The Global geospatial initiative comes to Africa

Abstract

Given the scale of cross-border global development challenges, ranging from humanitarian, energy, climate, environmental and food security, geospatial technology is enabling critical location-based information (geospatial information) for better decision support by policy-makers. Consequently, geospatial information offers integrated information, often through maps across various sectors which can be presented to decision-makers for strategic decision-making. In addition, harnessing a geospatial industry has tremendous economic potential for African countries. For instance, in the US and Europe, use of geospatial information such as satellite imagery for decision-making has stimulated employment and business opportunities in the private sector. Considering these facts, the United Nations Secretariat had launched the Global Geospatial Information Management (GGIM) initiative with aims at setting up a formal mechanism under the UN auspices to discuss and coordinate GGIM activities and by involving Member States as the key players.