Africa 'must embrace geospatial information'

A recommendations put forward by a meeting of the sub-committee on geo-information on the sidelines stated that African governments could become more sensitive to what their people really need by harnessing the wealth of available geospatial information, a meeting of scientists and policymakers has heard. Given that over 80 per cent of public and private planning and decision-making processes use geospatial data, governments of developing countries need to recognise and acknowledge the importance of GIS, geographic information systems. Africa, however is still poorly mapped, with much of the data unreliable or held commercially, according to Derek Clarke, chief director of South African mapping organisation National Geo-spatial Information. He attributed this to the lack of a methodological approach to the collection and maintenance of geospatial data .He added that any GIS technologies developed must be affordable and appropriate for the African context.

Government notices of interest to the Okavango Community

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLVIII, no. 38, 23 July 2010

Republic of Botswana : Department of Road transport and safety: Tender: Supply, installation and configuration of network (LAN) at Maun, Francistown, Tutume, Bobonong and Selebi-Phikwe: Tender No. MTC 240/2/1B/2010-2011 2929

Republic of Botswana : Department of Survey and Mapping-Ministry of Lands and Housing: Tender: Digital colour aerial photography for 100 settlements and digital line mapping for 35 settlements: Tender No. MTC/MLH/DSM/AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY/757/28062010 2938

Republic of Botswana : Roads Department: Tender: Resealing and road marking works of Pandamatenga-Kazungula Road Section (60km) Tender No. PR9/5/3/10 (XX) 2964

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLVIII, no. 40, no. 40, 6th August 2010

Application for water rights:
T.Mooketsi, river draw off – Shashe river at Matenge (North West District): 40m3 per day for irrigation use ;M.Modiri, river draw off –Boteti River at Mmumosweu (North West District): 80 m3 per day for irrigation use: V.C. Diwanga: river draw off –Okavango River at Samochima (North West District): 80 m3 per day for irrigation use; D.Kgosintwa river draw off – Thamalakane river at Tsanakona (North West District): 60m3 per day for irrigation use: Moselewapula Syndicate-Borehole No. Z7580 at Chete (NWD), 18.2 m2 per day for irrigation use; M. M Ledimo Borehole No. Z12730 at Gunotsoga (North West District), 18.2 m2 per day for irrigation use: M. M Ledimo Borehole No. Z12721 at Malatso (North West District), 18.2 m2 per day for irrigation use:

Republic of Botswana : department of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care: Tender: Development of a comprehensive youth HIV/AIDS behaviour change interventions and empowerment strategy Tender No. MTC/MOH/HAPC/SER/5028/22072010 3056-3060

Republic of Botswana :: Tender: Fencing of Trans-Kalahari highway road reserve (Section A) Tender No. MTC 240/5/22A/2010-2011 3121

Republic of Botswana :: Tender: Fencing of Trans-Kalahari highway road reserve (Section B) Tender No. MTC 240/5/22A/2010-2011 3127

Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site. The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

Multi-hazard mapping using Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

This brochure introduces a disaster risk reduction project implemented in the Philippines with the objective of reducing the population’s vulnerability to natural disasters like typhoon, landslide, flood, storm surge, tsunami, and earthquake, which pose risks to life, property and livelihood compounded by physical exposure and proximity to hazard-prone areas, socio-economic, and cultural and behavioral conditions. It goes on to explain how to integrate GIS-based multi-hazard mapping conveying a composite picture of natural hazards in varying magnitude, frequency and areas of effect, to local knowledge of communities gathered through Participatory Capacity and Vulnerability Assessment (PCVA), in order to provide relevant information for community planning and decision making, especially in emergency response, and disaster preparedness and mitigation. The paper details the processes, possible problems and uses of reliable multi-hazard maps as important risk assessment tools; and advocates for investment in capacity building activities to ensure active community participation in order to successfully perform multi-hazard mapping. For more visit:
http://www.preventionweb.net/files/13932_ACF1.pdf

Unveiling of the new online Okavango Delta Information System (ODIS

The GIS laboratory unveiled the new online Okavango Delta Information System (ODIS) http://odis.orc.ub.bw/odis/ last week at HOORC, which was characterised by a ‘hands-on’ demonstration where participants could experience how to load and view different map services on the Map viewer, search for spatial data and documents using the data discovery tool and how to contribute data to ODIS using the share interface. ODIS is an knowledge management system which is intended to bring together scientific data and information (spatial and non spatial) about the Okavango Delta and Basin amongst researchers, resource users and managers. Although preliminary test data was used for the orientation sessions, the GIS lab is planning to make additional map services, data and documents available through ODIS. ODIS was built using ESRI technology http://www.esri.com/ for the map viewer and Voyager GIS for the data discovery function. Comments and suggestions can be sent to odis@orc.ub.bw or call Mr Masego Dhliwayo or Mrs Anastacia Makati on +267 6817243.

Water 2010: Hydrology, Hydraulics and Water Resources in an Uncertain Environment

The Water 2010 conference will be held jointly with the 10th International Symposium on Stochastic Hydraulics (ISSH-2010) and the 5th International Conference on Water Resources and Environment Research (ICWRER-2010). Topics to be included in ISSH-2010 are stochastic analysis, river hydraulics, sediment transport, catchment hydraulics, groundwater, waves and costal processes, hydraulic networks, hydrology, risk and reliability in hydraulic design and water resources in general.In the case of the ISSH series, the topics of ICWRER conferences are versatile encompassing GIS and remote sensing, stochastic hydrology, sustainable water management, surface water and groundwater interaction, ecosystem modelling, scaling problems in hydrology and water resources, environmental management, risk analysis and management or climate change. The organisers of the Conference are the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research (IAHR); Centre Eau, Terre & Environnement de l'Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), Canada. For more, you can visit http://www.water2010.org/

GIS Training Course

Last week the GIS Lab at HOORC ran a one week training course for wildlife researchers, who are working on various wildlife research projects around the Okavango Delta and Makgadikgadi area. The course included introduction to ArcView 3x and ArcGIS 9x and Arcpad, converting gps data into GIS, data conversion between google earth and GIS, data linking and analysis exercises as well as an introduction to remote sensing. A number of productivity enhancing extensions and utilities were demonstrated.

Web based community based GIS applications

As resource managers search for strategies to meet the challenges posed by intense competition for scarce local resources, the implementation of Community-based GIS applications have become widespread. Besides mapping, the Participatory GIS (PGIS) projects create a peaceful medium for community groups and public officials to meet, exchange views and also learn to develop trust for each other. However, PGIS projects face many problems including the lack of basic supporting infrastructure and services. The adoption of the Internet as a platform for PGIS applications therefore raises concerns about the future of PGIS projects. While the Internet may open the participatory process, it can also hinder participation among local groups. In an era when PGIS applications have become important in the management of local resources, there is an urgent need to examine implications of the On-line PGIS project. Accordingly, in their paper, Dr. Peter Kyem and Dr. James Saku assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of on-line PGIS applications within local communities. Full report available on
http://participatorygis.blogspot.com/2009/09/web-based-gis-and-future-of.html

Fisheries Training courses at HOORC

The Biokavango Project facilitated a three day GPS training course for Fisheries Division field officers which was undertaken at the HOORC GIS lab between July 28 -30. The aim of the course, conducted by the HOORC senior GIS technician, was to arm these officers with the critical tools needed to enhance their data collection process, especially in mapping data such as data needed to map fishing grounds by the different fishers groups (i.e. recreational, commercial and subsistence). This is one in a series of courses that the Biokavango Project has facilitated this year for the Fisheries Division. One of the most recent courses (May 11 - 15), also conducted by HOORC, was in database management whose aim was to empower the Fisheries Division in database management skills.

HOORC at IGARSS meeting

During the week of July 13-17, 2009 HOORC's Sue Ringrose, Lin Cassidy and Piotr Wolski attended the International Geoscience & Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) in Cape Town. This was the first time the IEEE organization had run its prestigious remote sensing conference in Africa. This year the conference was titled Earth Observation - Origins to Applications.

The conference was attended by about 750 delegates from institutions worldwide. Professor Harold Annegarn from the University of Johannesburg directed the proceedings which included a wrap up to the SAFARI 2000 campaign and a host of new imagery products.

On Wednesday 15 July, Susan Ringrose and Melanie Luck-Vogel hosted a special session, Remote Sensing Assessment of Vegetation State and Land Degradation within which Lin Cassidy’s paper, Fire, Wealth and Access to Wetlands Resources in the Panhandle of Botswana’s Okavango Delta was nominated best presentation for the session. In the Coastal and Wetlands Applications 1 session the following day Mike Murray Hudson and Piotr Wolski’s paper was also nominated for best presentation.

Abstracts for the papers can be found online.

SAEON data sharing portal

The July 2009 issue of the newsletter of the South African Earth Observation Network (SAEON) reports the launch of the third phase of its CoGIS (Collaborative Geographical Information Service) project. CoGIS, a data portal developed with the South African CSIR, will support contribution to the the South African Earth Observation Strategy (SAEOS) and convince people to accelerate global change research by providing access to their data. You can read more about the project online.

New HOORC Library web site

HOORC's Library has launched its new web site, featuring the legacy collection of annotated maps from the Pete Smith Collection. The site was developed through a partnership with the University of Botswana Archives team and HOORC's GIS Laboratory, using ArcGIS Server and Drupal software with technical support from Digital Treasure Botswana and the UK's Comsine.

Government notices of interest to the Okavango Community

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLVII, no. 30, 5 June
2009

Republic of Botswana: Tender: Works contract for the procurement of proposed alterations and renovations to the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute at Maun-Tender No. PR 9/3/3/09.
Republic of Botswana Tender: Services for: implementation of the Integrated Geographic System Tender No. PR/18/1/10 (1).

Republic of Botswana Tender: Supply installation and maintenance of high frequency radio telecommunications system with high frequency desktop base station, navigator software, vehicle tracking system and inbuilt GPS receiver to twenty-five cartographic census project field mapping vehicles for the 2011 population and housing census for a period of 22 months. Tender No FDP/TC/3/3/09-10.

Republic of Botswana Tender: Consultancy services for tribal land integrated management system (TLIMS) data collection and conversion: Gumare sub-land board and Nokaneng Sub-land Board
Tender No MTC/MLH/DOL/TLIMS/GUM-NOK/407/29052008.

Republic of Botswana Tender Consultancy services for tribal land integrated management system (TLIMS) data collection and conversion: Mmadinare sub-land board and Bobonong sub-land Board.
Tender No MTC/MLH/DOL/TLIMS/MMAD-BOB/409/29052008.

North West District Council Tender: Gravelling 10km on Maun internal roads
Tender No.NW/RDS/01/2009.

North West District Council: Tender: Gravelling 10km on Gwexwa-Nxaraga Road
Tender No.NW/RDS/02/2009.

North West District Council: Tender: Gravelling 10km on Xharaxhe-Kareng Road
Tender No.NW/RDS/06/2008.
Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site. The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.

Stories from the Delta

University of Botswana Library Services team (L to R) Oarabile Rakgamanyane, Anastacia Makati, Molly Botlhole and Rose Legwatagwata at the opening of Pete Smith's Delta exhibition

Stories from the Delta

University of Botswana Acting Senior Archivist Molly Botlhole cutting the ribbon to open the Pete Smith's Delta exhibition

"This web-based resource will inform and inspire many more such projects to share legacy materials and to support current research and to show what lessons the past has for us."

Stories from the Delta

Mr Moaparankwe Mpho, former Water Affairs colleague of Pete Smith, at opening of Pete Smith's Delta exhibition

"Pete Smith worked with the people who lived in the Delta because he knew what they knew was important."

Stories from the Delta

Mr Forembi Forembi, former Water Affairs colleague of Pete Smith

"Pete Smith taught me how to read maps, so that I could move long distances in the Delta where I had not been before, just by following maps."

The exhibition, Pete Smith's Delta: Pioneering Biodiversity Conservation in the Okavango opened in Maun yesterday evening, featuring a live storytelling session with some of the late Pete Smith's friends and colleagues who travelled and worked with him in the Delta. The exhibition also previewed the new web-based resource developed by HOORC's Library, GIS Laboratory and University of Botswana Library Services Archives team, based on digitized versions of Pete's annotated maps. The exhibition continues until Saturday, May 23rd in African Art and Images at the Maun airport.

Pete Smith commemorative events

Pete Smith, 1980s

Next week marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of pioneering Okavango researcher Pete Smith. HOORC's Library, GIS Laboratory and Natural Collections unit, and UB Library Services Archives, supported by the BIOKAVANGO Project, are organizing several events to acknowledge the contribution Pete made to the knowledge of the Delta. Digitized versions of his annotated maps will be launched at an exhibition that will run for the week at African Art and Images in Maun. On May 23rd there will be an unveiling of a memorial at Pete's former home, followed by the official opening of HOORC's new Natural Collections building that houses Pete's herbarium collection. All are welcome: contact Olebogeng Suwe or Anastacia Makati for more details at 681-7241.

Spatial Data Infrastructure - Africa Newsletter

The April 2009 issue of the Spatial Data Infrastructure - Africa Newsletter offers its usual rich mix of information about GIS and remote sensing projects relevant to Africa and announcements of training courses and conferences. The issue includes stories about MapAction's Field Guide to Humanitarian Mapping, CGIAR's guide to making research more available, accessible and applicable, Croizat -- Conservation International's new tool for analysis of geographic distribution of animals and plants, and a National Academy of Sciences study of a tool to monitor the impact of management decisions on savannah ecosystems. Training and funding opportunities announced in the issue include the MyCOE/SERVIR Biodiversity Initiative Youth Cadre fellowships, the African Union Scientific Awards and International Foundation for Science research grants. You can find the newsletter online, and a printed copy in HOORC's current periodicals.

GIS resources from SDI Africa

The February 2009 issue of the Spatial Data Infrastructure - Africa Newsletter reports the new Land and Water Management Information System and portal for the SADC states, launch of the African Soil Information service (AfSIS), status of the Second Administrative Level Boundaries (SALB) project, the AfricaMap beta from the Harvard Center for Geographic Analysis, the Conservation GeoPortal, development of a South Africa Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Storage Atlas, and the usual useful list of training courses and meetings. You can find the newsletter online and a copy in the HOORC Library's current periodicals section.

GIS training for Tawana Land Board at HOORC

GIS trainer Kent Burger with Tawana Land Board participants

Surveyors from the Tawana Land Board have been at HOORC this week, participating in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) training. The course has been sponsored by BIOKAVANGO as part of a project to identify potential tourism locations in the Okavango Delta Ramsar Site.

In HOORC's Library you can find a range of books about using GIS, including Environmental land use planning and management by John Randolph and Spatial multicriteria decision making and analysis : a geographic information sciences approach edited by Jean-Claude Thill.