and other rain-swollen rivers rose more than 25 feet and inundated several regions of the continent. The flooding caused large-scale destruction to homes, schools, health facilities, mahangu and maize fields, and infrastructure. A result of heavy rains in neighboring Angola and parts of Zambia’s Western Province, the flood also displaced more than 300,000 people and contributed to c... (1675 more chars) |
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East African Corridors: transport projects database and map
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Senior officials from the trade and transport sectors in East Africa, with development partners and international trade and transport specialists, met in Arusha, Tanzania from February 24-25, 2010 to review ongoing work on a Corridor Diagnostic Study (CDS) of East Africa’s two main trade and transport routes: the Northern and Central corridors. The study is being undertaken following calls for a well-researched action plan to improve the infrastructure and institutional frame... (998 more chars) |
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FAO publishes key findings of global forest resources assessment
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Data collection for the Global Forest Resources Assessment is becoming more comprehensive and precise. New data and additional information on afforestation and on natural expansion of forests for the past 20 years has made it possible to estimate rates of deforestation and loss from natural causes more accurately. The new global estimate for 1990 to 2000 (close to 16 million ha per year) is higher than previously estimated (13 million ha), because it now also includes deforestation within... (667 more chars) |
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Census @ school (South Africa)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This map (pdf ) depicts the actual location of the schools where the survey was conducted in respective provinces. Census @ school is a project where learners gather basic information about themselves. The project was first conceptualised in the United Kingdom. In South Africa, the Census @ school project was launched for the first time in 2001 by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) in collaboration with the Department of Education (DoE). In 2009, the survey for the project was undertake... (1063 more chars) |
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Humans affect fire regimes more than climate in southern Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A savanna fire burning through an area of high fuel loads in the Kruger National Park A changing climate might have little effect on fire regimes in southern Africa - contrary to what is predicted for other parts of the world. Dryer climates and more extreme weather events have been predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to increase the incidence of large dangerous fires in a range of ecosystems across the globe. But, according to CSIR ecologist Sally Archibald... (1763 more chars) |
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Monitoring carbon stocks in the Congo Basin
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A workshop on issues related to monitoring of carbon stocks and fluxes in the Congo Basin was held 2-4 February 2010 in Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo. The co-organisers of the workshop were the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC) Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES), COMIFAC (the political body in charge of forest issues in Central Africa), the FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations), and a series of NGOs (OSFAC, WRI, WCS, WWF). IES-manag... (216 more chars) |
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Kenya's matatus captured on map
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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The chaotic matatus are Nairobi's staple transportation, and now they have a map to show their routes. To an outsider, matatus look like pure chaos. But now, a Nairobi-based company believes they can order the chaos into a map. Taking as inspiration the famous London Underground map — a design classic — KenyaBuzz has created a matatu map to guide users around the city.
“What you see everyday is chaos but this [the map] is very stylized,” said KenyaBuzz di... (1495 more chars) |
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2nd Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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2nd Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Africa 14-16 Apr 2010
Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya.
The African Union Commission in collaboration with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) are holding the Second African Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya on 16 April 2010. The technical segment of this Ministerial Conf... (1104 more chars) |
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South Africa launches weather service radar network
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Buyelwa Sonjica, has launched a state-of-the-art weather radar network that will see the prediction of and warnings about severe weather become more accurate.
The launch forms part of the government grant to the South African Weather Service of R240 million for infrastructure investment to upgrade and replace it’s over 30-year-old radar systems to bring about a substantially improved weather observation network that meets contemp... (1538 more chars) |
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Crop info for Limpopo farmers via SMS
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Limpopo's Department of Agriculture is to spend R6-million to improve emerging farmers' access to crop, weather and market information through information communication technologies (ICT), including mobile text messaging and the internet.
It is hoped that such systems will also help to develop innovative capacity-building models that can be replicated in other parts of Africa.
Since the e-Agriculture project was launched in October 2009, 215 farmers and 16 extension officers have be... (900 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (April 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The April 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 4) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about ... (865 more chars) |
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North Star Alliance and Maplecroft map healthcare for African truckers
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Extract of route map of the Roadside Wellness Centres for Eastern Africa Thousands of truck drivers in Africa have a new navigation tool to help them easily find healthcare centres along the subcontinent's major transport corridors. In a unique partnership between Shell, Maplecroft and North Star Alliance, four maps have been published showing the exact locations of more than 160 roadside wellness centres in West, East and Southern Africa. All the maps are in English, with the West A... (776 more chars) |
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ESA: TIGER II to support 20 water projects in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| TIGER II preliminary study areas The European Space Ageny (ESA)’s TIGER II initiative has selected 20 project proposals from across Africa to receive support from Earth-observation (EO) technology to learn more about the water cycle and to improve water-monitoring resources. TIGER II is based on the results and achievements of its precursor TIGER I, which sought to help African countries overcome water problems and to bridge Africa's water information gap using Earth-observatio... (636 more chars) |
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Africa FOSSGIS 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Africa FOSSGIS 2010 27-29 September 2010 Monash University, Johannesburg, South Africa Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) for the GIS (FOSS GIS) is an emerging field. The aim of this conference is to promote the FOSS approach and FOSS solutions in Africa by exploring the uses and applications of FOSS GIS in an African context. In tandem with this, the conference will provide a forum for the transfer of valuable FOSS GIS skills and knowledge. AFOSS GIS 2010 will be the first Africa-focused... (298 more chars) |
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ENDELEO newsletter (March 2010)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This newsletter issue presents the first two case studies made by ENDELEO users, demonstrating their practical experiences with the ENDELEO data. Mwangi J Kinyanjui from the Department of Resource Surveys and Remote Sensing (DRSRS, Kenya) presents the use of NDVI to identify changes in Mau forest complex since 1998. Festus Ihwagi from Save the Elephants summarizes his preliminary results on the relationship between elephant ranging and vegetation quality. The newsletter also gives a short ove... (770 more chars) |
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Pastoralism and Climate-Change Adaptation in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) programme of the IDRC (Canada) and DFID (UK) is organizing a conference on "Pastoralism and Climate-Change Adaptation in Africa", to be held 24-28 May 2010 in Egerton College, Kenya. The goal of this conference is to explore options and strategies in climate change adaptation and mitigation by vulnerable pastoral communities in arid and semi-arid lands, including scientific advances and global best practices in climate change adaptation, novel i... (832 more chars) |
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1st GEO-Africa Core Team Meeting
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The first GEO-Africa Core Team Meeting was held 22 February 2010 in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting brought together European and African remote sensing specialists to discuss applications and technical specifications for the proposed Africa-dedicated earth observing satellite. The GEO-Africa satellite, conceived by EADS Astrium, would capture (and archive) images over the entire continent. The satellite would permit the sensing of up to 100 scenes of 300 x 300 km per day, with a possible ... (196 more chars) |
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Flooding near the Betsiboka River, Madagascar
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| In northwestern Madagascar, the Betsiboka River flows toward the coast, its braided streams emptying into the Bombetoka Bay. In late March 2010, however, not long after Tropical Cyclone Hubert passed through the region, part of the river pushed over its banks, flooding nearby agricultural fields. The Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite captured this natural-color image on March 23, 2010. Immediately south of the Betsiboka River, which is visible in the... (624 more chars) |
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5th Conference of African Association of Women Geoscientists
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| 5th Conference of African Association of Women Geoscientists Theme: Women & Geosciences for Peace 11-17 April 2010 Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast Conference sub-themes: • Women and Geosciences for Peace • Water Resources Management • Geosciences, Education and Employment • Environment and Ecology (Littoral Protection. . . ) • Geo-Resources • Geological heritage & Geotourism • Medical Geology The African Association of Women Geoscientists (AAWG) was created i... (753 more chars) |
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Poor internet links mar Africa's satellite data access
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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The annual mean number of African ETM+ acquisitions, 2000-2008, with cloud cover ≤40%, stored in the US Landsat archive. The data are shown in the Albers equal area projection (central meridian 20° E, 0° N; standard parallels 21° N and 20° S). The black vectors show major land-water boundaries.
A landmark decision to allow free access to key earth observation data has failed to impact Africa sufficiently because of poor internet connections, say researchers. The US Geologica... (754 more chars) |
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Kenyan farmers get micro-insurance
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Kenyan smallholders are 'micro-insuring' themselves against crop losses under a scheme launched this month (5 March) that combines mobile phone payment with the use of automated weather stations. The scheme, Kilimo Salama — a Swahili phrase for "safe farming" — aims to give small-scale farmers in Kenya 'pay-as-you-plant' insurance , so if they lose their harvest they can still afford farming the following season. Farmers with as little as one acre of land pay an extra five per ce... (207 more chars) |
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Dust sweeps across Sahara to Africa’s west coast
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Dust across Africa to west coast - March 21, 2010 A massive dust storm has been sweeping across the southern Sahara Desert, bringing dust from the Red Sea to the west coast of Africa. The image above shows the dust blowing over the west coast, shrouding nations including Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone (from top to bottom, following the shoreline). Read more |
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Africa Agriculture GIS Week 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Africa Agriculture GIS Week (AAGW) 2010
8-12 June 8-12
ILRI Campus, Nairobi, Kenya
If you’re passionate about Geographical Information Services (GIS) and how it can be applied for the benefit of agricultural development, there will be something for you at the upcoming Africa Agriculture GIS Week (AAGW) 2010. Whether you’re a seasoned professional, a student with a keen interest in the discipline, or anyone else with an enthusiasm for all things GIS and agriculture, th... (709 more chars) |
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GPS technology supporting southern Africa’s ecosystems
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| An ambitious ecological programme aiming to save 60-million hectares of indigenous ecosystems is currently being undertaken by the governments and conservation agencies of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and facilitated by the Peace Parks Foundation . The project includes bringing together the diverse systems and priorities of a range of disciplines across current borders, including customs and immigration officials, legislators, tourism bodies, local communities, ... (1186 more chars) |
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Hydrogen sulfide emissions along the Namibian coast
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Hydrogen sulfide erupted along the coast of Namibia in mid-March 2010. Pale-hued waters along the shore hinted at gaseous rumblings as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite passed overhead and captured this true-color image on March 13, 2010. Although ocean water appears navy blue farther from shore, water along the coast ranges in color from peacock green to off-white. Ocean water wells up in this area along the continental shelf. The milky ... (995 more chars) |
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REDD measurement, reporting, and verification workshop in Tanzania
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries - is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. Tanzania, a UN-REDD Programme pilot country, has been developing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) tools and methodologies over the past year, with the support of various ... (1667 more chars) |
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Networking initiative to support interdisciplinary research
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Specialists from various Earth system science disciplines recently gathered to address a major question: what will our environment look like in the future? Of course, possible answers to this question raise even more questions. For instance, if changing climatic conditions were to alter local vegetation, how would this new landscape react to future climatic trends? Answering these questions with certainty would allow us to manage better our natural resources by defining appropriate planning ... (985 more chars) |
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Large landslide in Uganda
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Heavy rains triggered these landslides on the steep slopes of Mt. Elgon in Uganda, on March 1, 2010. The newly exposed earth is slightly pink, raw compared to other patches of bare ground, which are lighter brown. As the older scars hint, landslides are common in the region, but the new landslides are much larger than previous slides. The slides buried three villages, leaving 83 dead and more than 300 missing as of March 8, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitaria... (821 more chars) |
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Satellite imagery reveals gigantic crater in DRC
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| With the help of satellite imagery, an Italian scientist team announced the discovery of Wembo-Nyama crater, a gigantic impact crater, in Democratic Republic (DR) of Congo. They have recently presented their findings at the latest annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held in Houston, Texas. The new crater, which measures between 36 and 46 kilometres in diameter, is claimed by some scientists to be one of the largest craters discovered in the past ten years or so. The ring shape is cl... (833 more chars) |
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Kick off meeting of ViGiRisc Project
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The African Center of Meteorological Applications for Development (ACMAD) has organized a workshop to launch the project " African Early Warning and Advisory Climate Services in Africa“ (ViGIRisC Africa). The workshop is being held 24-25 March 2010, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This project, costing a total of 4 M€ for a 3-year duration, aims to support the development of products and pilot services of vigilance related to climate risk in different areas where vulnerability is high. ... (2513 more chars) |
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Geospatial applications help mitigate flood effects in Namibia
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| In 2009, the southern African nation of Namibia experienced its worst flooding in decades as the Zambesi and other rain-swollen rivers rose more than 25 feet and inundated several regions of the continent. The flooding caused large-scale destruction to homes, schools, health facilities, mahangu and maize fields, and infrastructure. A result of heavy rains in neighboring Angola and parts of Zambia’s Western Province, the flood also displaced more than 300,000 people and contributed to ch... (1499 more chars) |
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Kenya and Italy to strengthen cooperation in space technology
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Kenya will benefit from increased bilateral cooperation with Italy, in fields ranging from space technology, agriculture, education, water management and joint security. This was announced during a visit to Kenya by the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Franco Frattini on 14th January 2010. Mr. Frattini met with President Mwai Kibaki and discussed various issues on Kenya-Italy relations and regional security. Kenya and Italy already are cooperating on space technology, with a pilot proj... (763 more chars) |
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Scientists chart velocity of climate change
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A three-dimensional map of San Francisco Bay, Calif., with colours representing the projected speed of habitat shift due to climate change. The speeds are slower (blue) at higher elevations. From beetles to barnacles, pikas to pine warblers, many species are already on the move in response to shifting climate regimes. But how fast will they - and their habitats - have to move to keep pace with global climate change over the next century? In a new study, a team of scientists have calcula... (1519 more chars) |
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South African Argo programme
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Figure 1. Map of the world showing the distribution of floats and the countries that have deployed them The launch of the first ever African Argo Program took place in December 2009 when the first South African Argo floats were procured and launched by SAEON and SANAP (South African National Antarctic Programme) . Argo is an international collaboration that collects high-quality temperature and salinity profiles from the upper 2000m of the ice-free global ocean and currents fro... (1012 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (March 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The March 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 3) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about ... (865 more chars) |
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African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) fellowships
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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AWARD offers tailored, two-year fellowships designed to fast-track the careers of African women scientists and professionals delivering pro-poor agricultural research and development that benefts rural communities, especially to women. African women working in agricultural research and development from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia who have completed a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree in selected disciplines are... (422 more chars) |
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StarTrack location-based service in Nigeria
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Starcomms is the first telecommunications operator in the West African sub-region to commence a location based service to help their subscribers using their Starcomms phone to identify the whereabouts of their friends and family members wherever they are – in school, at the club, the cinemas, in the mall, or at their office. The service, StarTrack , using the mobile network in Nigeria, allows a subscriber to request the location of a consenting person, and the subscriber then receives... (407 more chars) |
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Geographers to study climate change adaptation in East Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Ohio University geographer Elizabeth Wangui conducts field work in the Maasai community in northern Tanzania. Photo courtesy of Thomas Smucker . In an effort to explore options for community-based adaptation to climate change, an innovative research project led by Ohio University geographers is using GIS to draw upon local knowledge. Ohio University geographer Thomas Smucker and colleagues received a $571,859 grant from the National Science Foundation to support the par... (1710 more chars) |
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Addis Ababa GIS project for land management
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Addis Ababa City Administration is planning to hire an international company for the supply and installation of a GIS for land management. The city has already set up the Integrated Land Information Project Office for this purpose and invited tenders . International companies from Germany, Israel, and India have submitted their tenders in response to the announcement. The city administration will choose the winning company over the coming few weeks to do the work which could take 15 t... (784 more chars) |
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Chembe Urban Security Competition 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Chembe Ventures is an Irish owned company which provides seed capital to mobile application developers, social media start-ups and web ventures in East and Southern Africa. The organization is sponsoring a competition to encourage innovative mobile solutions to assist residents in urban communities address a specific or general security problem. One prize of US $5,000 will be awarded to the winning entry. On top of that, they are offering a potential further US $5,000 or more of investment and... (786 more chars) |
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Google Maps coverage of Africa continues to grow
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| New detailed maps of 30 African cities and towns are accessible on Google Maps through any web browser or via Google Maps for mobile on data enabled handsets. This means that Google Maps users will now be able to search online maps, look up businesses, advertise for free via Google Maps Local Business Centre, create their own maps, and even check locations while they're on the move. Google Maps in your pocket: Information on streets, addresses and local businesses and services will now... (597 more chars) |
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Journal special issue: Remote sensing for Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation Volume 12, Issue 1, Supplement 1, pp. S1-S144 (February 2010) Supplement Issue on Remote Sensing for Africa – A Special Collection from the African Association for Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) Edited by Tsehaie Woldai and Harold Annegarn This special issue of the peer-reviewed International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation begins to address the concern that African scientists are u... (1104 more chars) |
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Data Use Network (for health professionals)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| One hundred and forty-six people from 24 countries came together in Arusha, Tanzania with an interest in strengthening the links between data and decision making. MEASURE Evaluation, the Health Metrics Network, and the East, Central and Southern African Health Community co-organized From Data to Impact: Using Health Data for Results global symposium January 28-29, 2009, so that professionals could exchange successful experiences in improving health programs and policies through the use of qual... (1279 more chars) |
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1st view from new space station observation window: the Sahara
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard the International Space Station shared this picture showing the Sahara Desert, the first view out of the cupola's windows on the observation deck of the Tranquility module station. In a highly anticipated grand finale to their mission, astronauts opened the shutters on the International Space Station's new observation deck Wednesday, February 17, 2010, and were humbled by "absolutely spectacular" views of Earth from inside the elaborate atrium of win... (215 more chars) |
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Rainfall variability and estimation for hydrologic modelling
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Rainfall is one of the meteorological forcing terms in hydrologic modelling and therefore its spatial variability in coverage, frequency and intensity affects simulation results. Rainfall variability in particular under the effect of orography adjacent to a large water body is not fully known. Such study is done for the Gilgel Abbay watershed of the Lake Tana basin (Ethiopia). The study area is the source basin of the Upper Blue Nile River which is one of the major contributors to the river fl... (2679 more chars) |
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Progress in use of Earth Observation for fighting hunger
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Session at AAAS 2010 Annual Meeting, 18-22 February 2010, San Diego, CA, USA - Sunday, February 21, 2010: 3:30 PM-5:00 PM The power of satellite imagery-derived information for alleviating food insecurity is well known. Spatial information based on remote sensing has being used for nearly 30 years in famine early warning systems and for supporting vulnerability assessments and mapping. The interest for timely information at the regional scale continues to increase, triggered by recent globa... (1624 more chars) |
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NASA to focus more on studying climate change
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| NASA's new proposed budget will shift the space agency's focus from landing people on the moon back to Earth, with more money slated for projects that will help us understand our planet's climate -- and even re-launch the carbon observatory that failed to launch last year.
The 2011 proposed budget for NASA cancels the Constellation program to build new rockets and spacecraft optimized for the moon, but increases NASA's overall budget by $6 billion over the next five years. Of that $6 bill... (869 more chars) |
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Remote Sensing Letters - free online access in 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Taylor & Francis is pleased to announce publication of the first issue of Remote Sensing Letters online. RSL is the Rapid Communication Series of the world-renowned International Journal of Remote Sensing . It is a peer-reviewed journal providing a fast publication outlet for short articles that advance the science and technology of remote sensing, as well as its applications. All issues published during 2010 will be free to access. Read the first issue and find out more about Remote Sens... (693 more chars) |
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Call for applications: training in climate change and biodiversity conservation
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| START and the Institute of Resource Assessment, University of Dar es Salaam, with support from the MacArthur Foundation have announced the 2010 Education and Training Program on Climate Change and Biodiversity Conservation in the Albertine Rift Region of Africa. Applications are invited from early to mid-career conservation researchers and practitioners; masters-level graduate students; and university educators currently teaching courses related to conservation and natural resource management.... (1456 more chars) |
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CARPE lessons learned - available online
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Landscape-Scale Conservation in the Congo Basin : Lessons Learned from the Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE). These lessons learned describe the different innovative approaches the CARPE program is taking to applied conservation in the Congo Basin. The CARPE team hopes this publication will serve as an important contribution to knowledge concerning applied conservation in the Congo Basin and around the world. The lessons learned are presented in a case-study format ... (1497 more chars) |
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9th EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa preliminary-announcement
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| 9th EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa preliminary-announcement 27 September to 1 October 2010 Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso The 9th EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa will be hosted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Meteorology of the Ministry of Transport of Burkina Faso. The purpose of the EUMETSAT User Forum in Africa is to reinforce the well-established dialogue between EUMETSAT and the African user community to optimise the use of EUMETSAT satellite data throughout the continent. It ... (596 more chars) |
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Liberia: Government launches 2008 population census report
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| On December 17, 2009, the Government of Liberia, in collaboration with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) , officially launched the Final Report of the 2008 National Population and Housing Census. The first of its kind since 1984, the 2008 census presents a milestone in Liberia's effort to put people first on its development agenda. "For the first time in twenty-four years, we know where our people live, how many schools there are and how many stud... (191 more chars) |
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Liberia: LISGIS receives more support from UNDP & EC
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| As part of efforts to improve data collection and enhance statistical dissemination in line with government’s call for decentralization, the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo Information Service (LISGIS) indicated in October 2009 that it has extended its operation in the 15 counties in Liberia by opening up County Statistics & Information Offices (CSIOs). The CSIOs now operational in the 15 counties provide much needed support to local county administration in data collection an... (860 more chars) |
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Russell E. Train Fellowships for Kenya & Tanzania
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Russell E. Train Fellowships for Kenya & Tanzania Deadline: February 28, 2010 Through Russell E. Train Fellowships, the WWF Education for Nature Progam (EFN) invests in the academic training of conservationists in Africa, Asia, and Latin America in a wide variety of disciplines so that they may gain the knowledge and skills necessary to manage natural resources in complex contexts. In addition to supporting educational costs, EFN offers a full-range of services to its grantees. As part of t... (503 more chars) |
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National drought insurance for Malawi (January 2010)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Malawi has experienced several catastrophic droughts over the past few decades. The impact of these shocks has been far reaching, and the resulting macroeconomic instability has been a major constraint to growth and poverty reduction in Malawi. This paper describes a weather risk management tool that has been developed to help the government manage the financial impact of drought-related national maize production shortfalls. The instrument is an index-based weather derivative contract designed... (3512 more chars) |
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South Africa: SDI – what SDI?
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Lead editorial: Spatial data infrastructure – what spatial data infrastructure? Position IT (Jan/Feb 2010) In this editorial, the Position IT Editor questions the status of achievement by South Africa's National Spatial Information Framework (NSIF), which has had the mandate to coordinate South Africa’s spatial data infrastructure. Plus, the long wait for effective management of South Africa’s spatial data infrastructure continues as appointments to the Committee for Spat... (921 more chars) |
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Mapping Lesotho
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Lesotho’s Department of Land Surveys and Physical Planning requested 2 m contours across the lowlands and 20 m contours across the highlands of the country. This was achieved in two parts – one part via aerial photography and one part via satellite imagery. Existing photography, captured by AOC, was used to create a digital elevation model (DEM) across the lowlands. The data was subsequently manually edited and contours created. In addition, AOC captured the capital Maseru with lid... (913 more chars) |
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Open seminar: Toward biophysical carbon accounting in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Open seminar: Toward biophysical carbon accounting in Africa 17-19 March 2010 Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo Deadline for registration and abstracts submission: 19 February 2010 . Organized by CARBOAFRICA See also: Proceedings of previous seminar: Africa and Carbon Cycle: the CarboAfrica project, 25-27 November 2008, Accra Ghana The CARBOAFRICA network is addressing the potential for carbon sequestration in Sub-Saharan Africa by means of specific studies. It contributes to the en... (335 more chars) |
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Towards effective access to environmental information for Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Within the African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) project, a contract was kicked off at the beginning of January 2010, aiming to replace the 52 EUMETCast stations, called PUMA stations, already deployed and to install 47 new EUMETCast stations, called AMESD stations. This activity will secure the operational access of African countries to EUMETSAT data and improved data processing for various meteorological applications as well as provide effective access... (51 more chars) |
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Eyes in space map changing Congo rainforests
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| British company DMCii is using satellites to acquire new images of the Congo rainforests from space, validating a system that can map the vast Congo Basin every year to measure changes in its forest cover. If adopted, the new system will provide more accurate and up to date information for forest management, policy making and programmes such as the UN’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) throughout the region. Spanning 2 million square kilometres, t... (1989 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (February 2010)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The February 2010 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 9, No. 2) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details abo... (868 more chars) |
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Kick-off meeting of the EU FP7 GEO-Net-Cab project
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The kick-off meeting of the EU FP7 GEO Network for Capacity Building (GEO-Net-CaB) took place 18-19 January 2010 at ITC in Enschede, The Netherlands. The purpose of the GEO-Net-Cab project is to create the conditions for the improvement and increase of the GEO capacity building activities and framework, with special emphasis on developing countries, new EU member states (and EU neighbouring states) and climate monitoring and will serve the bigger goal of improved effectiveness and efficienc... (1581 more chars) |
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8th International Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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8th International Conference of the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE)-2010
25-29 October 2010
United Nations Conference Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract deadline: 30 April 2010 . * Send to: abstracts@aarse-africa.org .
Final paper submission: 1 September 2010 .
*Abstract deadline extended to 30 May 2010.
The four major scientific sub-themes of the conference are:
• Food and Water Security
• Energy Resources
&bu... (354 more chars) |
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Mapping Africa’s protected areas
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The MAPA project ( Mapping Africa’s Protected Areas ) is working to define where Africa’s national parks begin and end. That means creating a digital archive of the boundaries, roads, and infrastructure for over 1,000 conservation areas. A fleet of expedition-equipped 4WDs has set out from South Africa in what has been described as an insanely ambitious transcontinental scientific relay race on a monumental scale, attempting to map the continent’s last uncharted wildernes... (20 more chars) |
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ESPI and Eurisy join in project on European-African partnership
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and Eurisy have launched a joint two-year project on how to foster European-African partnership on satellite applications for sustainable development in Africa. Numerous activities will be conducted by the two organisations in 2010 and 2011 with the goal of optimising the exploitation of space applications on the African continent. The two-year project "Fostering a European-African Partnership for Sustainable Development in Africa through Satellite Appl... (2040 more chars) |
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25th Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHACOF25)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| 25th Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHACOF25) 25-26 February 2010 Nairobi, Kenya The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) and other partners are organizing the Twenty Fifth Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHACOF25). The main objective of the forum is to develop regional consensus climate outlook for the March to May 2010 rainfall season. It will also provide a regional interaction platform for the climate scientists and various ... (1326 more chars) |
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DevCoCast/AMESD regional land training workshop in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| DevCoCast/AMESD regional land training workshop in Africa: a focus on the IGAD Thema operational services 8-12 February 2010 RCMRD, Nairobi, Kenya This 5-day workshop is being jointly organized by DevCoCast and the AMESD-IGAD with support from ICPAC, RCMRD, JRC and ITC. The objectives of the workshop are: 1) to explore the potential of GEONETCast and e-stations data received, in particular SPOTVEGETATION and Meteosat 2nd Generation in view of the development of the AMESD-IGAD services; 2... (482 more chars) |
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EMA to undertake 3rd Edition National Atlas of Ethiopia Project
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
|
The Ethiopian Mapping Agency (EMA), as part of its five year strategic plan, is preparing to undertake the 3rd edition National Atlas of Ethiopia Project. The Ethiopian Mapping Agency (EMA) has published that the Project will be started at the beginning of the next (2009/2010) Ethiopian fiscal year due to commence on July 8, 2009, and is expected to be completed within two years and is estimated to cost about Birr 3,000,000.00 (Three million Birr). There are two editions of the National Atla... (2429 more chars) |
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Cities occupy 0.5 per cent of the world’s total land
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A new global map of urban areas is available for use which shows that cities occupy less than 0.5 per cent of the world’s total land area. Growing populations and increased rural-to-urban migration in developing countries mean that over 50 per cent of the global population now live in urban areas. Locally, cities have a considerable impact on the environment: they create microclimates (such as the urban heat island effect), pollute water and air, destruct natural habitats with a conseque... (682 more chars) |
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Livestock trade is culprit in sleeping sickness spread
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Scientists baffled by the continued spread of sleeping sickness through Uganda have discovered that it is livestock markets that are driving the disease. A team from Uganda and the United Kingdom analysed the incidence of the serious Rhodesian form of sleeping sickness, which is carried by cattle, in two newly affected districts. They confirmed that villages close to livestock markets have higher rates of the disease. The team looked at nearly 700 villages in the two districts. The scient... (555 more chars) |
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Flooding in Tanzania
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Acquired January 15, 2010 Acquired January 21, 2003 By mid-January 2010, several weeks of heavy rain had destroyed homes, crops, pastures, roads, and bridges in Tanzania. The heavy rains had affected an estimated 40,000 people, many of whom lost their homes, and academic terms had to be delayed as displaced residents sought shelter in schoolhouses, according to news reports. The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer(ASTER) on NASA’s Terra satellite captur... (701 more chars) |
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2009 ends warmest decade on record
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Acquired January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009 2000–2009 Acquired January 1, 2000 - December 31, 2009 Except for a leveling off between the 1940s and 1970s, Earth’s surface temperatures have increased since 1880. The last decade has brought temperatures to the highest levels ever recorded, and the last year of the decade (2009) was tied for the second warmest year in the modern record, a new NASA analysis of global surface temperature shows. The analysis, conducted by the G... (685 more chars) |
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Congo receives help from space after volcano eruption
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| On 2 January, Mount Nyamulagira in the Democratic Republic of Congo erupted, spewing lava from its southern flank and raising concerns that the 100 000 people in the town of Sake could be under threat. Fears were also triggered in Goma as rumours circulated that an eruption was imminent at the nearby Nyiragongo volcano, which devastated the city in 2002. Following the eruption, scientists and local authorities have been using a long series of space images from ESA’s Envisat, together w... (1258 more chars) |
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ESRI 2010 Mashup Challenge
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Create an innovative mashup using ArcGIS Online and Web Mapping APIs for the chance to win one of four cash prizes. Awards will be based on originality, creativity, and analytic process. 1st Place: $10,000 2nd Place: $5,000 3rd Place: $2,500 4th Place: $2,500 Getting Started Build a mashup using ArcGIS Online and ESRI Web Mapping APIs Shoot a video of your application and post it on YouTube Submit your mashup. Deadline: March 5, 2010 Read more |
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2nd ESRI summer camp held in Rwanda
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| From the 27 November to 5 December 2009, the second ESRI summer camp in Rwanda was conducted focusing on environmental issues and Lake Muhazi. This water body, picturesquely embedded in the Rwandan landscape in the eastern part of the country, served as a case study for analyses conducted with GIS methodologies. The camp was organized by ESRI Germany, the Center for GIS at the National University of Rwanda (CGIS-NUR), and by the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC). The National Land Center (NLC)... (395 more chars) |
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Plans of Zimbabwe Surveyor-General Department for 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Surveyor-General's Department revealed that it will acquire satellite imagery for map revision and generation, and resuscitate photographic operations and the establishment of a Geodetic Information System, involving the scanning of index maps and charts. This was revealed in the recently launched Three-Year Macro-Economic Policy and Budget Framework for 2010-2012 (STERP II). Zimbabwe's government also plans to roll out the first phase of the national land audit with over 180 000 ... (538 more chars) |
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FEWS NET Weather Hazards Impacts Assessment, 21-27 January 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| 1) Above-average rainfall over the last 30 days is likely to improve pastoral conditions and replenish water resources for many parts of the northwestern and northern Rift Valley and southern districts of Kenya. 2) After a favorable start to seasonal rains in the Greater Horn region, many local areas in northeastern Kenya and parts of southern Somalia remain below-average in rainfall leading to degraded crop and pasture conditions. 3) Since December, below-average precipitation and above-avera... (859 more chars) |
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Rapideye imagery for sanitation project in Cameroon
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Dutch company AeroVision joined forces with satellite value-adding company, TerraSphere, research institute, Alterra, and satellite operator, RapidEye, to produce a detailed map of the city of Bertoua, Cameroon. The map is based on recent high-resolution RapidEye imagery taken in December 2009 and has a wealth of details previously unmapped for this region. The 5 meter resolution of the RapidEye imagery reveals buildings, erosion patterns, rivers, streets, and agricultural fields. The map ... (256 more chars) |
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South African National Space Agency (SANSA): from origins into vision
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| South Africa is looking skyward, preparing to take its space program into higher orbit with the launch of a space agency. Twelve months ago President Kgalema Motlanthe signed legislation to create the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), and nominations for a board were approved in the fall. Its mandate is to promote the peaceful use of space, accelerate the industrial development of space technology, and foster research and international cooperation space science and engineering. This ... (508 more chars) |
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New EUMETCast stations for Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| In the framework of the African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) project, an activity to secure access to key Earth observation information is being kicked off this week at the African Union Commission premises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Thanks to this activity, the National Meteorological Services in sub-Saharan Africa and regional institutions will benefit from the replacement of the 52 EUMETCast stations already deployed (called PUMA stations), securing ope... (660 more chars) |
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Monitoring and mapping checkpoints along transport corridors
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
|
The Improved Road Transport Governance (IRTG) initiative began in 2005 as a joint effort of UEMOA and ECOWAS , financed by USAID and the World Bank’s sub-Saharan Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) with the West Africa Trade Hub as its implementing partner.
IRTG monitors trends in road harassment on the Tema-Ouagadougou, Ouagadougou-Bamako, Lomé-Ouagadougou and Bamako-Dakar corridors with the aim of eliminating the barriers, delays and bribes, which affect drivers along m... (1308 more chars) |
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Egypt unveils plan to launch African meteorological satellite
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Chairman of the Egyptian National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS) , Dr. Ayman Al-Dessouky Ibrahim, unveiled on Friday 15 January 2010 the blueprint of a project to launch an African meteorological satellite. The project, costing EUR 400 million, will be funded by the European Union. "The technical arrangements for the project, which will help detect the climate change and ward off natural disasters in the Black Continent, have been finalized," he said. "The beneficia... (639 more chars) |
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Sumbandila satellite commissioning process on course
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The commissioning of South Africa’s Sumbandila microsatellite (SumbandilaSat) has been progressing well, despite a couple of glitches. The R26-million, 81-kg, microsatellite was launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome last September. It is in a low Earth orbit at an altitude of 500 km. “We had a pause in the commissioning process over the Christmas and New Year period, although we continued to operate the satellite,” he said. “This week, we sta... (670 more chars) |
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Jane Goodall Institute: new grant to include web-based mapping systems
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Royal Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania recently awarded more than $2.7 million (USD) to the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) -Tanzania. The three-year grant will enable JGI to provide local community-based organizations and district governments with the training, equipment and other materials needed to protect their forestland and—ultimately— benefit from income earned through the sale of carbon credits through the financing mechanism known as Reduced Emissions from Deforestation an... (1059 more chars) |
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ESEA Climate Change Conference, Nairobi: Call for papers
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Ecological Society for Eastern Africa (ESEA) will host its 3rd Regional Scientific Conference , from the 19th -21st May, 2010 at Kenyatta University, Nairobi , Kenya. The theme for the Conference is: "Climate Change and Natural Resource use in Eastern Africa: Impacts, adaptations and mitigation." The Ecological Society for Eastern Africa (ESEA) is not-for-profit, networking organization, bringing together individuals and institutions participating in ecological research and application... (1290 more chars) |
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Agricultural advice by SMS
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Many farmers save seed from one harvest for the next season's planting. But, for those who can afford it, commercially-sold seed, such as hybrid varieties, can be more productive. However, with so many types of seed on the market, which should farmers choose? In the past, local extension officers were able to recommend suitable varieties for different locations. Those kinds of advisors are thin on the ground. So now, the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, known as Kephis , is trying... (711 more chars) |
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MSU researchers study climate change, food production in East Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| MSU researcher Jennifer Olson, associate professor in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences, talks to residents of Monduli District, Tanzania. Photo by Eric Tarkleson. EAST LANSING, Mich. — For the first time, crop breeders and agricultural specialists in East Africa will have regionally specific climate data to research and manage crops in an effort to improve food production, according to Michigan State University researchers. Using a $430,000 Rockefeller Foundation grant... (821 more chars) |
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Greenpeace tracks down E-waste trail
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Environmental campaign group Greenpeace has stepped up its campaign against the illegal export of waste electronics to Africa and other continents with the launch of an interactive map which details how the material is shipped from developed countries to be broken down often in crude conditions in the countries such as Ghana and Nigeria. The Electronic Waste Trail map provides an overview of the trade in waste technology which the green group states is a direct result of the poorly resourced ... (822 more chars) |
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Google's Earth Engine to help tropical countries monitor forests
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A powerful forest monitoring application unveiled on 10 Dec 2009 by Google will be made freely available to developing countries as a means to build the capacity to quality for compensation under REDD, a proposed climate change mitigation mechanism that would pay tropical countries for protecting forests, according to a senior Google engineer presenting at a side event at COP15 in Copenhagen. Speaking at an event organized by Avoided Deforestation Partners, Google's Brian McClendon demon... (420 more chars) |
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Zambia: mapping for 2010 Census
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Zambia is scheduled to conduct its next Census of Population and Housing in 2010. Before each census is undertaken, it is a United Nations requirement that a complete mapping exercise is undertaken to ensure complete coverage of the entire population. Census mapping involves updating the current national administrative boundaries to create unique statistical areas of equal population size for data collection. The statistical areas form the sampling frame for all statistical sample surveys and... (392 more chars) |
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University of Bath scientists take technology to Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Bath scientists have set up a specialist research lab in Madagascar to train local students. Dr. Peter Long and Professor Tamás Székely from the University of Bath will use satellite technology to monitor and conserve the environment. Dr. Long and Professor Székely have created a specialist lab by providing laptops, internet access and GPS receivers at the University of Toliara. The project has been supported by The Leverhulme Trust and the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of Bri... (242 more chars) |
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FOSS4G videos and presentations online
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Presentations, videos and posters from the international conference for Free and Open Source Software for GeoSpatial are online. So if you missed the conference, or couldn't attend all the sessions, you now have a second chance to participate. This includes Paul Ramsey's thought provoking and entertaining keynote speech, "Beyond Nerds Bearing Gifts: The Future of the Open Source Economy." Presentations, workshops and tutorials, and videos are linked from abstract descriptions. Read m... (5 more chars) |
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UNESCO fights brain drain with computing gain
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| UNESCO is expanding a scheme that aims to slow the brain drain of African and Arab researchers by giving them access to global scientific networks and computing power. The 'Brain Gain Initiative' , set up in partnership with computer firm Hewlett-Packard, enables researchers to collaborate with experts around the world throug h grid and cloud computing and so boost loyalty to the local science and technology effort. Grid computing combines the processing power of several computers acr... (435 more chars) |
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ESRI expands global presence with ESRI South Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| ESRI, the world’s leading enterprise GIS technology provider has announced the acquisition of GIMS (Pty) Ltd. As a result, effective 1 December 2009, GIMS will be known as ESRI South Africa . Over the years and as one of the leading ESRI Global Distributors, GIMS has an established footprint of successful GIS implementations that include users from national and provincial government, metros, parastatals, utilities and mining. It has assisted these clients to incrementally grow from d... (592 more chars) |
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Land Administration Domain Model (LADM) becoming an international standard
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| FIG submitted in 2008 a proposal to develop an International Standard concerning the Land Administration Domain to the Technical Committee 211 on Geographic Information of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO/TC211) . The proposal passed vote at ISO TC 211 plenary meeting in Quebec City, Canada in November 2-6, 2009, for forwarding the draft ISO 19152 Land Administration Domain Model as a Draft International Standard (DIS). An Editing Committee is working now on the DIS... (119 more chars) |
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African ministerial meeting on weather, climate and water in Nairobi
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
For the first time ever, African Ministers
responsible for meteorology will meet to address ways of strengthening
weather, climate and water information for decision-making. This first
ministerial Conference, organized by WMO in partnership with the
African Union , will be held in Nairobi, hosted by the Government of
Kenya, from 12 to 16 April 2010 .
African National Meteorological and Hydrological
Services have an important role to play in evaluating and monit... (490 more chars) |
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State of progress for SALB African node (SALB newsletter, December 2009)
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Second Administrative Level Boundaries (SALB) , is a UN project launched in 2001 in the context of the United Nations
Geographic Information Working Group ( UNGIWG ). The objective of this
project is to provide the international community with a working
platform for the collection, management, analysis, visualization and
sharing of sub-national data down to the 2nd sub-national level.
The December edition of the SALB newsletter, reports on the state of progress for the coun... (1704 more chars) |
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Directions in real time in Nairobi using Google Maps
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Kenyan businesses and individuals can now get
directions in real time using Google Maps. Google hopes businesses will
use the cartography service, which was upgraded early this month to
include point-to-point directions for drivers, as an online and
commercial marketing tool through its Local Business Centre (LBC),
which allows firms to add their listings to the map and connect with
potential customers.
“This is one of our first African launches for
directions on Googl... (336 more chars) |
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Mapping NGO efforts worldwide
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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InterAction , the largest coalition of U.S.-based NGOs focused on the world's poor and most vulnerable people, is partnering with FortiusOne, a provider of rich, dynamic Visual Intelligence, to map NGO efforts worldwide. InterAction will be using FortiusOne's GeoIQ software platform to demonstrate NGO impact & accountability through a user-friendly web-based mapping interface. "With FortiusOne's GeoIQ platform we are bringing greater visibility into NGO activity and impact across the globe... (1320 more chars) |
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Google Map Maker Global Competition
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Google Map Maker Global Competition runs from December 15, 2009
to January 31, 2010 . Participants can win a grand prize if they add
the most universities, schools, hospitals, and medical clinics into
Google Map Maker ,plus their efforts will win $50,000 for UNICEF 's work
empowering young people through technology in the winner's homeland.
Mapping of universities, schools, hospitals, and medical clinics will
help humanitarian organizations like UNICEF ... (192 more chars) |
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ENDELEO provides a web-based tool to monitor vegetation dynamics in Kenya
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Natural ecosystems in East-Africa have been changing drastically in the last decades. Drivers of these changes include climate change, population dynamics, market forces and policy changes. Good governance of the environment requires up-to-date and objective information on the status of natural ecosystems and trends of change. Satellite imagery can provide regularly updated information giving a synoptic view on vegetation dynamics and land cover changes over time. The ENDELEO project aims at... (1403 more chars) |
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Scientists test climate change 'early-warning system'
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| An international team of scientists has developed a new method of measuring the absorption of CO2 by the oceans that could become an "early-warning system" for climate change. Using a network of ships carrying chemical sensors combined with satellite observations of sea surface temperature, the team from the University of East Anglia in eastern England mapped the uptake of atmospheric CO2 by the entire North Atlantic Ocean. The theory is that scientists will be better able to detect any weak... (406 more chars) |
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Interview with David Schell, Chairman, Open Geospatial Consortium
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| In this executive interview, Editor in Chief Joe Francica spoke with David Schell, Chairman of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Schell discussed a broad range of topics including OGC's initiatives with other standards bodies, how the economy is impacting OGC's mission, its new Law and Policy Committee, and several other issues. Schell helped to found the OGC in September 1994 and served as its first president. The prepared text of Schell's remarks is available online, or yo... (143 more chars) |
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Sailors braving treacherous waters for science
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Scientists working to validate data from ESA ’s water mission SMOS , launched in November, will get help from skippers competing in the SolOceans around-the-world single-handed race. The SolOceans race marks the first time in oceanic racing that a fleet of identical high-tech yachts has had a scientific vocation. The MIRAS instrument on the SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) Earth Explorer satellite was switched on last week and is now mapping ocean salinity and soil moisture to... (1058 more chars) |
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International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) Conference 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Theme: Managing Research for Impact: New Approaches to Research and Innovation Management 11-15 April 2010 Cape Town, South Africa The next conference of the International Network of Research Management Societies (INORMS) on the theme “Managing Research for Impact” will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, in the week 11-15 April 2010 . Research management is a rapidly growing field of specialisation among professionals in the USA, Europe, the UK and Australasia. INORMS ... (1146 more chars) |
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“Afrique One†Postdoc Fellowships in Ecosystem and Population Health
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The African Research Consortium for Ecosystem and Population Health (Afrique One) is seeking to appoint eleven post-doctoral research scientists to its prestigious 4-year fellowship program. The Consortium comprises eleven African Universities and Research Institutes in Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda, and is funded through the Wellcome Trust’s African Institutes Initiative. The fellowship program seeks to support the next generation of African science l... (1159 more chars) |
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Cold waters and wet African monsoon
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Maps of Sea Level Anomolies (MSLA) averaged during June-September 2006 and 2007 clearly highlighted the warming of the ocean waters in the Gulf of Guinea. Recent results of the African Monsoon Multidisplinary Analyses (AMMA) program, has revealed evidence for the formation of cold water in the Gulf of Guinea as a key step in the onset of monsoon rains. By studying sea level anomolies in this area, it thus possible to improved the forecasting of the arrival of the rainy season. In the image... (1461 more chars) |
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GIS helps preserve livelihoods and conserve wildlife in Tanzania
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Faced with difficult choices, a Maasai community in Tanzania was able to get an accurate picture of their land resources with the help of conservationists and GPS receivers. Situated at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and just 10 km south of Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, Elerai has a lot to offer tourists. The region’s woodlands and savannah are home to lions, cheetahs, leopards, antelope, buffalo and giraffe, plus a wealth of birdlife. The land is owned by the Elerai ... (1730 more chars) |
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Using GIS to understand climate change and political stability in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law has been awarded a $7.6 million grant by the U. S. Department of Defense, the largest single award dedicated to social science research The University of Texas at Austin has received. The five-year grant will fund the Strauss Center's Program on Climate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS), which will identify how climate change could trigger disasters in Africa that undermine political stability. The program wil... (999 more chars) |
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Traditional rainmakers team up with meteorologists
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Rainmaker Thomas Osore Omulako on his maize farm. Photo: IDRC/ DFID -Thomas Omondi For generations, the Nganyi people of western Kenya have served as rainmakers, helping local communities decide when best to prepare their land and sow their seeds. By observing subtle changes in nature that would be unnoticeable to most people - in air currents, the flowering and shedding of leaves of certain trees, the behaviour of ants, bird songs, even the croaking of frogs and toads - they have b... (916 more chars) |
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3rd African Leadership Conference launches two regional space partnerships
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development opened on 7 December 2009, in Algiers with a signing ceremony of two regional space partnerships. Hosted by the Algerian Space Agency and co-sponsored by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) the Conference will promote the use of space tools towards achieving Africa’s sustainable development. To support African efforts in disaster management by means of space-ba... (2055 more chars) |
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Algeria to launch Alsat-2 satellite in first quarter of 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Algeria plans to put its second satellite Alsat-2 into orbit in the first quarter of 2010, head of the country's space agency said on Monday, December 7th, 2009 The project comes as part of the Algerian space program that was adopted by the government in 2006, Director General of the Algerian Space Agency (ASA) Azzedine Qussedik was quoted by state-run APS news agency as saying. The new satellite will follow on Alsat-1 Earth observation satellite designed for disaster monitoring, accordi... (301 more chars) |
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Kibera's first complete free and open map
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya, widely known as Africa's largest slum, remains a blank spot on the map. Without basic knowledge of the geography and resources of Kibera it is impossible to have an informed discussion on how to improve the lives of residents. This November, young Kiberans created the first public digital map of their own community.
Initially, twelve young residents of Kibera were trained on current mapping techniques during a two-day workshop. Also, individuals from the growin... (343 more chars) |
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GEO Plenary VI assesses GEOSS progress
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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The GEO Plenary VI, held in Washington, DC, November 17-18, 2009, drew an international and dedicated assembly of delegates from its 80 Member nations, the European Commission, and 56 affiliated organizations. During the two-day plenary, the chairpersons of major committees gave presentations to delegates that summarized their progress toward achieving the goals of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems by 2015. The documents that support the agenda are available online ,
... (15 more chars) |
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Infostate of Africa - internet connectivity in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This infographic details some of the happenings over the past few years with regard to infrastructure improvement and capacity building in Africa, particularly in the area of the internet and cost. It is a compilation of some fascinating facts about the continent’s ‘infostate’ (trends in information technology and communication). The input sources include reports from International Monetary Fund, InternetWorldStats, and the Millennium Development Goals, research papers, var... (162 more chars) |
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Satellites identify mosquito breeding sites
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Satellite imaging is being used to locate potential mosquito breeding sites in southern Zambia, in a bid to reduce malaria transmission in the area. Researchers use the data, containing information such as soil moisture and water drainage patterns, to identify areas where the mosquitoes live and breed. They can use the data to gain a more accurate picture of 'at risk' areas, and interventions such as bednets and insecticides can be targeted more effectively, says lead researcher Gregor... (1317 more chars) |
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CSIR partnerships create new expertise in geoinformatics
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is joining forces with the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and the Institute for Geoinformatics (IFGI) at the University of Münster in Germany as part of two initiatives to support the development and strengthening of South African capabilities in geo-informatics. Geoinformatics is a science that develops and uses information science infrastructure to address the problems of geosciences and related branches of en... (827 more chars) |
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CSIR receives video stream from SumbandilaSAT
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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On 13 October 2009 the CSIR Satellite Applications Centre received a video stream from South Africa's very own, recently launched satellite, SumbandilaSAT or ZA002. This milestone followed the launch of the satellite on 17 September 2009 and its successful transfer into orbit around the Earth. SumbandilaSAT is a project of the Department of Science and Technology.
Pieter Kotzé of the centre's tracking, telemetry and command group, explains the significance, "This shows that we are able to ... (739 more chars) |
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Amy Mahan Research Fellowship Program to Assess the Impact of Public Access to ICTs
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Program will award up to 12 Research Fellowships to emerging scholars from developing countries in Africa and the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region and Latin America and the Caribbean. Fellowships will provide research grant funding and specialized "mentoring" guidance to enable emerging researchers to carry out a new and original research study that addresses one or more critical research questions regarding the impact of public access to ICTs. Qualified researchers from developing c... (269 more chars) |
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UNESCO-Keizo Obuchi Fellowship for Young Researchers
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| UNESCO is inviting young researchers in developing countries to apply for grants through the UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowship Programme, financed for the tenth time by Japan through funds-in-trust dedicated to the development of human resources. The programme offers a total of 20 fellowships for a maximum value of US$6,000-10,000 each. They target post-graduate university researchers with a Masters Degree or equivalent in one of four fields: the environment, inter-cultural dialogue, inf... (114 more chars) |
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UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships Programme: 2010 Cycle
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| With a view to keeping alive and honouring the spirit of former Japanese Prime Minister Obuchi and his belief in "people building the next era", 20 fellowships per year, for the ninth year, will be awarded to deserving candidates from UNESCO developing countries, especially the least developed countries (LDCs), who are eager to undertake research on one or more of the selected topics: 1. environment (with particular emphasis on water sciences); 2. intercultural dialogue; 3. information and com... (371 more chars) |
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Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Fellowships on Climate Issues
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is granting up to twenty International Climate Protection Fellowships annually funded under the Federal Environment Ministry's (BMU) International Climate Protection Initiative. The fellowships target prospective leaders from non-European threshold and developing countries who are engaged in the field of climate protection and resource conservation in academia, business and administration in their countries. The fellowship will enable the recipients to... (291 more chars) |
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International Research Initiative on Adaptation to Climate Change - Request for Applications
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This Initiative will support the formation of multi-national teams from Canada and low and middle income countries (LIC-MICs), who will develop networks and programs of research. The initiative will support multi-national research teams involving eligible countries that pursue the following specific objectives: Advancing knowledge that develops a fuller understanding of climate and related stressors on vulnerable populations, resources and ecosystem health in Canada and in low and middle in... (457 more chars) |
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Traineeships in Observational Oceanography for Students from Developing Countries
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) has been awarded the Nippon Foundation-POGO Centre of Excellence in Observational Oceanography . The Centre will offer a 10-month programme of study at Bermuda on Observational Oceanography. Travel and living expenses of the trainees will be covered by the NF-POGO Centre of Excellence. The course is open to about 10 participants, approximately 8 will be from developing countries with the remainder from developed countries. Trainees must have at... (464 more chars) |
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International Masters Program in Geospatial Technologies - Grants for students and visiting scholars
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The University of Munster, Germany, University Jaume I, Spain, and New University of Lisbon, Portugal, provide a new Masters Program in Geospatial Technologies. The English-taught Masters program has been approved in the educational program of excellence of the European Union ERASMUS MUNDUS. The program targets international applicants and will provide 10 full scholarships for non-EU students (26.000 Euro + tuition fees + insurance package). The Masters program addresses holders of Bachelor d... (427 more chars) |
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JICA-Net (Videoconferencing/E-learning) Remote Sensing & GIS Course
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| JICA-Net (Videoconferencing/E-learning) Remote Sensing & GIS Course, January - March 2010 (January 7,13,20,27, February 3, 10, 17, 24, March 3) Organized by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Supported by Japan Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Read more |
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Articles for the Special Issue "Global Croplands"
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This special issue on "Global Croplands" by Journal "Remote Sensing" is an effort to bring together the collective knowledge base of the best experts involved in ensuring our food security for future generations. Given this, the overarching goal of this special volume will be to ensure that this diverse state-of-art knowledge base is available in one place for decision makers, experts, and other users in order to make use of the same and to advance our knowledge further to find smart solutions... (1663 more chars) |
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Swaziland: HIV and AIDS web-based GIS
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| With financial support from the African Development Bank (ADB), and technical support from GeoSpace International, the National Emergency Response Council on HIV and AIDS (NERCHA), Swaziland is working to provide GIS services in the country. NERCHA has identified the need for putting into geographical context the HIV/AIDS related data captured in Swaziland by numerous state organs and NGOs. This includes the creation of a web-based GIS that can act as a master spatial warehouse which integra... (564 more chars) |
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Weather indexed crop insurance for farmers started in Laikipia East District, Kenya
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Small-scale farmers are now being insured against the effects of drought and excessive rain. This follows a pilot phase for the new Weather Indexed Crop Insurance developed by UAP Provincial Insurance Company Limited (UAP) and Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. According to UAP head of marketing and distribution, Mr Joseph Kamiri, the product was developed in response to insurance needs of farmers. "We realized that many small-scale farmers had more failed crop seasons than succe... (2040 more chars) |
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A first estimation of above ground woody biomass in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Africa has one of largest remaining blocks of tropical humid forest in the world (after the Amazon basin) and a high potential for increased emissions. The carbon or biomass stored in these forests, however, is poorly studied. Understanding, with greater precision, the quantity and distribution of carbon in these forests will help to more accurately estimate emissions of carbon dioxide associated with deforestation. In 2008, the Woods Hole Research Center (WHRC) produced a first map of the dis... (1179 more chars) |
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2nd Regional Workshop of GEO Coastal Zone Community of Practice
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The 2nd regional workshop of the series will focus on the specific needs, challenges and capabilities in the coastal zones of the African region. In contrast to the first workshop, this will provide a first critical assessment of the situation pertaining in tropical coastal countries of the developing world. This will also be the first occasion when attention is paid to the particular issues of coastal mega-cities. The Workshop aims to enlist strong participation from all the coastal countries... (1226 more chars) |
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AMESD Steering Committee meeting in Abuja
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| At the AMESD (African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development) Steering Committee meeting held in Nigeria on 5-9 October 2009, the delegates of 5 Regional Economic Communities of Africa and of the ACP secretariat fully endorsed the approach of the technical assistance group regarding the installation in each African country of at least one "e-station". An e-station is a set of open-source solutions developed by the European Commission Joint Research Center, Institute for En... (737 more chars) |
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10th edition of the Kenya National Spation Data Infrastructure Newsletter
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Kenya National Spatial Data Infrastructure (KNSDI) is a national initiative to provide better access for all Kenyans to essential information about our national resources. It aims to ensure that users of this information will be able to acquire consistent datasets to meet their requirements, even though the data is collected and maintained by different stakeholders. Read more |
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ESA Member States approve full and open Sentinel data policy principles
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| ESA Member States have recently approved the new principles for the Sentinel Data Policy, which establishes full and open access to data acquired by the upcoming Sentinel satellite missions. The Sentinels comprise five new missions being developed by ESA specifically for the operational needs of the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES). GMES is a European Commission-led initiative to ensure the provision of Earth observation (EO) services that are tailored to the ne... (655 more chars) |
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Current status of GIS in the Sudan (October 2009)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| This report, prepared by Abdullah Elsadig Ali, Director General, Sudan National Survey Authority, Khartoum, focuses on a study and assessment of mapping and GIS status in the Sudan. The report is part of PhD research to design and develop an enterprise geo-spatial system for Khartoum State. The conclusion states that "GIS status in Sudan is far from satisfactory" and recommends the development of an approach and standards to help GIS implementation within organizations. Read more |
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LSMS-ISA Project: Tackling weaknesses in agricultural statistics in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The World Bank’s World Development Report 2008 highlighted the key role of agriculture in meeting the 2015 targets laid out by the Millennium Development Goals. Soon after the report was published in late 2007, the global food crisis sharply underlined the need for sound agricultural policy and stronger agricultural information systems. The World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are working together on a new initiative aimed at improving agricultural data in Sub-Saharan Af... (1706 more chars) |
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Nigeria’s space program commended
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has been commended for its effort to successfully sustain Nigeria 's first satellite to exceed its five years life span in the orbit. Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Alhassan Zaku who gave the commendation at the opening ceremony of the 3rd African Regional Conference of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA), organised by the agency in Abuja said the effort was a development in the science and tech... (1459 more chars) |
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Nigeria: Enugu digital map to cost N467m
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The new Digital Mapping of Enugu State, which will capture and show the physical features, topography, and landscape of the state, is to cost the state government N467 million. A South African-based company, Southern Mapping Company, has been awarded the contract, and will work in collaboration with the Enugu Map Company. Briefing newsmen on the importance of the project, Secretary to Enugu State Government, Mr. Martin Ilo said that it was in keeping with “government’s commitment ... (106 more chars) |
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African Agriculture Science Competitions and Awards
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| These science competitions seek to identify and give recognition to outstanding agricultural scientists and innovations led by African researchers, scientists and professionals who are effectively engaged in communicating the outputs (knowledge, technologies, approaches) of innovative agricultural research to farmers and agro entrepreneurs as well as advocating for policy change to optimize the benefits from scientific and technological developments. Excellence in science and inn... (611 more chars) |
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TWOWS prize for young women scientists
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS) is now accepting nominations of excellent young women scientists from throughout the developing world. A prize of US$5,000 will be awarded to the best young female natural scientist from each of the four regions of the developing world (Africa, Arab region, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean). Nominees must be female nationals of a developing country aged 45 or under on 31 December 2009 who must have lived and worked in a... (920 more chars) |
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Additional GEONETCast receivers installed in Africa by DevCoCast project
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The GEONETCast for and by Developing Countries (DevCoCast) project works with developing countries to be involved with GEONETCast initiative. To improve the monitoring of 4 Large Marine Ecosystems (LME) in Africa, EUMETCast satellite receivers are built up or upgraded to operational status at 4 large marine ecosystem monitoring services in Ghana, Namibia, Tanzania, and Senegal: University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana for the Guinea Current LME National Marine Institute and Research Centre, Sw... (1001 more chars) |
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Crime Aware South Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Inspired by New York City's Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, who instated a computer-based crime mapping system called CompStat in the 1990s, In-Detail Advertising and Design has launched a website called Crime Aware South Africa. The free-to-use, map-based community crime reporting website allows users to report crimes in their area and to receive alerts of any crimes being reported in a specified radius around them. All crimes reported are visually mapped on street maps, which users can easily n... (706 more chars) |
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Johannesburg to mark 11th GIS Day
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The 11th Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day will be celebrated on 18 November 2009 at the Metropolitan Centre in Braamfontein. The City of Johannesburg will join 80 other countries in marking the occasion. GIS Day is celebrated annually on the Wednesday of the third week of November. GIS Day is a global event. Organisations across the world that use GIS are invited to participate by holding or sponsoring an event of their own. The day is used to build geographic awareness, and to provi... (543 more chars) |
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Africa lacks climate change data
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Africa does not have enough information about the impact of climate change on its water supplies, according to experts. Scientists from around the continent are gathered from the 9th to 13th of November 2009 in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the second Africa Water Week organised by the African Ministerial Council. They argue that it is essential for the continent to collect information about its water resources at local, national, regional and trans-boundary levels. The research manager of ... (369 more chars) |
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Remote Sensing for natural disasters
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Satellite remote sensing data can provide crucial information for managing natural disasters. How can developing countries access and make use of these data? And what must policymakers do to prepare? SciDev assembled a number of articles addessing this topic (November 2009).
Spotlight on satellites for disaster management
Satellites can save lives from natural disasters but developing countries risk missing the opportunity through poor political support.
Fires: Spotted fro... (997 more chars) |
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Mapping wind resources in South Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Risø DTU has produced a detailed map of the wind resources in South Africa showing the best locations for wind turbines and is a prerequisite for funding wind farms. The wind maps are produced by means of extensive measurements and software programmes developed in the Wind Energy Division at Risø DTU. Similar wind maps are now used in 30 countries around the world including Ireland, India, the Faroe Islands, Egypt and China. Right now a map is being prepared for South Africa. The next step to ... (749 more chars) |
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New study uses satellite imagery to identify active magma systems in Rift Valley
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Surface deformation of four active volcanoes captured on InSAR underscore possibility for human hazard, potential of geothermal resources A team from the University of Miami, University of El Paso and University of Rochester have employed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) images compiled over a decade to study volcanic activity in the African Rift. The study, published in the November issue of Geology, studies the section of the rift in Kenya. Small surface displacements, whic... (861 more chars) |
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Impressions of AfricaGIS'09 in the blogosphere
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| AFRICAGIS is one of the leading geospatial conferences in Africa and provides a platform where geo-information professionals from Africa and around the world come together to learn and interact about geo-information technology and its applications. In 2009, the conference , was held in Kampala, Uganda, from October 25th to 30th. Several participants posted blogs about their impressions of the conference: Recap of AfricaGIS: A Geospatial Technology Conference AfricaGIS (AGCommons b... (959 more chars) |
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Climate Change Science Compendium
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Climate Change Science Compendium is a review of some 400 major scientific contributions to understand of Earth Systems and climate that have been released through peer-reviewed literature or from research institutions over the last three years, since the close of research for consideration by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report . The Compendium is not a consensus document or an update of any other process. Instead, it is a presentation of some exciting scientific findings, interp... (201 more chars) |
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Cell phone information services for farmers in Uganda
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Grameen Foundation announced on 15th October 2009 that it will expand its Community Knowledge Worker (CKW) initiative in Uganda, supported by a $4.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The initiative is building a self-sustaining, scalable network of rural information providers who use cell phones to help close critical information gaps facing poor, smallholder farmers. They will strengthen the information link to poor farmers by disseminating and collecting relevant inform... (1612 more chars) |
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Big Cats Initiative launched by National Geographic
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Big cats are in trouble, from lions in Kenya to snow leopards in the Himalaya. The icons of the natural world — lions, cheetahs, leopards, jaguars and other top felines — are disappearing, victims of habitat loss and degradation as well as conflicts with humans. Large cats are keystone species of their ecosystems; losing them means not only loss of a majestic predator but destruction of a natural balance that affects an entire environmental system, including people. To address th... (1486 more chars) |
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Remotely sensing water under Earth’s surface
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A globe-trotting geologist uses satellites and other remote-sensing platforms to find water under some of the world's thirstiest places. Finding more fresh water is one of the paramount challenges of the 21st century. Nearly one-third of the human race lacks reliable access to clean water, according to the International Water Management Institute. Some 3 million people — most of them children — die every year from diseases spread by contaminated water. A 2007 report by the... (1330 more chars) |
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Science puts malaria fight on the map
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Ottawa researchers are using satellite images to track the Africans at greatest risk of disease In a busy room at the University of Ottawa, amid the bustle of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, two biologists scrutinize a satellite image captured from an altitude of 700 kilometres. On the right, a sliver of dark-blue ocean sparkles on the African coast. In the top centre is the saffron bull's-eye of Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa. Like every view of Ea... (1735 more chars) |
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Satellite data instrumental in combating desertification
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| With land degradation in dryland regions continuing to worsen, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification has agreed on scientist-recommended indicators for monitoring and assessing desertification that signatory countries must report on. The landmark agreement was reached after two weeks of negotiations involving hundreds of scientists and government ministers attending the Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Buen... (1292 more chars) |
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3rd African Leadership Conference on Space Science & Technology for Sustainable Development
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Hosted by the Algerian Space Agency, the 3rd African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development (ALC-2009) will run from 7th December 2009 to 9th December 2009 in Algiers, Algeria. Application deadline: 6 November 2009 . Application form , A limited amount of funding is available to enable a number of participants from African countries to attend ALC-2009. Contact: alc2009@asal.dz . The purpose of this Conference is to sensitise African leaders ... (721 more chars) |
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Eye on locusts: scientists make a good tool better
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Locusts, the grasshopper-like insects of Biblical lore, are normally docile creatures that prefer solitary lives in the desert, away from other members of their species. But sometimes, when the rains come and patches of green begin to dot dry landscapes, their populations skyrocket and something extraordinary can happen. Hormonal changes, triggered by crowding, can cause the insects to change color, become more active and congregate in huge swarms capable of decimating crops. In the 1980s, sc... (2638 more chars) |
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Africa experiments with climate insurance
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Insurance is increasingly being seen as a tool for climate adaptation. As natural catastrophes rise globally, supporters say pre-event policies can be used to encourage people and governments to build safer homes, establish early warning systems and pursue other damage-reducing measures.
In Adi Ha, Ethiopia, an experiment has been designed to protect about 200 farmers in the village from dry spells that can wither small fields of teff, a grass with grain seeds, about once every five y... (1069 more chars) |
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African ministers responsible for meteorology to meet to strengthen climate services
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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For the first time ever, African Ministers responsible for meteorology will meet to address ways of strengthening weather, climate and water information for decision-making. This first ministerial Conference, organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in partnership with the African Union, will be held in Nairobi, hosted by the Government of Kenya, from 15 to 19 March 2010. It will consist of an expert session for two-and-a-half days and a ministerial session for one-an... (1594 more chars) |
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Earth Science Education initiative for Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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UNESCO's recently launched Earth Science Education Initiative for Africa is being developed through a participatory approach beginning with a series of regional workshops in the remaining months of 2009 to encourage participation from a range of different public and private perspectives to clearly document the existing status of education in the Earth Sciences and to advise UNESCO on the development of the Initiative.
Four regional workshops taking place before the end of 2009 i... (1365 more chars) |
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Risk and Vulnerability Atlas comes to South Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The South African Risk and Vulnerability Atlas (Sarva) , an online atlas of local risk and vulnerability in the context of global environmental change, will be offered in SA in January 2010. The Sarva project was initiated by the Department of Science and Technology and the online atlas is being developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). This Internet atlas will have similar features to Google Earth, which allows users to zoom in on specific locations in SA and... (1166 more chars) |
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Predicting and coping with climate change in Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| For farmers in Africa, change is in the air. But, while many look to the heavens for the change to be favourable, Dr. Kai Sonder, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) expert at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA in Ibadan, Nigeria, is using information relayed by satellites stationed high above the earth, as well as outputs from global climate models, to find answers to Africa's most pressing problems. Monitoring the trends in rainfall and temperature in different re... (598 more chars) |
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Uganda's GPS stock-take
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Census enumerators like Linda Chandiru have collected agricultural data in each of Uganda's 80 districts Walking around the edge of a maize field, with eyes glued to what looks like a mobile phone, the young and smartly dressed Linda Chandiru seems a little out of place. However, Chandiru is one of over 900 Ugandan census enumerators who have put down their measuring tapes and compasses, and are gathering data using handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) devices. Over a twelve-month peri... (775 more chars) |
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MAM/IGAD project in-country workshops
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| The Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) joined forces with the relevant institutions in five countries in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) sub-region to hold national workshops, which took place between 19th July and 5th August 2009, with the purpose of validating the studies conducted in in the framework of the Mapping, Assessment and Management of the IGAD shared waters (MAM/IGAD) project, . The MAM/IGAD project, which is coordinated by OSS and implemented by IGAD... (842 more chars) |
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Scientists join forces to explain HIV spread in Central and East Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Scientists studying biology and geography may seem worlds apart, but together they have answered a question that has defied explanation about the spread of the HIV-1 epidemic in Africa.
Writing in the September issue of AIDS, a research team led by scientists at the University of Florida explained why two subtypes of HIV-1 - the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS - held steady at relatively low levels for more than 50 years in west central Africa before erupti... (1373 more chars) |
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FEWS NET: El Nino and Food Security in East Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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The 2009/10 El Niño event is anticipated to be mild to moderate in intensity, based on current observations and
consensus climate model forecasts. As with all recent past El Niño events (1997/98, 2002, and 2006), this episode is expected to be generally beneficial to the water, food production, and hydroâ€energy sectors, especially in the worst droughtâ€affected areas of the eastern Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). However, improvements in food availability are not expected to occur u... (1472 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (October 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The October 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 10) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details abo... (876 more chars) |
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Nigeria set to launch NigeriaSat-2 in 2010
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Director General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) Dr. Seidu Mohammed disclosed on September 30th at a press conference that Nigeria's spacecraft, NigeriaSat -2, will be launched in the first quarter of 2010. The spacecraft which has a 2.5 metres high spatial resolution sensor as a strength point will be operated by Nigerian engineers and scientists who have concluded training abroad and returned home. He reiterated that the second satellite was a follow up to th... (1444 more chars) |
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Telecom companies to give farmers accurate climate updates
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Geneva — Zain and Ericsson have joined hands to put food on tables for millions in Africa. The two communication giants are spearheading an initiative to provide more accurate climate information for farmers to plan farming activities to increase yields and save harvests.
Uganda is at the forefront of this joint African initiative, dubbed “Weather Info for All”, that will increase weather observation stations on the continent from the current 744 to over 5,000. This will pr... (2144 more chars) |
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NASRDA now UN-SPIDER Support Centre for West Africa
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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The United Nations has appointed Nigeria's National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) as the Regional Support Centre for Outer Space Affairs for West Africa.
The mandate of the Center is to anchor a new United Nations programme known as the United Nations' platform for Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN -SPIDER),
The Director General of NASRDA Dr. Seidu O. Mohammed said in an acceptance speech in September 2009 that the Agency wou... (801 more chars) |
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Coastline communities using GIS and tapping into carbon trading
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Communities living on the coastline will soon be earning cash from the global carbon emissions trade thanks to a pilot project by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI). The project targets those living near mangrove forests and will involve imparting skills on how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that capture, store, analyse, manage, and present data linked to a particular location. The trainees are drawn from Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. The Sh15 million p... (1030 more chars) |
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Villagers in Congo mapping resources to protect their interests
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Villagers in the Republic of Congo's Plateaux nord region have started mapping their forest resources, in a move officials say will help to protect their interests. "We began making maps which show where we grow things, where we hunt, fish and gather - everything which allows us to live from day to day," said Denis Bongo, village headman in Assengue, Ollombo District. "With the ongoing exploitation of the forest, we have in the maps a bargaining tool [for] discussion [with logging compani... (731 more chars) |
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Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory upgraded in Global Atmospheric Watch programme
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| In August 2009, the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory was successfully upgraded from a Regional to a Global station, within the World Meteorological Organisation's Global Atmospheric Watch programme. The long-term operation of this Observatory is run by NCAS. This upgrade was based on: the facilities available at the site; the ongoing measurement and research programmes; confirmation of long-term funding and the provision of measurements from the Observatory from at least three of... (1731 more chars) |
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Statement from 13th Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-13)
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| October to March constitutes the main rainfall season over most of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. From October to December 2009, most of the western parts of conterminous SADC will have an increased chance of receiving normal to below-normal rainfall with the exception of extreme west of Angola, northern Mozambique, bulk of Malawi and eastern parts of Zambia which are expected to receive above-normal rainfall. The eastern part of conterminous SADC is likely to hav... (409 more chars) |
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ICPAC issued bulletins: Climate Outlook & Malaria Outlook
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
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Consensus Climate Outlook for September-December rain season 2009
The regional consensus climate outlook for the September to December 2009 rainfall season indicates increased likelihood of above normal rainfall over the equatorial western and eastern parts of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). The increased likelihood of normal to above normal rainfall is indicated over most of central areas. The southern parts of the sub-region have increased likelihood of receiving below normal... (244 more chars) |
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El Niño impacts on health
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| A recent update published by Columbia University’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) provides information on the emerging El Niño and its potential health impacts. Responding to growing concerns about El Niño from organizations such as the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the IRI produced the document in order to give decision makers key recommendations on how to monitor communities at risk a... (427 more chars) |
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World Climate Conference-3 establishes a global framework for climate services
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Between the 31st August and 4th September 2009, over 2000 climate scientists, sectoral experts and decision-makers convened in Geneva, Switzerland to take part in the high profile World Climate Conference - 3 (WCC-3). Organised through the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the overarching theme of the conference was "climate prediction and information for decision-making". Scientific advances, needs and capabilities in climate predictions were discussed as were the challenges and opp... (2279 more chars) |
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Journal of Spectral Imaging (JSI): a new peer-review journal
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| The Journal of Spectral Imaging is a new peer-review journal publishing papers in the rapidly growing field of spectral and chemical imaging. High-quality papers are welcomed from all workers in the field on work where imaging and spectral information is obtained at the same time. During 2009, access to papers is free to registered users. After this introductory period, regular subscriptions will apply. This site also publishes news of developments and products in the field. To access all con... (116 more chars) |
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Sugar-cane fields observed by satellite
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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On the island of Reunion, sugar cane, a tall grass, covers over 25,400 hectares. The harvest period can span six months of the year. However, once the cane has been cut, it must be processed in a factory within 48 hours, otherwise decomposition hinders the industrial crystallisation process, among others. Because the factories operate with zero stock and at constant output levels, the companies increasingly use data supplied by satellite-image experts to estimate the progress of harvests on ... (2127 more chars) |
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Nigerian space program advances
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Nigeria’s space programme has made further progress this month, as the NigeriaSat-2 and NX Earth observation satellites passed environmental tests. This is an exciting time for the 25 Nigerian engineers who have spent varying periods of time at SSTL and the University of Surrey over the past 2 years, working and studying to achieve the skills that will underpin Nigeria’s ongoing space programme. Both NigeriaSat-2 and NX are now nearing completion with the Flight Readiness Review (FR... (354 more chars) |
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Africa's development in a changing climate
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Africa's development in a changing climate ( PDF 2.47mb ) : key policy advice from World Development Report 2010 and Making Development Climate Resilient: A World Bank Strategy for Sub-Saharan Africa
With a view to acting now, acting together, and acting differently, the World Bank has a new strategy to make development more climate-resilient in Sub-Saharan Africa. Two of the approaces specifically stress the utility of geospatila technologies and information services.
... (907 more chars) |
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Sumbandila satellite blasts off into space
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Three...... two...... one..... and...... lift-off! South Africa's Sumbandila satellite blasted off into space at the speed of lightening into the earth's orbit on Thursday evening, September 17, 2009.
The blast-off was accompanied by rousing applause and delight by keen South Africans who had traveled to Baikonur, Kazakhstan to witness the event. Among the guests were Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor. She said the launch of Sumbandila which is Venda for "lead the way" has... (1837 more chars) |
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National SDI survey results in Africa
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The presentation of Anthony Cooper, from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), at the ISO/TC 211 Workshop on Spatial Data Infrastructures , held May 27, 2009 in Tsukuba, Japan, puts two Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) surveys into context, showing that surveys can yield quite different results depending on the questions asked and how they are asked. Not only does this point out the subjective nature of SDI characterization and status/monitoring, but it also is a good ... (506 more chars) |
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Measuring GDP growth from outer space
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| Written by Edward Lodenyo |
| Measurements of economic growth often fall short for developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and are rarely calculated at all for cities throughout the world. In a new working paper, three Brown University economists suggest a way to improve GDP estimates for such areas by using images of nighttime lights as seen from outer space. In a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper (NBER Working Paper No. 15199) J. Vernon Henderson, Adam Storeygard, and David N. Weil... (2017 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (September 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The September 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 9) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details ab... (877 more chars) |
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NASA scientist makes first full assessment of Africa's mangrove forests
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| Written by Administrator |
| Environmental scientist Lola Fatoyinbo of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) developed and employed a method that can be used across the continent, overcoming expensive, ad hoc, and inconsistent modes of ground-based measurement. Fatoyinbo's research combines multiple satellite observations of tree height and land cover, mathematical formulas, and 'ground-truthing' data from the field to measure the full expanse and makeup of the coastal forests. Her measurements yielde... (964 more chars) |
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DRC developing & testing home-made rockets
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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A team of young enthusiasts in the Democratic Republic of Congo is developing and launching home-made solid-propellant rockets, named Troposphere. The rocketry program in D.R.Congo is the initiative of the private enterprise DTA (Developpement Tous Azimuts), SPRL created in spring 2007 and headquartered at Lubumbashi ( Katanga Province ).
DTA is looking to develop a more powerful rocket with the Galaxie program. It has the dream to launch small satellites from the territory of D.R.C... (1183 more chars) |
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Imaging Sub-Saharan Africa for ESA
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The European Space Agency ( ESA ) has awarded DMCii a EUR3.9 million contract to acquire satellite imagery of sub-Saharan Africa. The data will constitute an essential part of the European funded Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security ( GMES ) programme and the contract includes changes to the company's systems to interface with the ESA image catalogue.
DMCii has already begun the campaign which will acquire 32m and 22m imagery using the DMC constellation until S... (1068 more chars) |
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JSTARS call for papers “Sensor Web Special Issueâ€
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing ( J-STARS ) calls for papers for the Special Issue on Earth Observation Sensor Web
Papers to be submitted should address one of the following problems/topics:
Intelligent sensor observation systems
Sensor web architecture and implementation
Interoperability approaches and standards for sensor web
Geospatial Web Services and workflow for sensor web
Multi-scale sensor da... (1357 more chars) |
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IJAGR call for papers "Trends in Service Chaining for GEOSS themes"
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| IJAGR call for papers: special issue on trends in service chaining for GEOSS themes:
The /International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research is actively soliciting papers for the special issue of the International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research : " Trends in service chaining for GEOSS themes" . Submissions should discuss different
models, techniques and tools addressing the above issues to improve
service chaining and integration, as well as highlight relevant
practical pr... (3075 more chars) |
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Data sets for pan-tropical forest cover and biomass
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The Woods Hole Research Center ( WHRC ) has initiated a three-year project focused on pan-tropical mapping of forest cover and associated carbon stocks stored in above-ground biomass. This is accomplished through the generation of pan-tropical consistent data sets of year 2007 high-resolution, cloud-free radar imagery from the Japanese ALOS sensor, a forest cover map derived from radar imagery as a baseline for subsequent change monitoring, and medium-resolution, pan-tr... (625 more chars) |
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Celebrate World Space Week 2009
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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UN-declared World Space Week, October 4-10 annually, is the largest public space event on Earth and the best time each year for teachers to use space to excite students about learning. During World Space Week, you are encouraged to use space-themed activities, such as those from www.worldspaceweek.org/education , NASA, and other sources. To show how your classroom is part of this global celebration, please register online . To recognize creative use of space to inspire student... (253 more chars) |
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Crisis mapping in Angola
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Jen Ziemke sought to determine why combatants sometimes target civilians while at other time refrain from doing so. She explored this question by looking for both spatial and temporal patterns of conflict during the the Angolan Civil War. Angola was torn apart by a civil war that continued on and off between 1961 and 2002. For her PhD research, Ziemke mapped thousands of spatial and temporal data points and then visualized the results, events, and stories in a way that enabled an understandi... (271 more chars) |
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Land registration to help Rwanda recover from conflict
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Men and women across Rwanda will be able to officially claim their right to land for the first time through a major new UK-funded project launched today, ending a source of violent conflict and dispute.
DFID will provide £20 million to set up a nationwide registration programme to help all Rwandans agree their legal ownership rights. Disputes over land rights contributed to the conflict in Rwanda that sparked the genocide. As well as solving disputes, this project will all... (1433 more chars) |
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Planet Action - call for projects
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Planet Action , is a non-profit initiative launched by Spot Image , a leading supplier of satellite imagery and geo-information, joined by ESRI , a leading GIS technologies provider as co-founder. Planet Action provides satellite imagery, geographic information and technology support to local projects that investigate and assess climate change focusing on human issues, drought & desertification, water resources, forestry, biodiversity, oceans, ice, and awareness. This year, Planet Action... (199 more chars) |
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European Commission call for proposals dedicated to research for Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| This call for proposals is the first one entirely dedicated to research initiatives for Africa under the EU's Framework Programme for research (FP7). It brings together several funding Themes under FP7: Health (€39 million), Environment (€17.5 million) and Food, Agriculture, Fisheries and Biotechnology (€6.5 million). The projects selected will involve these various scientific and technological research fields and will also take into account broader socio-economic factors such a... (261 more chars) |
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EU-South Africa Space Cooperation Report
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Following the July 2008 EU-South Africa Summit, which identified space as one of the possible areas for future enhanced bilateral cooperation, the JCC approved in October 2008 the Terms of Reference for an EU-South Africa Space Dialogue, prepared together by the European Commission , the South African Department of Science and Technology and the European Space Agency .
The first annual dialogue meeting under these Terms of Reference took place on 27 January 2009 in Pretoria . It ... (2708 more chars) |
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Student Essay Competition: Sustainability through Earth Observation and Engineering
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Earthzine invites undergraduate and graduate students to submit an essay for the 2009 Student Essay Competition: Sustainability through Earth Observation and Engineering. Earthzine, an online environmental journal, is conducting a competition to encourage students to creatively examine the benefits that new technological systems in Earth observation and engineering can have on sustainability. Students are encouraged to submit essays that follow one of the two dominant them... (521 more chars) |
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WhereCamp Africa: Kampala
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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WhereCamp is an unconference for geogeographers and all kinds of folks interested in place.
WhereCamp Africa: Kampala is tentatively planned for Friday, October 30th at the same venue as the AfricaGIS 2009 conference. WhereCamp is a free unconference for geogeographers, mobile location experts and social cartographers and all kinds of folks interested in place. An unconference is a conference planned by the participants. After a morning plenary to help frame th... (1574 more chars) |
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Three-step Earth System visioning process
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Deadline extended to: September 1, 2009
Under the leadership of ICSU’s Committee on Scientific Planning and Review , a three-step Earth System visioning process has been launched, designed to find answers by first collecting the broad spectrum of different views across disciplines and parts of the world and then focusing these down through a peer review process into a set of major international research priorities.
Read More: Earth System visioning proc... (20 more chars) |
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Call for Proposals: GSDI Small Grants Program
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Call for Proposals : GSDI Small Grants Program
Deadline: 1 October 2009
The GSDI Association , along with partners and participants, has allocated resources from the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee and the GISCorps of URISA, to fund a small grants program to support national or sub-national activities that foster partnerships, develop in-country technical capacity, improve data compatibility and access, and increase political support for spa... (1093 more chars) |
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Sahara desert greening due to climate change?
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Desertification, drought, and despair—that's what global warming has in store for much of Africa. Or so we hear. Emerging evidence is painting a very different scenario, one in which rising temperatures could benefit millions of Africans in the driest parts of the continent. Scientists are now seeing signals that the Sahara desert and surrounding regions are greening due to increasing rainfall. If sustained, these rains could revitalize drought-ravaged regions, reclaiming them... (794 more chars) |
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1st Forum of African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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1st Forum of African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD), Kinshasa, Congo, 1-4 December 2009
AMESD aims to increase the information management capacity of African regional and national institutions in support of decision makers by facilitating sustainable access to Africa-wide environmental information derived from Earth Observation (EO) technologies. The supply of information from Earth Observation Satellites is of relevance for a range of policies and... (889 more chars) |
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World Bank projects mashed up
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The World Bank has mashed up Google Maps & project data to provide a visual entry point to browse World Bank projects, news, statistics and public information center by country.
See also: IFC's DoingBusiness maps ; Take a trip around the world to discover how easy (or difficult) it is to do business in 181 economies.
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Remote Sensing Journal special issues - call for papers
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292) is an international journal on remote sensing and its applications. It is published online quarterly starting 2009.
The following are calls for papers for several special issues.
Special Issue: Geomorphological Processes and Natural Hazards Submission Deadline: 31 July 2009
Special Issue: LiDAR Submission Deadline: 31 August 2009
Special Issue: Ocean Remote Sensing Submission Deadline: 31 August 200... (371 more chars) |
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Workshop on Climate Change and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Ohio State Workshop Website
On May 15, 2009 the Center for African Studies hosted the workshop "Climate Change and Livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa." Changes in climate have a major impact in Africa because the majority of its people are directly dependent on natural resources that are affected by climate. This workshop focused on climate change and its interaction with African systems of crop and animal agriculture. Both periodic variation and long-term trends in climate we... (1962 more chars) |
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International Training Course, Satellite Navigation and Location Based Services
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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International Training Course, Satellite Navigation and Location Based Services , hosted by the African Regional Centre of Space Sciences and Technologies ( CRASTE-LF ), in collaboration with International Committee (ICG) and United Nations of Office of Outer Space Affairs
28 September - 24 October 2009
Rabat, Maroc
L'objectif global de ce cours de formation est de sensibiliser les participants au potentiel de la technologie de navigation par satellite et... (709 more chars) |
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Tripoli, Libya: International Conference on Remote Sensing and GIS Applications
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Tripoli, Libya : International Conference on Remote Sensing and GIS Applications
5-7 October 2009
Tripoli, Libya
The National Committee for Remote Sensing in Great Jamahiriya in cooperation with other relevant authorities is organizing this conference to promote investment in the science of remote sensing in various sectors in order to achieve scientific progress and cultural development.
Objectives
To interact and exchange with t... (909 more chars) |
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Globcover-derived national land cover databases for Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The GLCN , Global Landcover Network is promoting the development of national land cover data sets ready to be
used in the GLCN software Advanced Database Gateway ( ADG ). ADG provides a
user-friendly interface and advanced functionalities to analyse LCCS-based land
cover data sets by breaking down classes in their classifiers for further
aggregations and analysis. As part of its activities, GLCN has promoted the re-processing of the
Globcover archive at national ext... (819 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (August 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The August 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 8) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about... (874 more chars) |
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START Grants for Global Environmental Change Research in Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Call for Proposals: Announcement
START , the global change SysTem for Analysis, has announced a Call for Proposals for research and assessments of global environmental change (GEC) in Africa in the context of the Joint Projects of the Earth System Science Partnership ( ESSP ).
Proposals must be relevant to one or more of the following four ESSP Joint Projects:
Global Carbon Project
Global Environmental Change and Food Systems
Global Wate... (843 more chars) |
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CSIR researchers argue for global carbon observation system
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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CSIR climate scientists are advocating the establishment of a global carbon observation system to deliver more accurate and standardised information on carbon flux in the oceans, atmosphere and land. Currently, climate change information depends "to an unacceptable degree, on serendipity, individual passion, redirected funding and the largely uncoordinated efforts of a few nations," argue Drs Bob Scholes and Pedro Monteiro in a recent opinion piece published in the journal Trend... (480 more chars) |
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Total offers new map service in South Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Total has announced the launch of a free online map tool called Total Navigator to help people get around South Africa. The interactive software, Total says, covers all South African roads and streets, is free and includes a route planner, points of interests (including shops, restaurants and autotellers) and - all Total fuel stations. The company says it will plot the fastest route, with step-by-step instructions and additional data such as distances, that can be downloaded, e... (162 more chars) |
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USAID FEWS NET weather hazards impacts assessment
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Weather Hazards Impacts Assessment , 16-22 July 2009 [ PDF 272 KB ]
Little to no precipitation in the last week exacerbated dryness across parts of Sudan, Uganda, and southwestern Ethiopia.
Below-average rainfall has led to deteriorating crop conditions in some parts of northern Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and southwestern Chad.
FEWS NET is a USAID -funded activity whose purpose is to provide objective information about food security conditions. Its... (418 more chars) |
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Zambia GIS Practitioners Workshop
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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GIS Practitioners Workshop website
On May 20th and 21st a workshop for GIS practitioners working in local and provincial government authorities was held in Lusaka, at National Survey Department. It was organised by German Development Cooperation (GTZ and DED) to share lessons learnt from the SDI Programme and to establish and improve connections between practitioners of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Zambia. It addressed technical officers ... (2207 more chars) |
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GLCN National Workshop, Dakar, Senegal
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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This Global Land Cover Network workshop was held 10-12 June 2009 in Dakar, Senegal to present and discuss the results of the land cover mapping and change analysis activities conducted in collaboration with the Centre de Suivi Ecologique de Dakar (CSE). Twenty-four experts from a range of national services participated at the workshop, showing true interest on the results of the study. GLCN National Workshop, Dakar, Senegal
View Larger Map
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South Sudan land cover mapping
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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In the framework of the FAO Global Land Cover Network (GLCN) Programme , the South Sudan Land Cover dataset will be updated in the GLCN Topic centre hosted by the Istituto Agronomico per l’Oltremare (IAO).
For this purpose a group of 7 Sudanese experts, representing all the national institutions involved in environmental programmes, arrived in Florence on July 1, 2009 , and will remain until the end of July .
During this period, the Sudanese experts will rec... (886 more chars) |
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News from IGARSS'09, Cape Town
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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IGARSS Newsletter for Day 1 [PDF 1.4MB]
IGARSS Newsletter for Day 2 [PDF 1.8MB]
IGARSS Newsletter for Day 3 [PDF 1.4MB]
IGARSS Newsletter for Day 4 [PDF 1.5MB]
This was the first time that IGARSS was held on the African continent, representing a milestone in the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society’s strategic objective to broaden international participation, particularly in the developing countries. Awarding this Symposium to ... (235 more chars) |
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CarboAfrica call for African students to publish articles
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The European Project CarboAfrica invites African students to publish articles in the Carboafrica newsletter No 8. The CarboAfrica newsletter aims to diffuse information on scientific research on C cycling in Sub-Saharan Africa carried out by African students. In order to increase the visibility of African researches, Carboafrica invites African students to submit short descriptive articles (approx: 600 words) about their research and finding related to climate change, C cycling, l... (676 more chars) |
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Sahel nations may lose maize by 2050
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Farmers in six African countries — Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Sierra Leone — may be unable to grow maize by 2050, researchers have predicted. Using historical climate data, maps of crop cultivation and climate models taken from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report, they found that by 2050 growing seasons in Africa will be hotter than almost all countries on the continent have ever experienced — even if carbon emissions are ... (1353 more chars) |
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AU Continental Scientific Award - 2009
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The Commission of the African Union is committed to support the use and development of science in Africa and has initiated with its key development partners the AU Continental Scientific Award open to ALL outstanding African Scientists. The objective of this programme is to award Cash Prizes and Recognition Certificates to excelling African researchers for their achievements in Earth and Life Sciences, and Basic, Science, Technology and Innovation sectors. This award programme is ... (284 more chars) |
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African Union Regional Women Scientific Award - 2009
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The Commission of the African Union is committed to support the use and development of science in Africa and has initiated with its key development partners the AU Regional Women Scientific Award Programme. The objective of this programme is to award Cash Prizes and Recognition Certificates to excelling African women researchers for their achievements in Earth and Life Sciences, and Basic, Science, Technology and Innovation sectors. This award programme is being implemented by Regio... (233 more chars) |
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START Grants for Global Environmental Change Research in Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Call for Proposals: START , the global change SysTem for Analysis, Research and Training has announced a Call for Proposals for research and assessments of global environmental change (GEC) in Africa in the context of the Joint Projects of the Earth System Science Partnership ( ESSP ). Proposals must be relevant to one or more of the following four ESSP Joint Projects:
Global Carbon Project , Global Environmental Change and Food Systems , Global Water Systems Project ,... (2024 more chars) |
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AMESD-EUMETCast satellite receiving station installed in Mauritius
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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On 26th June 2009, the second AMESD - EUMETCast satellite receiving station installed in the framework of the African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development ( AMESD , www.amesd.org ) program was officially inaugurated at the Mauritius Oceanography Institute, Regional Implementation Center for the AMESD for the Indian Ocean Commission region, in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius. The AMESD program is funded by the UE (21M EUR) and hosted by the African Union Commission (REA... (957 more chars) |
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30 minute video introduction to crisis mapping
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Introduction to Crisis Mapping from PatrickMeier on Vimeo .
This is a clear and comprehensive briefing on crisis mapping produced by PatrickMeier
@ iRevolution , the video includes an overview of actors in that field.
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UN-SPIDER Technical Advisory Mission to Togo
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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In March 2009, the Government of Togo officially requested a UN-SPIDER technical advisory mission to assess the existing use of space-based technology and information for disaster management and emergency response in Togo. The mission, which is scheduled for 13 to 16 July 2009 , is specifically enquired to identify potential areas where space-based technology and information could play a greater role, and propose recommendations how to improve Togo's access to and use of space-ba... (1009 more chars) |
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Three stations to begin receiving CBERS imagery
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Egypt will start receiving images from the CBERS satellite , which is jointly owned by Brazil and China. A memorandum for expanding the satellite's reception to three stations in Africa was signed in May 2009 , during president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's trip to China. In addition to the station in Egypt, stations in the Canary Islands and in South Africa will also receive the signal. Images from the CBERS are distributed free of charge, but require a reception system in order to arrive i... (462 more chars) |
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Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Curent Issue Contents: Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing & Space Science ( Vol. 12 )
Land resources evaluation of the paleodarainage delta in western desert of Egypt using remote sensing data
Comparative study between support vector machines and neural networks for lithological discrimination using hyperspectral data
Estimation of the spatial distribuition of crop coefficient (KC) from Landsat satellite imagery
Assessment and management of natural hazards and... (1682 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (July 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The July 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 7) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about a... (872 more chars) |
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ASTER Global DEM released
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| Written by Administrator |
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Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI) and NASA announced the release of the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) on June 29, 2009 . The GDEM was created by stereo-correlating the 1.3 million scene ASTER VNIR archive, covering the Earth’s land surface between 83N and 83S latitudes. The GDEM is produced with 30 meter postings, and is formatted in 1 x 1 degree tiles as GeoTIFF files. Each GDEM file is accompanied by a Quality Assessment file, ei... (1443 more chars) |
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Earth observations in social science research
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| Written by Administrator |
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Earth Observations in Social Science Research for Management of Natural Resources and the Environment: Identifying the Contribution of the U.S. Land Remote Sensing (Landsat) Program
This paper surveys and describes the peer-reviewed social science literature in which data from the U.S. land remote sensing program, Landsat, inform public policy in managing natural resources and the environment. The Landsat program has provided the longest collection of observations of Earth from the v... (725 more chars) |
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Spatial coherence of aid in Mali
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| Within the framework of its initiative on the regional dimensions of development and aid effectiveness, the Sahel and West Africa Club/OECD (SWAC ) aims to emphasise the geographic dimension in aid programmes. A pilot analysis has been launched on the spatial coherence of aid to Mali. This involves in particular identifying aid to local communities within Mali and analysing its coherence from a national geographic perspective. Similar studies will be carried out in Senegal and Mauritania. Dur... (191 more chars) |
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New Atlas illustrates evidence of Uganda’s changing environment
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| The Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment, prepared by the National Environmental Management Authority of Uganda, provides extensive scientific evidence of Uganda’s changing environment. Modelled after Africa: Atlas of our Changing Environment previously published by UNEP, the Uganda Atlas seeks to safeguard the country’s environment and inspire decision makers to action. Key findings : 1. Mabira forest and Budongo forest reserves have shown recovery over the... (3661 more chars) |
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New initiative to improve Africa weather monitoring
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| The Global Humanitarian Forum and its President, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, together with Ericsson, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), mobile telecommunications company Zain, and the Earth Institute at Columbia University announced (on June 18, 2009 ) a major initiative, dubbed “Weather Info for All”, to radically improve Africa’s weather monitoring network in the face of the growing impact of climate change. This initiative will deploy up t... (1114 more chars) |
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UNDP launches photo contest in Africa
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| UNDP, working in partnership with Olympus Corporation and AFP (Agence France-Presse) Foundation has started a photo contest titled Picture This: Caring for the Earth. The Africa based eco-themed contest is looking for single photos or photo essays hilighting environmental stewardship in daily life in Africa (with special attention given to women's roles in environmental work). Social networks, websites, and country officials are being utilized to get word out about the compettition. One w... (395 more chars) |
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TerrAfrica Knowledge Base now operational
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| The Knowledge Base is an interactive website developed by the TerrAfrica Partnership to facilitate the access, the exchange and methodical accumulation of key knowledge to implement Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in Africa. Information resources available on the site include text documents, multimedia documents, maps, statistics and websites, both in English and French. Users can access information using a simple free-text search or by more advanced options such as searching by count... (404 more chars) |
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Collaborative Project Maps a Geospatial Strategy for Senegal
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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A $6-million joint project — the National Geomatics Plan ( NGP of Senegal ) — is helping the African nation of Senegal develop its Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Implementation strategy. Supported by the Canadian International Development Agency ( CIDA ) and coordinated by the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada ( NRCan ), the project will help address key local and national issues, such as environmental challenges, natural disaster respo... (1772 more chars) |
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East Africa gets broadband
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The Horn of Africa is one of the last populated bits of the planet without a proper connection to the world wide web. Instead of fibre-optic cable, which provides for cheap phone calls and YouTube-friendly surfing, its 200m or so people have had to rely on satellite links. This has kept international phone calls horribly overpriced and internet access equally extortionate and maddeningly slow.
But last week, in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, a regional communications revolution belatedly... (823 more chars) |
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Mapping a better world
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Mapping a better world , Read full story at: The Economist print edition, June 4 2009
For most people it is merely a handy tool to find a nearby pizzeria or get directions to a meeting. But mapping technology has matured into a tool for social justice. Whether it is to promote health, safety, fair politics or a cleaner environment, foundations, non-profit groups and individuals around the world are finding that maps can help them make their case far more intuitively and effecti... (722 more chars) |
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Satellites guide relief to earthquake victims
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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On Thursday, May 28th , at 2:24 a.m. local time, a deadly earthquake rocked Honduras, killing seven people and injuring several others, demolishing homes, damaging scores of other buildings, and sending terrified residents running through the streets.
"I woke up immediately, and all I could do was hug my youngest son and pray," says Dalia Martinez of San Pedro Sula, Honduras . "After a few minutes, my family and I went outside, where my neighbors were already gathered, likewise terr... (1436 more chars) |
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Biomass Energy Modeling with GIS and Remote Sensing Workshop
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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27th - 30th October 2009
Biomass Energy Modeling with GIS and Remote Sensing Workshop to be held at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda in conjunction with AfricaGIS 2009
The workshop is organized within the framework of the European-Union funded research project ENERGEO , a major contribution to the Energy tasks of the Group on Earth Observations ( GEO ) workplan In a cooperation between the Department of Surveying, Makerere University , and th... (571 more chars) |
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4th ESRI Eastern Africa User Conference
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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24-25 September 2009 , United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
The annual ESRI Eastern Africa User Conference brings together ESRI software users from across Ethiopia and Eastern Africa to share their experiences and learn more about ESRI’s technology. The conference is co-organised by ESRI Eastern Africa, the GIS Society of Ethiopia and the Information, Sciences & Technology Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Download A... (392 more chars) |
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Geospatial Health Vol 3 No 2
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| Geospatial Health, Vol 3, No 2 (May 2009) The focus of the journal Geospatial Health is on all aspects of the application of geographic information systems, remote sensing and other spatial analysis tools in human and veterinary health. The May 2009 issue includes the following papers, among others: - Virtual globes and geospatial health: the potential of new tools in the management and control of vector-borne diseases - Urban agriculture and Anopheles habit... (218 more chars) |
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Survey on Remote Sensing for Agricultural Monitoring in Africa
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| Written by Administrator |
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The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) currently is engaged in carrying out a survey on the use of Remote Sensing for Agricultural Monitoring in Africa.
RCMRD is compiling a list of interviewees with whom they very much would like to interact with them during the survey phase. The interviewees will be drawn from International Organizations (including any agencies based outside Africa but working in Africa), Government ... (531 more chars) |
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Imagery shows deforestation in Gishwati Forest (Rwanda)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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acquired July 19, 1986
acquired December 11, 2001
With an estimated population in excess of 9 million, Rwanda is mainland Africa’s most densely populated country, according to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Although protected areas in Rwanda increased slightly between 1990 and 2005, the large po... (1332 more chars) |
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Sierra Leone project to improve efficacy of land registration system
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) is funding a project to reform Sierra Leone’s land administration system in a bid to further improve the country’s investment potential and stimulate wider economic growth.
Sierra Leone’s land administration is currently structured upon laws implemented in the nineteenth century while the country was under colonial rule. As a result, the system is hindered by a vast backlog of outstanding legal cases awaiting resolu... (1086 more chars) |
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Mauritius making inroads on land information management
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The Land Administration Valuation & Information Management System (LAVIMS) project is meant to deliver a modern Land Administration, Valuation and Information Management System for the island of Mauritius. It is being carried out by Infoterra Ltd, which leads a consortium of companies and consultants to deliver this project over two years. The project includes:
(1) Automation of paper deeds - scanning, key data capture and indexing of several million pages of deeds and other records,... (1064 more chars) |
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CGIS (Rwanda) showcasing metadata search facility
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The Centre for GIS and Remote Sensing of the National University of Rwanda (CGIS-NUR) presented its metadata search facility at a Spatial data inventory and metadata management workshop held on 19 June 2009 in Huye. The metadata searh facility is part of the Spatial Data Infrastructure project (SDI) funded by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association (GSDI) and the Rwanda Development Gateway Group. The main goal of the project is to support national and sub-national activities t... (721 more chars) |
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Remittances to West African countries
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| Written by Administrator |
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According to recent World Bank forecasts, remittances to developing countries will decrease by between 5 and 8% (USD 305 billion to USD 280–290 billion) between 2008 and 2009. Flows to sub-Saharan Africa could also decrease by about 5% to USD 19 billion in 2009.
Source: Sahel and West Africa Club/OECD (SWAC) website.
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24th Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa
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| Written by Administrator |
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The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) and other partners are organizing the Twenty Fourth Climate Outlook Forum for the Greater Horn of Africa (GHACOF24) to be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 24 th to 26 th August 2009 . The forum will be held within the framework of the IGAD regional strategy for mainstreaming climate information in all climate sensitive socio-economic sectors for enhanced risk reduction and sustainable development. The forum is partly funded by the US... (1375 more chars) |
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Greater Horn of Africa consensus climate outlook for June to September 2009
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| Written by Administrator |
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June to September has always been an important rain season for the equitorial regions of the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA). Unfortunately, the ICPAC consensus climate outlook for the June to September of 2009 has shown that the coming months will likely proved near to below normal rainfall, which will be even more bothersome after the dry spell in equatorial regions of the GHA from March to May. This could have adverse affects towards livestock, crop production, hydroelectric power, and other... (340 more chars) |
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Launch of Global Cities Indicators Facility
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| Written by Administrator |
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The Global City Indicators Program is a joint WB and University of Toronto initiative that provides an established set of city indicators with a globally standardized methodology that allows for global comparability of city performance and knowledge sharing. Their website serves all cities that become members to measure and report on a core set of indicators through this web-based relational database.
Interested municipalities are invited to contact the GCIP through their website .
... (4 more chars) |
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Mapping a better future: how spatial analysis can benefit wetlands and reduce poverty in Uganda
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| This publication presents a study carried out on Uganda's abundant varied wetlands, including grass swamps, mountain bogs, seasonal floodplains, and swamp forests. These natural resources provide services and products worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year, making them a vital contributor to the national economy. Ugandans use wetlands -- often called the country's "granaries for water" -- to sustain their lives and livelihoods. They rely on them for water, construction ... (1600 more chars) |
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Climate change models predict trends for African farmland and livestock
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| Nairobi ( 3 June 2009 )—A new study by researchers from the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the United Kingdom’s Waen Associates has found that by 2050, hotter conditions, coupled with shifting rainfall patterns, could make anywhere from 500,000 to one million square kilometers of marginal African farmland no longer able to support even a subsistence level of food crops. However, the land, on which some 20 to 35 million people currently ... (1079 more chars) |
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2nd Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Meeting
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| The Second Africa Regional Platform (ARP) on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Consultative Meeting was held at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya from 5-7 May, 2009 . The event themed "Accelerate progress in implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and the Africa Regional Strategy for DRR" was organized by the Commission of the African Union (AUC) and the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). More than 150 participants representin... (491 more chars) |
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South Africa's SumbandilaSat stays home still longer
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| Written by James Renee Anderson II |
| The launch of South Africa’s R26-million Sumbandila microsatellite will now likely take place in late August, most likely on or around August 20 . This latest delay is reportedly due to the Russian Meteor M weather sattelite, the primary payload for for the Russian Soyuz launch vehicle on which SumbandilaSat was the secondary payload. SumbandilaSat was originally scheduled to have been launched in 2007 from a Russian Navy submarine on a converted Shtil submarine-launched ballisti... (741 more chars) |
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Reports, 29th Session of the United Nations Inter-agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Reports have been released of the recent 29th Session of the United Nations Inter-agency Meeting on Outer Space Activities, which serves as the focal point for United Nations inter-agency coordination and cooperation in space-related activities. The reports provide the latest information on the coordination of space-related activities within the United Nations system.They are available, in all official languages of the United Nations, from the website for United Nations Coordination of Ou... (768 more chars) |
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Mapping a better future: how spatial analysis can benefit wetlands and reduce poverty in Uganda
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Mapping a better future: how spatial analysis can benefit wetlands and reduce poverty in Uganda
This publication ( 2.18 PDF ) presents a study carried out on Uganda's abundant varied wetlands, including grass swamps, mountain bogs, seasonal floodplains, and swamp forests. These natural resources provide services and products worth hundreds of millions of dollars per year, making them a vital contributor to the national economy. ... (1659 more chars) |
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2nd Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Briefing Note: 2nd Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction Meeting The Second Africa Regional Platform ( ARP ) on Disaster Risk Reduction ( DRR ) Consultative Meeting was held at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya from 5-7 May, 2009 .
The event themed “Accelerate progress in implementing the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) and the Africa Regional Strategy for DRR” was organized by the Commission of the African ... (554 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (June 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The June 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 6) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about a... (872 more chars) |
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PhD positions with full scholarship - available for nationals from East Africa
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Egerton University in collaboration with the International Institute of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), the Netherlands invites applications for five PhD one Post doctoral positions available for Nationals from East Africa in the academic year 2009/2010 .
The closing date of the application is 15 June 2009 .
These scholarships are offered under the research project "EOIA: An Earth Observation- and Integrated Assessment approach to the Governance of Lake Naivasha" is... (1748 more chars) |
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Sida-sponsored water management courses, Rwanda & Zambia
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Transboundary Water Management for the Lake Victoria Region
In Rwanda, October 26 - November 6, 2009 & in Sweden, February 22-26, 2010
Application deadline: June 15, 2009
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) will cover the participation fee and accommodation cost. International travel costs to and from the meeting in Rwanda are not covered by Sida. The participants shall find funding and make their own travel arrangements from their home country to Rwanda.... (1491 more chars) |
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Rwanda's National Lands Centre to harmonize all GIS data
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The National Lands Centre (NLC) , the land regulatory body, is set to harmonize all geographical information systems (GIS) spatial data. This is in a bid to streamline access, ease in sharing and reference amongst all its users.
This was revealed mid this week during a meeting NLC had with all the users of GIS technology at its headquarters in Gishushu.
NLC hopes that procedures and priorities can be adapted to guide and simplify spatial data sharing among all the users.
"With 70 percent... (1421 more chars) |
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Drought in Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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NASA's Earth Observatory has a series of images that document current drought conditions in the Sahel .
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2009: The year of African broadband
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Africa's access to the internet is set to explode with the
advent of several underwater sea cables all across the continent. As discussed
in February, Globacom's submarine cable is soon to go active this year and will
increase Nigeria's internet capacity as well as that of Ghana and other West
African nations. But nations in Southern, Eastern and Northern Africa are on the
verge of increased internet capacity as well. Read More Nigerian Curiosity
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United Nations/Austria/European Space Agency Symposium
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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United Nations/Austria/European Space Agency Symposium on "Small Satellite Programmes for Sustainable Development" will be held in Graz, Austria, September 8-11th 2009.
The Symposium is part of a series of annual symposia held in Graz since 2003 concerned with the use of space applications for sustainable development to support the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. It will be hosted and co-sponsored by the Federal Ministry for European... (1201 more chars) |
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Geomatica Special Issue on “Volunteered Geographic Information
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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This special issue of Geomatica is devoted to the theme of Volunteered Geographic Information. Geomatica, the Journal of Geospatial Information Science, Technology and Practice , is the quarterly peer-reviewed journal of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics (CIG). It is dedicated to the dissemination of information on technical advances in the field of geomatics science and engineering, including geomatics education. Papers for this special issue on Volunteered Geographic Information must pr... (2094 more chars) |
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Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Does research influence public policy and decision-making and, if so, how? A recent publication of the International Development Research Centre, titled "Knowledge to Policy: Making the Most of Development Research," is the most recent to address this question, investigating the effects of research in the field of international development. It starts from a sophisticated understanding about how research influences public policy and decision-making. It shows how research can contribute to bette... (1302 more chars) |
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RUFORM Graduate Scholarship
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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RUFORM Graduate Scholarship
The MSc in Research Methods aims to train professionals who will support agricultural and related researchers throughout the region. The course runs for 24 months with the first cohort starting in September, 2009. The programme will be hosted in Kenya by Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology , but resource persons will come from universities and other institutions in the region and beyond. RUFORUM is offering a limited number of scholar... (1055 more chars) |
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2nd Ecological Society for Eastern Africa (ESEA) Annual Scientific Conference 2009
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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2nd Ecological Society for Eastern Africa (ESEA) Annual Scientific Conference
16-20 June 2009
The Ecological Society for Eastern Africa ( ESEA ), through support from the British Ecological Society ( BES ), is planning to hold its 2nd Scientific Conference that will address ecological issues in the Eastern African Region. ( visit website )
Theme: Challenges in Sustainable use of Natural Resource in Eastern Africa - Download Call for Papers 186KB.pdf
... (70 more chars) |
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Launch of Global City Indicators Facility
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Global City Indicators Program is a joint WB and
University of Toronto initiative that provides an established set of city
indicators .pdf with a globally standardized methodology that allows for global
comparability of city performance and knowledge sharing. Their website serves
all cities that become members to measure and report on a core set of indicators
through this web-based relational database.
Interested municipalities are invited to
cont... (45 more chars) |
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CEOS Land Surface Imaging (LSI) Constellation Portal
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) anounced this week the CEOS Land Surface Imaging (LSI) Constellation Portal.
The Portal was developed as part of an LSI Constellation cooperative project designed to enhance user access to data acquired by mid-resolution (10m to 100m), optical land surface imaging satellite systems operated by CEOS member agencies. The CEOS LSI Constellation seeks to promote the efficient, effective, and comprehensive... (353 more chars) |
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Read GEO News on the web
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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latest GEO News on the web
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) distributes a bulletin to the GEO community via e-mail on a regular basis. Many articles link to further information on the GEO web site, and each issue is archived there. This service is meant to increase the flow of information and ideas amongst GEO Members, Participating Organizations, Committees and Task teams. The first issue was published on January 22, 2009.
GEO News Issue #1 (January 2... (188 more chars) |
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Volkswagen Foundation "Our Common Future" conference
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Volkswagen Foundation " Our Common Future " conference
2-6 November 2010
Hanover and Essen , Germany
Call for applications: The Volkswagen Foundation intends to invite 100 promising young researchers (PhD candidates, research assistants, postdocs, junior research fellows, assistant and junior professors) from all over the world interested in and capable of contributing to the conference "Our Common Future." Funds will cover travel and accommodation e... (684 more chars) |
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Nigeria: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) sets up GIS
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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In an effort to make efficient its work in managing disaster across the country, the Nigeria: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has established a functional Geographic Information System (GIS) lab for Early Warning for disaster responses. The Director General of the Agency, AVM Muhammad Audu-Bida, said at the first 2009 Ministerial Press Briefing in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, the lab is one of the significant facilities of the ... (1174 more chars) |
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One hundred questions to conserve global biodiversity
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Conservation experts from 24 world-leading organisations including the WWF, Conservation International and Birdlife International have identified one hundred key scientific questions that, if answered, would help conserve global biodiversity. Scientists say if the questions are answered swiftly, it could stem massive biodiversity loss.
Some of the questions include: 'are there critical thresholds at which loss of biodiversity disrupts ecosystem functions and services?' and 'how effective... (16502 more chars) |
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Major boost in BIOTA-East geodata catalogue
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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A major update was carried out on the Geodata service of the BIOTA East Africa GIS . The catalogue now includes twice as many entries: more than 200 updated or new geodatasets and associated metadata regarding physical-geographic, demographic and administrative related data, topographic maps and aerial as well as satellite imagery are available for download. - BIOTA Africa
The most comprehensive updates took place for the hierarchical levels of 'Kakamega and the... (294 more chars) |
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Geospatial tools and data in HIV/AIDS program strengthening
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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During the Peace Corps HIV/AIDS-ICT Conference, Maseru, Lesotho February 2-6, 2009 - several presentations on geospatial technology looked at GIS as a tool. Topics revolved around the following presentations
Garmin Etrex GPS Introduction
Geospatial Tools and Data in HIV/AIDS Program Strengthening.pdf
Google Earth User Guide
Letsema Website
Mapping Booklet
Mapping Made Easy - Guide to HIV
Quantum GIS
Please Download Geo... (604 more chars) |
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Michael Palin will head Royal Geographical Society
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Geographers everywhere will note that ex-monte python star michael palin will soon (June 1st) serve as the president of the Royal Geographical Society ! - Palin has done travel television for much of the last 30 years since he was part of the groundbreaking comedy team Monty Python. Michael was quoted as saying, “Obviously it's a great honour to be president. I have been a great
supporter of geography, especially its teaching in schools. I think it
needs improvement. I feel it's a g... (159 more chars) |
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Update on Lagos (Nigeria) State Digital Mapping and GIS Project
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The increasing awareness in Lagos of the use of geographic information for planning and decision making led to the Lagos State Digital Mapping and GIS Project . The project was proposed by the Office of the Surveyor-General and later placed in the hands of a Technical Committee set up by His Excellency, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) and Chaired by the Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat. The project is divided into seven modules:
... (3492 more chars) |
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Participatory 3D Modelling in Bale, Ethiopia
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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A participatory 3D modeling exercise ( P3DM ) recently took place in Bale, Ethiopia for an area covering 1,575 sq. km.. The exercise took place in order to assist Bale communities in planning for a more sustainable and bio-culturaly diverse region. Read more PPgis Blog
Participatory
3-D models integrate people’s knowledge and conventional spatial
information like contour lines, to produce stand-alone scaled relief
models that have proved to be user-friendly... (232 more chars) |
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Geospatial Information Systems: Powerful Tools for Diplomacy and Development, U.S. State Department,
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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U.S. State Department, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser ( STAS )
Washington, DC
March 9, 2009
Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) are an increasingly vital resource for national security, development, public health, the environment, and other aspects of foreign policy. A GIS integrates remotely sensed satellite or aerial imagery, Global Positioning System (GPS) information, and many other kinds of geographically referenced data, using mapping software to create ... (992 more chars) |
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Past Megadroughts Dwarf Recent Drought in West Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Earth Observatory - Droughts far worse than the infamous Sahel drought of the 1970s and
1980s are within normal climate variation for sub-Saharan West Africa,
according to new research. For the first time, scientists have developed an almost year-by-year
record of the last 3,000 years of West African climate. In that period,
droughts lasting 30 to 60 years were common. Surprisingly, however,
these decades-long droughts were dwarfed by much more severe droughts
lasting three to four t... (234 more chars) |
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Assessment of Water Resources in Africa under Global Climate Variability
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Assessment of Water Resources in Africa under Global Climate Variability: Turning Science into Operations
TIGER partners invite African scientists, technical centres, and water authorities to prepare and submit projects proposals to participate in the Scientific Component of the second implementation period of the TIGER initiative (2009-2011): Assessment of Water Resources in Africa under Global Climate Variability: Turning Science into Operations. With this Announcement ... (790 more chars) |
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ESA extends its TIGER project
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
ESA kicked off the second phase of its TIGER initiative at the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. The initiative was extended at the request of African water authorities at the First African Water Week in Tunis last year. In Phase 1, nearly 100 researchers and water operators from more than 40 African countries received personalised training on the use of EO data through activities organised by the TIGER Capacity Building Facility, funded by ESA and hosted by the Interna... (1025 more chars) |
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Second UNCCD international photo contest
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
As part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness about the urgent need for action against desertification and land degradation, the UN is calling on all aspiring photographers to participate in its second international photo contest.
The UN Convention to Combat Desertification ( UNCCD ) is looking for images that artistically highlight either the efforts of people trying to conserve soil, land or water in drylands or the relationship between people and dryland ecosystems
... (143 more chars) |
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Predicting and coping with climate change in Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
For farmers in Africa, change is in the air. But, while many look to the
heavens for the change to be favourable, Dr. Kai Sonder, GIS (Geographic
Information Systems) expert at the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture, IITA in Ibadan, Nigeria, is using information relayed by satellites
stationed high above the earth, as well as outputs from global climate models,
to find answers to Africa's most pressing problems. Monitoring the trends in
rainfall a... (418 more chars) |
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Zimbabwe: cholera dynamics in space & time
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe and neighboring countries are reported during most years. However, 2008 marked the onset of a critical episode . Suspected cases of cholera in Zimbabwe were initially reported in August, but were not regularly reported until mid-November. The initial outbreaks occurred in the environs of Harare, but began to spread throughout the country until cases were reported in all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe and 55 of its 62 districts. In Addition, cases were reported in... (1560 more chars) |
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South Africa CSIR SAC new X-band antenna
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
CSIR SAC's new 7,3 m X-band antenna was inaugurated on 25 March 2009.
The X-band antenna satisfies the requirements of sensors that will be operational in the future. For the time being, it also allows more frequent acquisition of the SPOT 5 Earth observation data and access data which is freely available through agreements with South Africa's international partners, e.g. the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite; SAC-C, an international cooperative mission between NASA, the Arge... (2321 more chars) |
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Food, health and adaptation to climate change in East and Southern Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
http://apps.who.int/tdr/svc/grants/calls/innovative-ecosystem-management
The IDRC Ecosystem Approaches to Human Health Program
Initiative has announced a call for concept notes on food, health and adaptation
to climate change. Concept notes should entail research and capacity building
activities that use ecosystem approaches to human health to help understand and
address health vulnerabilities related to food and nutritional security or food
safety arising... (1230 more chars) |
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EUMETSAT-AMESD reception station inaugurated, Addis Ababa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
EUMETSAT-AMESD reception station inaugurated, Addis Ababa - Financed by the EU, AMESD aims to strengthen capacities in Africa to receive, process and analyse satellite data for monitoring the environment, with the objective of supporting decision-making processes and policies towards the sustained development of the African continent. Similar stations will be installed in the coming years in each of the 47 sub-Saharan African countries, to allow the African Union Member States to benefit... (1704 more chars) |
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NASA study predicted outbreak of deadly virus
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
NASA study predicted outbreak of deadly virus - An early warning system, more than a decade in development, successfully predicted the 2006-2007 outbreak of the deadly Rift Valley fever in northeast Africa, according to a new study led by NASA scientists. Rift Valley fever is unique in that its emergence is closely linked to interannual climate variability. Utilizing that link, researchers including Assaf Anyamba, a geographer and remote sensing scientist with the University of Maryland... (667 more chars) |
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RCMRD offers the following courses in geo-information
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
RCMRD offers the following upcoming courses in geo-information. The courses last between one week to three months:[ Calendar ]
• Introduction to Remote Sensing & Image Processing
• Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Introduction to Global Positioning Sytems (GPS)
• Basic Principles of Earth Observation (Remote Sensing - RS)
• Introduction to Spatial Analysis/3D analysis
• Mob... (928 more chars) |
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Excerpts from South Africa's National Space Policy
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Mandisi Mpahlwa launched the National Space Policy on March 6 2009 [ policy document.pdf 7.9 MB ], [ speech.pdf 150 KB ].
More about the speech - Mpahlwa said that the primary goal as a country is to acquire the appropriate space-based systems for wider socio-economic benefits.
South Africa National Space Policy: Co-operative Governance , p.11
Space-related activities in South Africa cut across all spheres of government and its agencies. This is a necessary fea... (3415 more chars) |
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Somalia: Flood Watch & Rainfall Forecasts
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Somalia: Rainfall Forecast PDF(360KB) issued 11 May 2009
Each cell on the map represents the forecasted accumulated rainfall over the next 3 days
For full forecast grid Download Here
Flood Watch Somalia: Flood Watch & Rainfall Forecast PDF(185KB) issued 12 May 2009
This bulletin is produced by the FAO Somalia Water and Land Information Management ( SWALIM ) Project, USGS and, FEWS NET Somalia .
For more information send an e-mail to hydro@fa... (47 more chars) |
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call for frends
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| Written by Daorotana |
| hi everybody
This is Raja a Malagasy student at the university of Madagascar.
Of you want to make a freind, please din't hesitat, send a message. |
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SDI Cookbook as wiki
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association ( GSDI ) has published the GSDI Cookbook in a wiki environment and would like to invite contributions to this resource from a broad community of geographic data providers and users. The GSDI Cookbook wiki provides background information to evaluate and implement existing components of SDI. The GSDI Cookbook includes topics on data development, visualization, discovery, standards, legal and economic issues, community building, and case s... (253 more chars) |
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Nigerians gaining experience in use of EO satellites
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Nigeria's first satellite imaging engineers received training at DMCii in Guildford, UK, to manage and process the images NigeriaSat-1 and the future NigeriaSat-2 and NX satellites upon their return to Nigeria.
DMCii also led a training team consisting of members of the International Charter for Space and Major disasters to train the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of Nigeria in activating the Charter. NEMA is the Charter authorised user in Nigeria who can request satellit... (271 more chars) |
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GeoInformation in Africa (GIRAF) 2009 workshop
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Update: Between 16 and 20 March 2009 , 97 participants from 26 African nations, plus four European countries, and representatives from UNESCO, ICSU and IUGS-CGI, held a workshop at the Namibian Geological Survey in Windhoek. The workshop – GIRAF 2009 – Geoscience InfoRmation In Africa – was organised by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and the Geological Survey of Namibia (GSN) at the Namibian Ministry for Mines and Energy and w... (1755 more chars) |
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Further delays for SumbandilaSat
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The launch of South African SumbandilaSat has been put back until the end of July 2009. In early January, the Department of Science and Technology signed the SumbandilaSat launch contract with Roscosmos, setting the launch date at 25 March 2009. This date was later postponed till May, but the latest is a further postponement till late July. No reasons have been given. However, rumors have it that one of the main payloads is delayed.
This R26 million, 81kg microsatellite will generate... (373 more chars) |
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USAID FEWS NET Weather Hazards Impacts Assessment
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
USAID FEWS NET Weather Hazards Impacts Assessment , 7-13 May 2009
Rainfall deficits continue over the Belg regions of Ethiopia. Compounded with a delayed start of season, a reduction of Belg harvests is expected across parts of Ethiopia. Water levels continue to slowly rise in the Caprivi Strip region. FEWS NET , is a USAID -funded activity whose purpose is to provide objective information about food security conditions. The FEWS NET weather hazards assessment process a... (425 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (May 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
|
The May 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 5) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about av... (871 more chars) |
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InVEST: Eastern Arc Mountains
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| InVEST is being applied in the Eastern Arc Mountains Tanzania to analyze life-support systems including water supply, carbon storage and sequestration, ecotourism, and non-timber and timber products. Working arrangements with Tanzanian university collaborators have been solidified and meetings with key decision-makers and international donors based in the region have been held. The major goal for this demonstration site is to provide a scientific basis for new programs in which local resident... (379 more chars) |
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InVEST: Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Which parts of a watershed provide the greatest carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and tourism values?
Where would reforestation or protection achieve the greatest downstream water quality benefits?
To answer such questions, the Natural Capital Project - a joint venture amongst the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, The Nature Conservancy, and World Wildlife Fund - developed a tool that can model and map the delivery, distribution, and economic value of life... (1475 more chars) |
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Monitoring biodiversity hotspots
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
BirdLife partners from nine countries met in Tunis to discuss progress of a major project to enhance monitoring of Africa’s biodiversity hotspots. Participants discussed conservation challenges facing 160 of the most critical biodiversity sites across the continent.
The project is seeking to support eight biodiversity-rich African countries to meet the Convention on Biological Diversity’s target to ‘achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodi... (960 more chars) |
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ITC refresher courses
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) offers a wide range of standard courses specifically designed to meet capacity
building requirements. These courses are conducted in the Netherlands or in the recipient's country or region. For more information about short tailor-made training courses, see Project Services , Contract training .
Sustainable Economic Development and Conditions for Land Administratio... (1582 more chars) |
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FEWS NET food security outlook
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network ( FEWS NET ) is a USAID-funded activity that provides timely and rigorous early warning and vulnerability information about emerging and evolving food security issues.
FEWS NET collaborates with and works through local, regional and international food security networks and partners to build consensus and develop local capacity to manage the risks of food insecurity. FEWS NET currently operates in 17 countries in Africa. Food security outlooks ... (1452 more chars) |
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OSM (Open Street Map) gets thousands of new miles in Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Open Street Maps datasets for the Congo, DRC, Tanzania, Sudan, Kenya, Burndi, and Rwanda are now available thanks to a bunch of folks from the FAO's Africover project and the UN's DEPHA . Roads, rivers, rails, and administrative boundaries were contributed as shapefiles, converted to the OSM data format using the open-source shp2osm tool. The new datasets can be seen in the OSM MapViewer ; go to www.openstreetmap.org and navigate to your region of intrest.
Tot... (458 more chars) |
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Deadly flooding in Namibia
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Earth Observatory - Heavy seasonal rains swelled the Zambezi River in southern Africa in March and April 2008. Water flowed from the flooded river, down the Bukalo Channel, and into the wetland shown in this image. The Advanced Land Imager on the EO-1 satellite acquired the image on April 19, 2009. While the river system floods seasonally, the floods of 2009 were more extensive than normal, causing thousands of evacuations.
... (202 more chars) |
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Threat and risk mapping analysis in Sudan
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| The Threat and Risk Mapping and Analysis (TRMA) project is supporting the establishment of a more effective mechanism for recovery and development planning throughout Sudan. The TRMA project takes a state-by-state approach, and works collaboratively with all UN agencies, (I)NGOs and National counterparts to systematically identify, geo-reference, digitize and consolidate existing baseline information relevant for recovery and development activities. This way, it helps provide a common platfor... (626 more chars) |
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Water resources in Africa: announcement of opportunity
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
TIGER partners invite African scientists, technical centres, and water authorities to prepare and submit projects proposals to participate in the Scientific Component of the second implementation period of the TIGER initiative (2009-2011): Assessment of Water Resources in Africa under Global Climate Variability: Turning Science into Operations. With this Announcement of Opportunity (AO), ESA plans to select a maximum of 20 projects which will be integrated into the TIGER Network a... (696 more chars) |
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Geospatial Infrastructure Handbook in Support of Census Activities
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The recently published Handbook on Geospatial Infrastructure in Support of Census Activities takes into account technological developments in the geographic information area. An official copy of the Handbook now is available on-line and set to be published in print form soon.
Technological developments in the geographic information area have been reflected in the recently adopted United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses, Revision ... (237 more chars) |
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NASA Images: a comprehensive collection
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| NASAimages.org is the most comprehensive compilation of NASA's new and historic imagery: photographs, film and video. Imagery can be explored, downloaded and embedded with new material being added on a regular basis. The Internet site has combined NASA imagery collections into a single, searchable online resource when it was launched in July, 2008. Since then, users have downloaded over 3.5 terabytes of information.
NASA selected Internet Archive , a non-profit digital library based in... (245 more chars) |
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Course - Ocean Colour Remote Sensing
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Coastal and marine environment plays a vital role in the economy and society of African countries. Within the last decade or two, however, the increasing rate of the urban population occupying a narrow coastal margin, the industrial development, and climate change has created negative trends on the coastal environment and marine resources. Any political commitments addressing a sustainable use of the coastal and marine environment in Africa require the development ... (836 more chars) |
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Travel grant opportunity to attend AfricaGIS 2009
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The ISPRS Foundation is seeking applications from individuals wishing to obtain travel assistance from the “Trust Fund Amsterdam 2000” (administered by the ISPRS Foundation) to participate in the AfricaGIS International Conference , which will be held in Kampala, Uganda, from 26 to 30 October 2009. Deadline for receipt of applications: 10 July 2009 .
Applicants should read the preamble and complete the application ( pdf ) at the ISPRS website .
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Flooding - Namibia and the Caprivi Strip
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
At least 350,000 people were affected by flooding in Namibia during the annual rainy season in southern Africa in March 2009. According to a report from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, at least 92 people had been killed and 13,000 people were displaced as of April 1.
Among the places affected by the heaviest rains and most severe
flooding was the Caprivi Strip, a narrow “peninsula” of Namibia that
stretches out along the ... (933 more chars) |
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WhereCampAfrica is Coming
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
For those interested in geospatial technologies in Africa, WhereCampAfrica is the unconference for software developers, artists, geographers and academics, anyone can show up and registration is Free
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Geospatial web services and cross-boundary information sharing during disasters
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
From Earthzine : During a disaster, everyday lives are thrown into chaos as once-remote and generalized risks crescendo into a flurry of immediate, specific and often unforeseen and life-threatening risks that are almost unimaginable during everyday life. Physical boundaries and familiar landscapes fast-forward into crazy and broken new forms, and normal personal and institutional roles, relationships and behaviors change suddenly.
We can’t avoid most disasters, but we can reduce... (256 more chars) |
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GEONETcast for Natural & Water Resources Management
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
GEONETcast for Natural & Water Resources Management - Pre-conference
workshop Africa GIS 2009, 22-24 October 2009, Makarere University, Department of
Geography, Kampala, Uganda
This workshop will help to bring participants up to speed with recent
developments with respect to the GEONETCast data dissemination and ground
receiving system, freeware toolbox to import the data, associated
(multi-temporal) modelling and GIS applications. Furthermore it will stimulate
... (753 more chars) |
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UNDP launching a US$ 92.1 million Climate Change Adaptation Programme
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
UNDP is launching a US$ 92.1 million Climate Change Adaptation
Programme for the African continent, titled 'Supporting Integrated and
Comprehensive Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation in Africa' .
Under this Programme supported by the Government of Japan, UNDP will
assist 21 countries across the African continent in incorporating
climate change risks and opportunities into national development
processes to secure development gains under a changing climate.
The Programme aims to... (1970 more chars) |
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System architecture for Earth observation data centre
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The objective of the South African Earth Observation System (SAEOS) is to coordinate the collection, assimilation and dissemination of Earth observations, in order that their full potential to support policy, decision-making, economic growth and sustainable development in South Africa may be realised.
Read More , System architecture for Earth observation data centre
[Source: Position IT, Jan/Feb 2009, Dr. Corné Eloff, CSIR SAC ]
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|
2009 African Union Scientific Awards
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The African Union Commission is promoting its 2009 Scientific Awards ( more information ) in recognition of the importance of the development of science in Africa. With three categories of awards - the AU Young Scientist National Award, the AU Women Scientist Regional Award and the AU Scientific Award - the 2009 programme will celebrate achievements made by African scientists in national, regional and continental contexts. With significant financial rewards attached to each prize, the AUC... (740 more chars) |
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Two GEONETCast short courses prior to IGARSS '09
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| Written by Kate Lance |
|
Prior to the 2009 IEEE International Symposium on Geoscience and Remote Sensing (Earth observation - origins and applications from 13-17 July 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa), two GEONETCAST short courses will be taught:
GEONETCast and the monitoring of African marine ecosystems
Presenters: V. Byfield, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom and S. Bernard, CSIR, Stellenbosch, South Africa
GEONETCast and Water Security
Presenters: T. Woldai, B. Maathu... (224 more chars) |
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Statement from the 23rd Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| From 2 to 4 March 2009, the 23rd Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 23) was convened in Mombasa, Kenya by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre ( ICPAC ) and other partners to formulate consensus guidance for the March to May 2009 rainfall season over the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA) sub region comprising of Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Users from health, disaster risk management, agriculture and food s... (797 more chars) |
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GMES Africa: Kick-off workshop
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| The Kick-off workshop of the drafting exercise for the "GMES Africa Action Plan" is being hosted on the JRC-Ispra site from 9 to 12 March 2009. The Plan aims at jointly defining with the African stakeholders the strategy and the priorities for the next 10 years to provide, on a sustained basis, reliable and timely Earth observation-based information services related to environmental and security issues in support to policy makers’ needs. The workshop is organized under the auspices of the... (388 more chars) |
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Monthly Climate Data Update
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
FSAU is pleased to announce the release of a new improved Monthly Climate Data Update, which is produced in collaboration with FEWSNET, SWALIM and MARS-JRC. New in this revised edition are the following:
Dekadal, monthly and long-term rain gauge data from stations across Somalia. This is helpful for triangulation with satellite data (page 1 & 3)
Improved seasonal analysis based on crop-specific Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and modeled ra... (767 more chars) |
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Global Land Cover Network portal is up
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Global Land Cover Network team is pleased to announce the launch of the new GLCN portal, which can be found at the Here GLCN.org . This website, together with the AFRICOVER one, represents a source of essential materials, insights, and expertise on land cover-related topics.
Publications , tools and data on GLCN activities are accessible to visitors by browsing the numerous dedicated sections available at the site: The Activities section collects global, regional and... (1053 more chars) |
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Russian earth observation KANOPUS satellite platform
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Russian Space Agency plans to launch a series of KANOPUS Earth
observation satellites, with the first two due for launch at the end of
2009/early 2010.
KANOPUS-V is being developed for Russia and will record abnormal
phenomena to study the possibility of earthquake prediction as well as
monitoring agriculture, water and coastal resources. The satellite will
carry a Russian-built 2.1m panchromatic imager plus a 10.5m
multispectral imager. [ read more ]
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Planetary Skin collaborative platform to capture and analyze data
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
A cooperative partnership between NASA and Cisco - Planetary Skin ( press release ) proposes a unifying approach to monitoring, measuring,
and managing rural environments, rural to urban interconnects, and
urban environments - assimilating disparate and siloed data sets held in public and private enterprise resource for greater enviornmental monitoring and management ( whitepaper ).
Cisco and NASA will kick off Planetary Skin with a series of pilot
projects, includin... (1834 more chars) |
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2008 USGS Africa Remote Sensing Study released
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The USGS contracted Global Marketing Insights to conduct a research study of the
Africa remote sensing market as it relates to aerial and satellite data
technologies. Global Marketing Insights created a series of extensive on-line
surveys encompassing trends impacting the remote sensing industry as well as
application usage, and data needs concerning aerial film, aerial digital, aerial
sensors and satellite data. These surveys were completed between January 2008
and January 2009.... (1110 more chars) |
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Short Stay Scholarships for Young Africans
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| Written by Administrator |
|
I'm writing to enquire about the Short Stay Scholarships for Young Africans. I realised that the deadline for submitting applications is 15th of this month, but there is no address or e-mail contacts given to which applications should be admitted. Dioes anyone have any idea how I can get the addresses?
[Reponse.... try this link: http://www.coimbra-group.eu/hospitality/doc-hospitality/2009/Africa%20Brochure%202009.pdf
For further information please contact Mrs Anna Qu... (268 more chars) |
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3D Remote Sensing Provides Ecosystem Management Answers in Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| The African savanna is world famous for its wildlife, especially the iconic large herbivores such as elephants, zebras, and giraffes. But managing these ecosystems and balancing the interests of the large charismatic mammals with those of other species has been a perpetual challenge for park and game mangers. Now a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports the successful test of new remote-sensing technology to monitor the impact of management decisions ... (42 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (March 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
|
The March 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 3) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about ... (873 more chars) |
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Development of Kamal Ewida Earth Observatory in Cairo, Egypt
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| A facility modeled after Purdue University's Terrestrial Observatory that will be used to provide early warning and mitigate the effects of disasters such as epidemics, famine and flooding will be built in Egypt as part of a NATO-funded effort. NATO is funding the project through its Science for Peace and Security program, which creates partnerships among alliance countries and Eastern European or so-called Mediterranean Dialogue nations - a forum of cooperation between seven countries centere... (1344 more chars) |
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CGIAR-Consortium for Spatial Information Annual Meeting, Nairobi, Kenya
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
With the theme “Mapping our Future 2009-2014: Collective Action and Advocacy to Improve Spatial Solutions for Sustainable Development” , the event will gather CSI representatives from all CGIAR centers as well as key technology and development partners to formulate the vision for accelerated and enhanced role of geospatial data and technologies in alleviating poverty and hunger and accelerating development across sub-Saharan Africa. The meeting will also showcase geospatial ... (229 more chars) |
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GEO requests proposals: Earth Observations in Decision Support Projects
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Earth Observations in Decision Support Projects ( pdf 148 KB ) Concept proposals Due: 4 June 2009 .
This Call for Proposals ( CFP ) seeks project proposals to apply Earth observations to improve policy and management decisions. The CFP has a strong interest in indentifying projects focused on helping end users in developing countries apply Earth observations. The CFP also seeks to identify individuals and organizations interested in serving as advisors to projec... (99 more chars) |
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Short Stay Scholarships for Young Africans
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Coimbra Group Scholarship Programme for young African researchers aims to enable scholars to undertake research for a short research period (generally 1 to maximum 3 months) in which they are engaged in their home institution, at a selected Coimbra Group university, and to help them establish academic and research contacts. The following Coimbra Group universities are participating in the 2009-2010 edition of the scheme:
University of Aarhus ( Denmark )
University o... (1034 more chars) |
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UNEP & Microsoft announce plans to use technology in solving environmental issues
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The United Nations Environment Programme ( UNEP ) and Microsoft Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to assist on leveraging Information and communication technology ( ICT ) solutions to help address today's complex environmental challenges.
The signing took place on Tuesday during UNEP's 25th session of the Governing Council and Global Ministerial Environment Forum on the theme "Globalization and the Environment", held at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya , and atte... (1551 more chars) |
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Climate change in West Africa: Sahelian adaptation strategies
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| While Africa produces less than 4% of worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is considered the world’s most vulnerable region with regard to the effects of climate change due to the fragility of its economies. Like all other regions, West Africa must take-up this challenge – essentially that of vulnerability and uncertainty. In addition to the analysis of the climate change impacts and a presentation of some adaptation strategies developed by agricultural producers in the Sa... (211 more chars) |
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GPStogo: GPS donation for/from OpenStreetMap
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| GPStogo is a scheme for providing GPS receivers, for the purpose of contributing to OSM, to people in developing countries where the cost is otherwise prohibitively expensive.
The OpenStreetMap Foundation, who are the operators of this scheme, aims to lend GPS units, on a long-term basis, to suitably qualified people in any developing country.
The initial goal is to purchase one GPS unit per month and loan it for a minimum period of 6 months to individuals in developing countries w... (2763 more chars) |
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Africa’s climb to an Internet revolution
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Bandwith to Africa is expected to grow dramatically as the continent is gaining internet connectivity faster than any other region in the world. Despite the high cost of internet access in Africa, the SAT-3/WASC cable system has seen some price decline recently, thanks to a competitive strategy of linking new submarine cable systems to the continent. This effort is currently being spearheaded by the TEAMS, EASSy, and SEACOM initiatives that are part of a joint project amongst several countri... (1012 more chars) |
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Nigeria Geospatial Network
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
The Network integrates Nigeria's Geo-Experts who are using the dynamic power of Spatial Technology in sustaining our environment. The Nigeria Geospatial Network discusses present day topics on NGDIs, metadata, GIScience, GNSS, satellite remote sensing, buisness GIS, geomarketing, geodesy. Members share ideas and create rooms for Geo-professionals to know one another, discuss ideas, and build a dynamic Geospatial community in Nigeria. Place a link to the Nigeria Geospatial Network on your W... (161 more chars) |
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WhereCampAfrica 2009
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
|
Registration for WhereCampAfrica 2009 now is open at www.wherecampafrica.org .
WhereCamp is the free unconference for geogeographers, mobile location experts and social cartographers and all kinds of folks interested in place. An unconference is a conference planned by the participants. After a morning plenary to help frame the discussion, everyone convenes together, plans sessions, and has break-outs into sessions (i.e., the event is community driven and is what you make ... (565 more chars) |
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Massive diamond find perplexes Jwaneng planners (Botswana)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| This a classic case of what happens when spatial data in a country is not shared, but is instead kept under lock and key in different government offices, private organisations. Millions have been wasted on servicing land for residential development (for roads, storm water drainage, water pipes and electricity connections), only to find that there are diamonds beneath. As the Mmegi newspaper reports , the new diamond discovery issue is now pitting the Ministries of Local Government, Lands and ... (738 more chars) |
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Kenya: Atlas of Our Changing Environment
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Kenya’s chances of realizing its 2030 vision will depend increasingly on the way the country manages its natural or nature-based assets, a new satellite-based atlas concludes. Many of these economic assets are coming under rising pressure: from shrinking tea-growing areas to disappearing lakes, increasing loss of tree cover in water catchments and proliferating mosquito breeding grounds, environmental degradation is taking its toll on Kenya’s present and future development oppor... (1367 more chars) |
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Roadmap for a new version of World Atlas on Desertification
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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JRC’s Action DESERT is co-ordinating jointly with the United Nations' Environmental Programme (UNEP) the compilation of a new World Atlas Land Degradation, Desertification and Drought. The previous World Atlas of Desertification (2nd edition) was published in 1997.
As a kick-off to this initiative, IES' Action DESERT supported by Action SOIL , organised an Expert Meeting. It was held from 3-5 December 2008 in Ranco, Italy and gathered 25 leading experts from around the wor... (666 more chars) |
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Weather-index agriculture insurance being introduced in Kenya
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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From: Business Daily Africa
Kenya is on the verge of rolling out crop and livestock insurance products that will see farmers compensated for crop failure or animal deaths arising from bad weather. The plan means that even in situation of crop failure, farmers who will have taken the insurance will be compensated, cushioning them from adverse food shortage situation. The first of the agricultural insurance products will be rolled out in March 2009 by particular insurers, says Micha... (1099 more chars) |
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Free online access to selected remote sensing papers
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Celebrating the International Journal of Remote Sensing’s 30th Anniversary, the publishers are providing free online access to the 6 top cited articles from 2007- 2008 and 6 review articles.
* Free online access , limited time only, till 12-31-2009
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Alsat-1 still going and going; Alsat-2B coming 2009
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Article : Alsat-1, the first SSTL satellite of the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC) and the catalyst of Algeria’s fledgling space programme, remains healthy and fully operational after its sixth year in orbit. Alsat-1 image of TunisNow, having exceeded its original 5 year schedule ( 5th birthday in November 2007 ), Alsat-1 is more than 12 months into extended mission. The satellite engineers say that this remarkable extension was mainly accomplished through careful battery man... (2500 more chars) |
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NASRDA's commercial arm for imagery & services
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), under the Federal Ministry of Science and Tecnology, is tasked with implementing the National Space Policies for Nigeria. Effective Jan. 1, 2009 , the name of NASRDA' s commercial company - NigeriaSat Imageries & Consultancy Services, Ltd - has been changed to GeoApps Plus Ltd to reflect the branding and focus of the company as a geo-spatial solutions provider. This company is charged with marketing of Nigeria satellite... (287 more chars) |
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New satellite techniques for looking at climate change
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Dr Ridha Touzi, a Senior Research Scientist at the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing , is working in collaboration with Parks Canada to use the polarimetric mode aboard Radarsat-2 to map and monitor the wetlands in the Wapusk National Park. Using the Convair 580 airborne SAR , he demonstrated that polarimetric data could distinguish fens from bogs in the Mer Bleu wetlands near Ottawa, Canada. Fens and bogs are two classes of wetlands, present in northern regions. The water level in f... (827 more chars) |
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Better plans needed to anticipate food crisis in Kenya
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Ten million people could go hungry in Kenya after harvests failed because of drought. The government has declared a national emergency, requested support from international aid agencies, diverted money from development projects to food aid, and has used up its reserves. Amid the crisis a University of Nairobi researcher specialising in climate change, Professor Richard Odingo has suggested that this could have been averted with better planning.
[article: Research for Development B... (127 more chars) |
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Travel Grant for GEOSS forest carbon monitoring workshop & ISRSE'09
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The ISPRS Foundation is seeking applications from individuals from developing countries, particularly in Africa, wishing to obtain travel assistance from the ISPRS Foundation to attend the GEOSS Workshop ‘Towards a Global Forest Carbon Monitoring System’ and the International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment to be held in Stresa, Italy 3rd – 8th May 2009. Successful applicants are required to attend the workshop and the symposium.
Deadline: February 28, 2009... (321 more chars) |
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Historical imagery now in Google Earth
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Google Earth 5.0 released Feb 2, 2009 - (a little birdie told me this was coming) Improvements and updates are significant: it's now possible to slip beneath the sea surface for a submarine go-around, to view historical imagery, and to record personal tours with a handy path-movie creator. Toolbars have changed slightly and the overall theme is clean and concise.
See Release Notes , Download GE5.0 , Visit Earth.google.com
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'08 global temperatures compared
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The map above shows global temperature anomalies in 2008 compared to the 1950-1980 baseline period. Below-average temperatures are shown in blue, average temperatures are white, and above-average temperatures are red. (Gray indicates no data.) Most of the world was either near normal or warmer than normal. Eastern Europe, Russia, the Arctic, and the Antarctic Peninsula were exceptionally warm (1.5 to 3.5 degrees Celsius above average). The temperature in the United States in 2008 was... (197 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (February 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The February 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 2) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details abo... (876 more chars) |
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GEO News Issue #1 (January 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) plans to distribute a bulletin to the GEO community via e-mail on a regular basis. Many articles will link to further information on the GEO web site, and each issue will be archived there. This new service is meant to increase the flow of information and ideas amongst GEO Members, Participating Organizations, Committees and Task teams.
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CODIST Pre-Conference Workshop: enlisting mapping agencies in fight against HIV/AIDS
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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CODIST Pre-Conference Workshop Enlisting National Mapping Agencies in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS: Building Partnerships with Ministries of Health & Social Services and National AIDS Commissions , April 27, 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
You are cordially invited to the first-ever combined workshop between National Mapping Agencies (NMAs) and national health sector leadership on the African continent. Held in conjunction with the United Nations sponsored Committee on Development Informatio... (1088 more chars) |
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SaveEarthGame Contest
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Website This worldwide computer game competition is designed to raise global public awareness of Earth observations, particularly amongst students. Participants are invited to either generate a concept for a computer game or, for those with programming skills, to actually create a playable game design. The entry deadline for the game concept contest is 10 April 2009 , and the judging will take place in May. The competition is being organized by the IEEE Committee on Earth Observations and ot... (244 more chars) |
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ERDAS announces a free webinar
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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ERDAS announces ERDAS IMAGINE 9.3…IMAGINE the Possibilities, a free webinar on February 3, 2009 at 11 a.m. (EST).
Each month, ERDAS is offering at least two different webinar topics. In addition to a live presentation and demonstration, each webinar also includes the opportunity for customers to interact directly with the presenters. Scheduled to last forty-five minutes, each webinar will include approximately thirty minutes of presented material and... (184 more chars) |
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New approaches for estimating carbon stocks
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The Woods Hole Research Center's Africa Program is currently running a project called the Protected Area Watch for the Albertine Rift (PAWAR) , with the general goal of promoting the development and use of remote sensing information in conservation policy analysis and decision making. With this objective in mind, the Woods Hole Research Center conducted a multi-day workshop from November 12th to November 14th, 2008, at the Kaniyo Pabidi Ecotourism Site located in the Budongo Forest Reser... (793 more chars) |
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Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Geoinformation Science launched in Rwanda
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The National University of Rwanda (NUR) through its Centre for Geo-Information Science (CGIS) and in partnership with the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) , the Netherlands, launched the Post Graduate Diploma Programme (PGD) in Geo-information Science as part of Education program at NUR. The launching ceremony took place on Tuesday, the 27th January 2009 at the School of Public Health, Kicukiro, Kigali. The degree programme is expected to p... (709 more chars) |
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Satellites help locate water in Niger
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Like most sub-Saharan African countries, Niger faces problems meeting its water needs. As part of ESA’s TIGER initiative, satellite data are being used to identify surface and underground water resources in the drought-prone country. Due to the rainfall variability in time and in space, during recent years the rain-fed agriculture struggles to meet the requirements of food security in the Sahel area.
ESA’s WADE (Water resources Assessment using SAR in Desert and arid lands in Wes... (1400 more chars) |
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Mapping patterns of Earth's warming
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Dr. John Christy at the Global Hydrology and Climate Center has produced a map of Earth's climate changes since December 1, 1978. The map doesn't show a uniform global warming, but reveals a pattern where the planet has become: Hot at the top, cold at the bottom and varying degrees of warm in the middle.
Read More View of Map
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SumbandilaSat science satellite launch
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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South Africa : Date set for Sumbandila satellite launch , The date for the launch of the much-anticipated SumbandilaSat micro satellite has been set for 25 March by the Department of Science and Technology .
The Sumbandila, a low-orbit satellite which will collect data to be used to monitor and manage disasters such as floods, oil spills and fires within Southern Africa, will be launched into space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The Satellite Application Ce... (1134 more chars) |
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Call for applications: Workshop in Geospatial Analysis for MDGs
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Announcement - A Workshop in Geospatial Analysis for Attaining the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development
The Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) of The Earth Institute at Columbia University is now accepting applications for participation in a five-day training workshop in geospatial data analysis techniques for population and demographic research focused on attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and sustainable developmen... (2483 more chars) |
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South Africa gets own space agency
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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In December 2008, South African President Kgalema Motlanthe signed a bill into law that will create South Africa’s own national space agency ( SANSA ) in 2009. The National Space Agency Act will unify all of the country's space-related activities under one banner. The Act will provide for the establishment of a national space agency to implement a space program in South Africa. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) said the agency would promote the peaceful use of outer ... (1149 more chars) |
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Where did GIS come from?
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Where did Geographic Information Systems come from? Why did we need them to begin with? Why were computers finally used for mapping? These questions all have something to do with the early history of the Canadian Geographic Information System (the first computerized GIS in the world), and a man named Roger Tomlinson . "In the early 1960s, Tomlinson Et al . were asked to produce a map for site-location analysis in an East African nation" with this challenge Tomlinson was inspired to explor... (403 more chars) |
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Launching of AMESD activities in Indian Ocean Commission region
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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On January 20-21 January 2009, the Indian Ocean Commission ( IOC ) and the Mauritius Oceanography Institute held a workshop in Mauritius for the launching of the project African Monitoring of Environment for Sustainable Development ( AMESD ), which included a presentation of the IOC project on Adaptation to climate change. The IOC has the lead for EO-data production and dissemination services for the marine resources thematic area. See workshop agenda and participant list.
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Southern Africa to see solar eclipse
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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On Monday morning, January 26th, a few lucky people in the Indian Ocean will be treated to a rare event when a full, annular solar eclipse will transform the Sun into a dark disc with a blazing ring-shaped corona around its rim. A partial, antumbral eclipse will be seen within the much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southern third of the African continent and Madagascar.
In solar eclipses , the Moon moves between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow on th... (906 more chars) |
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Open source GIS and Remote Sensing in Integrated Water Resources Management
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Course to cover a) Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing, b) Data preparation and processing using open source GIS, and c) Remote Sensing in Integrated Water Resources Management, January 26 - February 3, 2009, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
To be held at : Bahir Dar University in collaboration with the Ethiopian Water Partnership and the Regional Nile IWRM-Net. Targeted countries are Nile Basin countries: Burundi, D.R Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania and Uga... (44 more chars) |
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2008 worldwide temperature map
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Calendar year 2008 was the coolest year since 2000, according to the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) analysis of worldwide temperature measurements, but it was still in the top ten warmest years since the start of record-keeping in 1880. Given the range of uncertainty in the measurements, the GISS team concluded that 2008 was somewhere between the seventh and the tenth warmest year on record. (The 10 warmest years have all occurred within the 12-year period from 1997-... (76 more chars) |
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Poor harvest image of Kenya
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Ten million people could face hunger in Kenya after a poor harvest - in
late 2007 and early 2008, post-election violence tore through Kenya,
affecting much of the grain basket region. In many regions, farmers
evacuated to camps and did not return until late April. By then, it was
too late... violence resulted in a smaller harvest in the east, while
drought reduced the harvest in the west. Full article and Map of conditions
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Digital soil map for Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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All farmers in Africa will soon access free information on the nutritional condition of their farming soils. An abililty to decide upon amounts and types of fertilisers will soon be provided thorough soil maps and weather integration made possible by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa .
“The main problem facing our farmers on fertiliser use is lack of information on how to use the products. This initiative will help... (385 more chars) |
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Ecological Circuits (Issue 1/2008)
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Ecological Circuits , published as a supplement to the October 2008 issue of the South African GIS journal PositionIT , includes the articles listed below. This publication from the South African Environmental Observation Network ( SAEON ) aims to share knowledge on the various information management initiatives in ecology, environmental science, agriculture, and associated sciences. The issue proved to be so successful that a second issue is in the pipeline.
... (1228 more chars) |
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Agriculture & GIS course: Bamako, Mali
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Course: Decision Support Systems, Experimental Design and Analysis of Data - April 20-24, 2009 , Bamako, Mali
This training program will enable those engaged in agricultural research and extension services to improve their ability to use geographic information systems ( GIS ) and modeling tools to collect, analyze, and employ soil, weather, and market information in systems that generate site and crop specific soil nutrient recommendations. The course will improve participant s... (438 more chars) |
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URISA 3rd Annual Student Paper Competition
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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URISA Third Annual Student Paper Competition
The Urban and Regional Information Systems Association ( URISA ) is sponsoring its third annual student paper competition. The objective of the competition is to challenge undergraduate and postgraduate students to demonstrate development and effective use of information systems in both their field of study and the community. The competition is open to all eligible students but particularly those interested in careers using geographic inform... (220 more chars) |
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Wildlife Without Borders - Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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By raising the human and institutional capacity for wildlife conservation throughout Africa, the WWB-Africa program meets a growing demand for non-traditional skills and approaches to conservation. Additionally, the program provides support to build capacity to mitigate the impact of extractive industries, climate change, human / wildlife conflict, illegal trade in bushmeat, and/or wildlife disease in and around protected areas. Target audiences include: wildlife managers, guards, rangers,... (802 more chars) |
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2nd DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference: Biodiversity and society
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference : ( information pdf )
Theme: Biodiversity and society: understanding connections, adapting to change
13-16 October 2009
Cape Town, South Africa
The conference is entirely dedicated to biodiversity science and its connections to human sciences. In keeping with the Conference title, scientists worldwide are invited to submit proposals for symposia on the following topics:
Strengthening biodiversity scien... (215 more chars) |
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Workshop on GeoInformation in Africa (GIRAF), Windhoek, Namibia
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Workshop on GeoInfoRmation in Africa ( GIRAF ), 16-20 March 2009 , Windhoek, Namibia
Spatial information on geology, hydrogeology/water, soil, natural hazards and energy resources is an important asset for Africa - it is essential for groundwater protection and extraction, for mineral exploration, for the assessment of soil quality and thus for growing crops, for mitigating the threat of natural hazards and desertification. It provides invaluable information for land use pl... (741 more chars) |
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W3C Workshop to explore role of mobile technologies for development
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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( Event Website ) Africa Perspective on the Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social and Economic Development, 1-2 April 2009 , Maputo, Mozambique
The World Wide Web Consortium ( W3C ) invites participation in a public Workshop on the Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social and Economic Development in Africa in Maputo, Mozambique, on 1-2 April 2009. The Ministry of Science and Technology of the Government of Mozambique will host this Workshop. Participants will... (1006 more chars) |
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GIS for fisheries and aquaculture – advanced seminar
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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( website ) Use of GIS for Fisheries and Aquaculture Planning and Management, 8-19 June 2009 , Zaragoza, Spain
The seminar addresses the use of spatial tools, specifically GIS, remote sensing and mapping for fisheries and aquaculture planning and management. The seminar provides the foundation for understanding what GIS is, what it can do, and how others are using it. The basic functions of a GIS are addressed, as well as the reasons why a GIS database is powerful, what coordinate sy... (1023 more chars) |
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Space program expenditures: historically high
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Euroconsult ( an independent investment banking firm) indicates in a press release that more than $62 billion dollars were spent on space programs worldwide during 2008; furthermore, during the coming years, participation both civil and strategic will increase despite a shrinking financial climate. Developing a program will require the need to discover "the right balance between strategic national interests and partnerships opportunities; and defining a new international framework that ... (991 more chars) |
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South Africa to publish carbon-storage atlas
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Several carbon-heavy South African corporates have thrown their collective weight behind a R2-million initiative to develop a so-called ‘South African Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Storage Atlas'. The project, which is backed by Sasol, Eskom, PetroSA, Anglo American and the South African National Energy Research Institute (Saneri), will use existing geological information to identify potential sites for the possible future storage of CO2. The Council for Geoscience and the Petroleum Agency So... (915 more chars) |
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community responsabilities facing climate changes
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| Written by DJENONTIN André Jonas |
| north benin people accepted and recognize their responsabilities to contribute to the climate changes |
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Remote sensing signatures for African tropical forest species
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Tropical rain forests are treasure houses of biodiversity, but there has been no effective way to inventory and monitor their plant species over large areas. As a result, we have limited understanding of how climate change, clearing, invasive plants, and other threats are affecting these delicate ecosystems. A major advance in improving this situation is in the works, however. Gregory Asner of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology was just awarded a $1.8 million grant... (784 more chars) |
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Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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25-27 February 2009 , Mombasa, Kenya : The IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre ( ICPAC ) in collaboration with other partners are organizing the Twenty Third Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF 23) to be held within the framework of the USAID/OFDA supported project on “Climate Prediction and Applications for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Greater Horn of Africa (GHA)” that is coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The foru... (1892 more chars) |
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Groundwater resources & GNSS workshop
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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1st Workshop of “Development and Application of Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS) Methodology for Groundwater Resource Assessment” project , 16 January 2009 , Hermanus, South Africa Umvoto Africa, in collaboration with Overstrand Municipality and Department of Land Affairs, South Africa will hold its first workshop of the project on “Development and Application of Global Navigational Satellite Systems (GNSS) Methodology for Groundwater Resource Assessment&rdqu... (999 more chars) |
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GEO-Africa: dedicated space observation for Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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GEO-Africa is the name of a dedicated African Space Observatory new mission, conceived by EADS Astrium, to be proposed to African authorities as a new dedicated satellite sensing source to be owned and operated by African authorities. GEO-Africa is a top level sensing capacity imaging from geostationary orbit and permitting the sensing of up to 100 scenes of 300*300 km per day with a possible total coverage of Africa every 4 days, land and coastal. It offers a flexible daily sensing prog... (1310 more chars) |
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Water resources in developing countries conference
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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International Center for Theoretical Physics ( Trieste , Italy)
The purpose of this conference is to bring together the world's leading experts in hydrology and climate science to provide lectures on the state-of-the-art science on this topic, with the goal of transferring knowledge of hydrological modeling from humid regions to semi-arid regions. We will explore how to use these techniques in developing countries that may be data-sparse environments, and where fast... (1523 more chars) |
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AGCommons project supporting small holder farmers
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Recognizing the importance of geospatial information to agriculture decision making and the inadequate access to data, tools, and analyses, especially in Africa, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation initiated a geospatial technology program focusing on small holder farmers. The AGCommons Program is under the administrative oversight of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). CGIAR, in partnership with CH2M HILL and ITC, will design and develop a comprehensive ... (1305 more chars) |
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Geographic Names Working Group Nairobi
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names will host a collection of working groups at the United Nations facilities in Nairobi, Kenya from 5 to 12 May 2009. The working group will focus on materials... field collection of names; names and maps; gazetteers and/or databases. A Toponymy training course will be available prior to the 25th United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UMGEGN)
Contact:
toponymy@geo.uu.nl.
... (1460 more chars) |
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Latest SDI-Africa newsletter (January 2009)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The January 2009 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 1) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details abou... (875 more chars) |
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Launch of African Soil Information Service (AfSIS)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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There is a need for accurate, up-to-date and spatially referenced soil information. This need has been expressed by the modelling community, land users, and policy and decision makers. This need coincides with a enormous leap in technologies that allow for accurately collecting and predicting soil properties.
The Digital Soil Mapping project proposes to make a new digital soil map of the world using state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for soil mapping and predicting soil... (2290 more chars) |
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Lake Chad Basin Commission advancing geospatial data infrastructure
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| The Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) acquired assistance from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP and The World Bank to move forward the program of “Reversal of Land and Water Degradation Trends in the Lake Chad Ecosystem”. Together with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) executed the project through the International Waters Unit of its Europe Regional Office (EUO) at Copenhagen, Denmark. The project cost was $9.6 mi... (1673 more chars) |
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Artificial light causing night time stresses to coral reefs
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
| Light could be risky to coral reefs. Researchers have discovered that "night lighting from cities, gas flares and light-induced fisheries can have direct and in-direct effects on marine organisms." Utilizing the Operational Linescan System (OLS) operated by NOAA , scientists have sought to introduce a Lights Proximity Index . The ability to easily visualize regions particularly subjected to artificial light at night can be valuable to identify degraded sites requiring immediate restoration act... (287 more chars) |
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University Buea (Cameroon) Remote Sensing Centre goes operational
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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This scientific and academic jewel is the fruit of cooperation project and collaboration between the University of Buea (UB) and University of Ghent, Belgium. Volcanologist and Researcher, Dr. Gerald Ernst of the Department of Geology and Soil Science, University of Ghent, the brain behind the Remote Sensing Centre in UB explained what it is all about. "We shall be doing satellite observations of the environment of the volcano and monitor changes on the volcano so that we can be better pre... (1352 more chars) |
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Call for papers: IJGIS Special Issue in Spatial Ecology
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Spatial Ecology is a rapidly developing field, but remains rather diffuse across a wide range of international journals, including disciplines devoted to the spatial sciences, as well as ecology, forestry, agriculture, environmental management, geography, global change, etc. For this special issue of International Journal of Geographical Information Science (IJGIS) , the editors are seeking the submission of papers from ecological and related environmental studies, as well as more techni... (397 more chars) |
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Global accessibility/travel-time map
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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A new global map released today by the Joint Research Centre and published in the World Bank’s World Development Report 2009 measures urbanisation in the new perspective of Travel Time to 8,500 Major Cities. The map fills an important gap in our understanding of economic, physical and even social connectivity.
In the absence of agreement on the meaning of "urbanisation", the European Commission and the World Bank are proposing a new definition based on a unique mapping of “Acce... (1314 more chars) |
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Putting Africa on the map
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Journalist J.M. Ledgard, an eastern Africa correspondent for The Economist, foresees that 2009 will be the year of the map in Africa:
"Not just street directions uploaded to mobile phones for the befuddled, although that will be a blessing on a continent where often the only address is a post-office box, but internet maps galore, most of them available to the public. This will do more than any political initiative in 2009 to determine exactly where money should best be spent in Afric... (1849 more chars) |
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Call for papers: Population estimation using remote sensing and GIS technologies
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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International Journal of Remote Sensing - Special Issue on “Population Estimation using Remote Sensing and GIS Technologies”
The estimation (projection) of population in an inter-censal year is essential, in particularly in rapid growth areas, for public and private section planning. Traditionally, population in a non-censal year is estimated through demographic approaches, such as the housing unit method. Recent developments in remote sensing, GIS, and spatial analytical t... (1460 more chars) |
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Rwanda: Ministry of Education to reap big from GIS rollout
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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During a speech on December 5th, the State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, underscored that there are many potential benefits the education sector is set to get from GIS. "The GIS infrastructure is one of those innovations we really need in our sector. It's both an education and development tool which if sufficiently adopted will even step up our ICT programme since it's also digitally packaged," said Mutsindashyaka. The minister added that the ministry... (1968 more chars) |
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Geo Challenge Grants
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Through the Geo Challenge Grants program Google.org is offering grants valued between US$5,000 and US$100,000, either directly from Google.org, or through grant recommendations from the Google.org Fund of Tides Foundation. These grants will be issued through an open application process - legally qualified, public charitable organizations with a compelling idea about how maps can help them work more effectively are eligible. Smaller mapping applications requiring only static data might recei... (326 more chars) |
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IAIA opportunity to receive training/travel stipend
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Through the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) , stipends may be available for a limited number of participants from selected developing countries/countries in transition to attend IAIA09 ( see announcement ). Applicants must be impact assessment professionals with 4-12 years of professional experience. Deadline for applications: 31 December 2008. Application form .
IAIA09: Impact Assessment and Human Well Being
23-29 May 2009
Accra, Ghana
IAIA is a ... (386 more chars) |
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December'08 SDI-Africa newsletter
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The December 2008 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 7, No. 12) is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details ab... (886 more chars) |
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Fires in Central Africa
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Late in the calendar year, widespread agricultural fires spring up across Africa in the semi-arid grasslands known as the Sahel and in the tropical savannas to the south. This natural-color image from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on November 27, 2008, shows fires (marked in red dots) across central Africa. The top edge of the image traces the northern edge of the Sahel, where it meets the Sahara Desert. The vegetation becom... (560 more chars) |
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Visiting Fellowship at Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The CIRES Visiting Fellowship program is open to scientists from around the globe, and appointments can begin at any time during the year. The application process for 2009-2010 Fellowships is currently underway. CIRES Visiting Fellows comes to Boulder, Colorado, USA and conduct interdisciplinary research in areas such as atmosphere and ocean processes, cryospheric processes, ecology and ecosystems, regional/global environmental variability and change, global water cycle, advanced observing ... (862 more chars) |
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Next ESA SAR Toolbox
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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This week's release of the ESA NEST toolbox offers geospatial workers another enviornment for post processing, analyzing data from ESA SAR missions like those of ENVISAT, ALOS PALSAR, TerraSAR-X, Radarsat, and JERS. The toolbox is distributed freely under the GNU GPL license and can be downloaded at ESA's website...
The main components of NEST are:
The Display and Analysis Tool (DAT) is a desktop application used for SAR data visualisation, analysis and process... (590 more chars) |
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Lawmakers need good scientific information too
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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This SciDev.Net editorial points out that getting science into policymaking is challenging — but a recent workshop for African parliamentary researchers suggested new ways forward.
Fidel Ayogu, a former member of the Nigerian Parliament, vividly remembers the day that money allocated by the government to build a new water supply to his constituency ran out — with the only half the work completed. The reason, he says, was simple.
Rather than studying the diverse geological c... (1123 more chars) |
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Access to Landsat 1-5 archive
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| Electronic access to the entire USGS Landsat 7 archive, enabling users to download standard-format scenes at no charge, has been a success, with over 80,000 scenes downloaded since October 31, 2008. The rest of the USGS archive, from Landsat 1 through Landsat 5, will be released by December 30, 2008. At that time, only the standard-format, "web-enabled" product will be available to users from the USGS. Thus, customers who wish to purchase currently available Landsat 1-5 products are encouraged ... (731 more chars) |
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Crisis mapping Africa’s crossborder conflicts
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Interesting message at the irevolution blog - Patrick Philippe Meier highlights the work that Dennis King is doing through the US State Department Humanitarian Information Unit’s (HIU) project, “Africa: Conflicts Without Borders 2007-2008.”
Instead of the usual depiction of conflicts as countrywide and defined by national boundaries, this map displays distinct conflict-affected areas in Africa as sub-national and transnational pockets of insecurity, violence, an... (707 more chars) |
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Flooding on the Nzoia River (western Kenya)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Like many rivers across the world, the Nzoia River in western Kenya pushes over its banks annually. Dykes usually contain the river, but in November 2008, the river burst through the dykes to flood the low-lying land around it. At least 5,000 people were marooned or evacuated from the banks of the swollen river, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on November 14. These images, captured by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on NASA’s Earth Observing-... (2148 more chars) |
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digital kenya, kudos
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| Written by YEGON BONIFACE |
| My name is boniface yegon and i am a fifth year student in the universtiy of nairobi, department of geospatial and space technology.i was so much humbled and priviledged to have attended the ribbon cutting ceremony of Servir -Africa. kudos RMCRD,NASA,USAID among others who made it happen. i must say also that am so much impresseby the progress of KNSDI though i have some questions in terms of digitizing our cadastral system, we are all aware of the areial photogrammetry way of rectifying our RIM... (539 more chars) |
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Floods in Ethiopia: Natural Hazards
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Images taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard Terra show flooding along the Wabe Shabele River . Compare the images farther down with a collaborative map of the same region. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory and Wikimapia
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USAID FEWS NET Weather Hazards Impacts Assessment for Africa (November 20-26, 2008)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The FEWS NET weather hazards assessment process and products include participation by FEWS NET field and home offices, NOAA-CPC, USGS, USDA, NASA, and a number of other national and regional organizations in the countries concerned. The latest assessment (for November 20-26, 2008) , indicates the following:
• Favorable rains in Southern Africa have significantly improved the spatial distribution of below-average rainfall totals for the season. Although some negative rainfall an... (715 more chars) |
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SPOT globe for Google Earth Enterprise
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Credit: The GISuser AnyGeo Blog
Google Earth (Enterprise) users now have direct access to SPOT satellite imagery in the Google Earth (TM) environment, enter SPOT Globe For Google Earth Enterprise (fusion-ready SPOT imagery) The SPOT Globe offering includes the entire line of 2.5m SPOTMaps mosaics. These off-the-shelf products provide seamless uniform coverage comprised of 2.5 meter, natural-color SPOT 5 satellite imagery acquired in the past three years. Offered in regional and n... (84 more chars) |
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Satellites could predict cholera epidemics
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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Environmental signatures associated with cholera epidemics
Credit BBC : Professor Rita Colwell, from the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies at the University of Maryland has been studying cholera outbreaks for over 30 years. She says satellite monitoring holds the key to preventing cholera epidemics. "We can use the current data taken from the satellites to predict when the onset of cholera epidemics will occur, it allows public health authorities to pinpoint... (201 more chars) |
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1st phase of African Agricultural Data Rescue Initiative (AADRI) underway
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Access to reliable and well documented sub-national production data for sub-Saharan Africa is essential to inform all sorts of agricultural management, economic development and public policy decisions. Unfortunately such data are scarce. Few countries in the region undertake regular statistical surveys of agriculture or make up-to-date, well-formatted versions of these data readily available. Most of the historical data on African agriculture is especially difficult to obtain. Historical dat... (2362 more chars) |
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November'08 SDI-Africa newsletter (Vol. 7, No. 11)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The November 2008 issue of the SDI-Africa newsletter is available online. Spatial Data Infrastructure — Africa (SDI-Africa), published by the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association, is a free, electronic newsletter for people interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues in Africa. The newsletter has been published monthly since May 2002 and has wide circulation across Africa. Each issue highlights recent activities, provides details about ava... (888 more chars) |
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Call for participation - International Workshop of Experts on Global Environmental Change
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The ICSU Regional Office for Africa (ICSU ROA) , in collaboration with the National Research Foundation (NRF) and its partners is organizing an international workshop of experts on Global Environmental Change (including Climate Change and Adaptation) in sub-Saharan Africa. The workshop will be held in Pretoria, South Africa, on 9-11 February 2009.
The workshop is open to researchers and policy-makers in public and private institutions and organizations (government, academia, industry, UN-ag... (1045 more chars) |
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October'08 issue of SALB project newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 4)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Since the last/July edition of the Second Administrative Level Boundaries (SALB) project newsletter, efforts have continued on updating the contact information of National Mapping Agencies and developing the new SALB portal (project management and users platform) in collaboration with the University of Geneva and UNEP/GRID Europe. The October'08 edition reports on progress made on SALB database with respect to the 47 countries covered by the African node
(UNECA).
The SALB data... (634 more chars) |
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African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) newsletter (No. 7, September 2008)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The African Reference Frame (AFREF) is aimed at unifying the co-ordinate reference systems and frames of Africa to create an environment in which all activities that enquire sound geo-spatial information such as surveying, mapping, geographical information systems, navigation, engineering projects, atmospheric and geophysics research and applications, and disaster monitoring and mitigation are based on a uniform modern international co-ordinate system. The project was initiated from within... (679 more chars) |
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2008 Earth Observation Handbook released
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The Earth Observation Handbook - released and available online – explains the vital role played by Earth observation satellites in providing the information needed by governments and policymakers to make well-informed decisions for a sustainable future. Prepared under the auspices of ESA on behalf of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) , the report provides an overview of existing Earth observation (EO) missions, their instruments and the plans of more than 30 space ag... (519 more chars) |
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Latest EIS News (Issue 77, October 2008)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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EIS News is a monthly publication of EIS-AFRICA , a network for the co-operative management of environmental Information in Africa. Most nobable in the October issue , EIS-AFRICA and the Association of American Geographers announced that these two organization, in partnership with the United States Department of State and the NGA, will be distributing high resolution satellite to three African countries so as to support the development of these countries fundamental geo-spatial datasets. B... (145 more chars) |
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Investing in agricultural science: the best bet for the future
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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CGIAR Annual General Meeting 2008
Maputo, Mozambique : December 1- 5, 2008
The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM08) in Maputo, Mozambique, from December 1 to 5, 2008. AGM08 will bring together over 700 of the world’s leading food and environmental scientists and civil society to strengthen and expand partnerships that stimulate economic growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Through dialogue and th... (1310 more chars) |
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Nigeria: Nasarawa earmarks N711 million to aerial survey
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Nasarawa State government has devoted over N 711 million for its Geographical Information System (GIS) aerial survey and land mapping in six towns
Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Abdullahi Aliyu, disclosed this information in Lafia, recently, saying that the decision to release the money for the project was taken at the last state executive council meeting, and adding that towns that are expected to benefit from the land mapping project include Lafia, Nasarawa, Keffi, Ak... (2512 more chars) |
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YouTube video featuring data infrastructure pilot (Canada)
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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A YouTube video launched recently features the Canadian Geospatial Data
Infrastructure (CGDI) Interoperability Pilot. The CGDI IP project developed a OGC Web Feature / Web Map Service partnership network across Canada, demonstrating a variety of scenarios involving closest-to-source update, access and use of public geospatial
data. This video highlights the collaboration, the concepts and technology behind
the network.
" mce_src="
... (116 more chars) |
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Call for Papers - IJGIS Special Issue on Temporal GIS: the Past 20 years and the next 20 years
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| International Journal of Geographic Information Science (IJGIS)
Deadline for submissions: 15 April 2009
Expected dates for publications: late 2009 or early 2010
Temporal GIS research has prospered since the late 1980s, particularly since the year of 1988 when Gail Langran and Nicholas Chrisman published their paper on A framework for temporal geographic information and Marc Armstrong delivered a presentation on Temporal GIS at the 1988 GIS/LIS international conference. Temporal GIS was th... (2212 more chars) |
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NOAA coral bleaching monitoring network now global
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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NOAA's Coral Reef Watch bleaching monitoring network has expanded its network of "virtual stations" from 24 to 190 locations worldwide. These stations warn coral reef managers when there is an elevated risk of coral bleaching, based on temperature data from NOAA’s environmental satellites.
The satellite alert system provides approximately two weeks’ advance warning before bleaching occurs, giving reef managers time to respond. The expansion was made possible, in part, throu... (958 more chars) |
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Communiqué of Nile Basin Development Forum 2008
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The “Environment & water resources management for peace and cooperation in the Nile Basin”, will take place November 17-19 2008 , Khartoum, Sudan
View Larger Map
Participants agreed on some of the following recommendations:
It is important to strengthen hydro-meteorological networks and capacities of all the NBI countries
Models that deal with optimal and efficient water use should be encouraged.
There is a need to link hydrological and ec... (912 more chars) |
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NASA data show some African drought linked to warmer Indian Ocean
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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A new study, co-funded by NASA, has identified a link between a warming Indian Ocean and less rainfall in eastern and southern Africa. Computer models and observations show a decline in rainfall, with implications for the region's food security. Rainfall in eastern Africa during the rainy season, which runs from March through May, has declined about 15 percent since the 1980s, according to records from ground stations and satellites. Statistical analyses show that this decline is due to irre... (582 more chars) |
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Russians agree to launch South African Sumbandila satellite, but uncertainty remains
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Russia’s space agency Roskosmos has agreed to launch at the Baikonour cosmodrome the South African Sumbandila satellite with multi-spectral imager. The timing is likely to be between December 25 of this year and March 25, 2009. In September 2008, Roskosmos sources confirmed earlier statements by Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma that an earlier controversy over launch agreements between the two governments for rocketing both a civilian and a military satellite into space had bee... (500 more chars) |
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2008 USGS African Remote Sensing Market Research
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| Written by Kate Lance |
| The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Global Marketing Insights, Inc. are conducting a remote sensing survey and analysis of the African Remote Sensing Market, as a follow on to the 2006 study of Asia, North America and Europe (which was sponsored previously by U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) - see final 2006 Asian and 2005 US and Europe completed studies. The current study for Africa is surveying remote sensing data type usage, application usage and data needs as well... (360 more chars) |
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Global Fire Map
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| Written by Jason Arnold |
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The global fire map above (for the period between August 28 and September 6) has Southern Africa ablaze with fire. Colour ranges from red where the fire count is low to yellow where number of fires is large. Fires are detected by MODIS on board the Terra and Aqua satellites over a 10-day period. Each colored dot indicates a location where MODIS detected at least one fire during the compositing period. Color ranges from red where the fire count is low to yellow where number of fires is large.
... (532 more chars) |
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AMESD in Central Africa: management of water resources
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The African Monitoring of the Environment for Sustainable Development (AMESD) programme in Central Africa, implemented by Commission Internationale du Bassin Congo-Oubangui-Sangha (CICOS) , aims at developing a monitoring system of the congo basin water resources. EumetCast thematic satellital reception stations developed by EUMETSAT will be installed at CICOS headquarters and in the States of the region. The Commission and the States will work as thematic network to analyse radar altimet... (1836 more chars) |
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EgyptSat -1 control station opened in April 2008
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko took part in opening of the Control Station of the Egyptian microsatellite "EgyptSat -1″, which had been constructed in Ukraine by specialists from both countries, from Egypt's National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences together with the Yuzhnoye Design Bureau. EgyptSat-1 was launched from Kazakhstan onboard a Ukrainian Dnepr1 rocket on 17 April 2007. It carries both an infrared sensing device and a high resolution multispectral ima... (554 more chars) |
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New X band antenna expands infrastructure at CSIR
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The South African CSIR Satellite Applications Centre is currently installing new X band capabilities dedicated to earth observation data reception at its Hartebeesthoek site. This new X band antenna, delivered in August, will be operational by November 2008. The specification on the new antenna is such that its performance will be greater than that of existing equipment on site. It will be able to operate to lower elevation angles, extending the 'footprint' in which the CSIR can receive im... (721 more chars) |
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Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) in Ethiopia
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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Data for three of the four GPS Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) constructed in Ethiopia are now available. These stations were constructed as a partnership between the U.S. National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and the Ethiopian Mapping Authority (EMA) , who have full control and responsibility for the stations’ operation. This effort was funded by the generous support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The data for the stations at EMA headquarters i... (1052 more chars) |
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NigeriaSat-2 mission control centre ready in August 2008
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| Written by Kate Lance |
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The National Space Research Development Agency has said that it would complete the installation of the Mission Control Room (MCC) for the country's second earth-observation satellite (NigeriaSat-2) in August. The centre is a critical component of the $55m earth-observation satellite facility due for launch within the first quarter of 2010 (instead of the projected 2009). It is the place where space engineers and scientists attached to NigeriaSat-2 perform the nominal operation of tracking,... (739 more chars) |
