UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL
E/ECA/NRD/CART/182 22 January 1993 Original: ENGLISH
Economic Commission for Africa Eighth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Africa Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
22-27 February 1993
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING AND RESEARCH (UNITAR)
ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYTEMS
E/ECA/NRD/CART/182
Page \
ANINTRODUCTION TO THE UNITED NATIONS
INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING AND S
TRAINING PROG^MMEi
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
supporting a GIS envirot ;f of hdTdwaTe capable of
these information systems most important, to maintain
^
are carried but in conjunction wi
other i^tutions in various regions
esZZT
programmes°RID Centr6S' and
40 countries from Asia,
The training programme has three principal aims:
have
1) 2)
countrie.to.perate from
3) to enable trainees to train others with in re^cdve reglons
Although'UNITARhas conducted numerous three to six month long courses in
Switzerland since 1986; increasingly, one week to one month-long national, regional and sub- regional intensive sensitization workshops are being held in the host countries themselves,
primarily at regional centre training sites. " ' -'
Why should UNITAR focus its' efforts more on training in the host country? One major advantage is that a larger number of scientists and planners from each country canbe trained as travel costs are considerably reduced. Other advantages are not so obvious When participating in training at an overseas institution, the focus of the course may be on the_
technology itself, at the exclusion of important political, social and structural considerations necessary for the implementation of GIS. These latter considerations are more easily incorporated into the fabric of the workshop when conducted in the host country.
,',■■. ■ '
" ■ . Depending upon the needs of the participants based on a thorough needsassessment
and evaluation, an introductory workshops might focus on the fundamentals of GIS, raster and vector analytical tools and concepts, remote sensing and d.g.tal .mage processing and data entry/transformation/transfer possibilities. UNITAR's workshops are hands-on «*&«*«**
orieLd sessions primarily using the software 1DRISI. IDRISI .s a non-profit, raster-based
GIS developed as a research and training tool by Clark Un.versit^Worcester, MA, and m
cooperation^* UNITAR and UNEP/GRID. There are over 000 "cen-d «serS >n,ove70
countries worldwide. UNITAR also strives to incorporate local data in the form of sateU.te images, aerial photography or digital maps into the case study material whenever possible.
Following an introductory exposure workshop, the participants are provided with a copy of the GIS software that they used during the training. The participants are then
Zipped wiA the basic knowledge and tools necessary to build upon their initial training.
AfterTperioa of perhaps six months, the participants will have had ample time to expenment wftTtneTcnltog^ and begin to build GIS databases. Although UNITAR resources are Hmited weZ assist our trainees during this period when possible or if necessary we put . Sin 2£Z*A with the appropriate sources of information. This might take the form
of technical assistance such as hardware/software and applications support.
On another but equally significant note, during the period immediately following the
first phSSng cycle UNITAR is active in fostering and encouraging the establishment of reg onaUnuTor na^ona! informa. networks. These networks are essentia to strengthen and S the quality of GIS information and training, by prov.ding a pool of qualified
lKnued training and technical backstopping. The success of our technology ttSer program is dependant on trained personnel. A failure to give properattention to this networking "oncept could certainly become the limiting factor to the successful
"mpLnJation and maintenance of GIS in developing countnes as well as developed
countries wedry to stress this notion of networlang and we are pleased that many ot our
fonnS trainees^ currently teaching GIS to either professionals withxn or associated with
their institutions, or at the university level.
E/ECA/NRD/CART/182
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There are an increasing number of donors supporting die training programme,
reflecting a widespread recognition of its importance. In the long term the GIS.training ->.*
programme will broaden its scope and embrace additional environmental and natural resource management techniques, including topics in urban management. The wider aim of. the
programme remains to ensure that the developing countries have scientists and planners with the proper qualifications to develop their natural resources in a sustainable manner. UNEP, UNITAR and other UN and government institution intend to continue their close cooperation to ensure that the training'programmes provided are always appropriate and, to the extent ,:s;
possible, available/ 7. .... > ; ' . . "
Stepheti Gold ' ■ .'"'.> "
GIS Training Officer ' ' '/..'.-
Environmental Training Programmes '" " ' .,' .
u&:, ^■'■:-/ '■■■■■ ' '■ ■ ' "■' ' : '-■■■ .
5 October, 1992 ' . ' . '\ ,. "X •""
Geneva, Switzerland ' "
