Mapping Africa for Africa
ICA Working Group On Mapping Africa for Africa
ICA has already formed this Working Group with the
following Terms of Reference:
- Promote international technical and scientific support, and advisory services from ICA and its affiliate members for mapping Africa for Africa projects
- Aid in capacity building and knowledge sharing
- Support mapping projects for Mapping Africa for Africa
- Encourage African countries to participate in ICA activities
- Facilitate cartographic outreach programmes in Africa
- Promote awareness of cartographic issues and resources
Difficulties of Spatial Data in Africa
The geo-spatial datasets development in African countries is still public sector driven, and inherently is still inefficient. The basic datasets in form of topographical maps have not been revised for a long time. The National Mapping Organisations that maintain the maps get inadequate funding from their national treasuries, and cannot afford to be consistent in the revision of these maps. The development of the fundamental (core) geo-spatial datasets is both technically complex and
capital intensive. Many countries in Africa are of low-income status. Their priorities are inconsistent with the need to
focus on the development of spatial information, but
rather solving myriad of problems affecting their populace in terms of poverty alleviation, HIV-Aids, perennial drought and famine etc.
Role of ‘CODI’ in Africa
The Durban Statement on "Mapping Africa for Africa" is a complete reflection of ideals that CODI-Geo has been empowered by member states of Africa to promote in order that the activities of SDIs in Africa should be achieved.
African countries are being encouraged to give zero-rating on taxes related to the importation of the ICT related equipment. This it is hoped will promote and support the development and application of geo-information and ICT technologies in sustainable development in Africa. It is envisaged here that Africa is going to experience the fastest growth in development and application of geo-information in the next five to ten years.
Measures of intervention
The need of bringing the public and private sectors to partner in the overall economy of the African countries has been identified and emphasized through a resolution of CODI. It has been recognized that national agencies can enhance the production and management of geographic information goods and services by engaging the private sector in the various phases of the process. The ideological shift towards economic liberalization, the market and individualism has also posed a major challenge. This shift means that governments have to re-define their role in society if they have to maintain an effective role. As the only institution entrusted with the collective public good, their steering functions entail concerted public-private action instead of perceiving of the private sectors as adversaries.
This also brings in the new dimension of the new public management which accords less role to the government and more to the market forces, whereby instead of intervening in service production and delivery, the government is left primarily with policy and agenda setting. It is in this context that the services of national mapping agencies may need to be conducted in a market-like fashion.
The need is there for governments to seek bilateral partners and multi-lateral agencies that are determined to give support based on the principles of sustainable development. This may require that conditionalities be assigned to the assistance that demand good practices, transparency and accountability in national structures for the geographical datasets development. In addition, there should be a need for widespread consultation amongst major stakeholders.
Human Capacity Building
The acceleration of the development of SDIs in Africa will require competent personnel with adequate knowledge and skills to manipulate the technologies related to geographic information. It has been proposed that African countries should integrate geo-spatial information technology into regular curricular of primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and also to speed up the creation of a human resource base with high level of geo-information awareness. CODI-Geo has already compiled a handbook on "SDI guide for Africa" which is spelling guidelines and best practices that should be adopted in geo-spatial datasets, data standards, data documentation, data acquisition and accessibility, technical and human capacities needed. I have always advocated that African countries adopt the "leap frog" approach in order to bridge the digital divide as any gradual change will push majority of African countries decades behind. This is a debatable idea.
The role of ICA in support of Mapping Africa for Africa initiative
The ICA now sees itself as part of a wider international initiative addressing the problems of our planet and is increasingly involved in technical matters that affect the entire global society and which require solutions from the perspective of Cartography and Geographic information Science. Its main challenge remains in the understanding that it has to prepare for a world that will depend, increasingly, on the effective use of geographic information and on the application, in particular, of Cartography and Geographic Information Science.
ICA operates within the following four operational environments; Science and Technology, Education, Professional Practice and Society. It is upon these wider operational environments that ICA formed the Working Group on Mapping Africa for Africa.
It is expected that this Working Group will advise and report to CODI-Geo on the way forward in conformity with the given mandate. It is also expected that the ICA Working Group will work very closely with those Working Groups of
CODI-geo on Fundamental datasets, Standards and AFREF. All these Working Groups Will be addressing issues that go towards fulfilling the realization of Mapping Africa for Africa aspirations.
It is therefore appropriate to say that Mapping Africa
for Africa ,now popularly known as MAFA is a new initiative basically intended to accelerate the pace of geo-information activities in Africa.
The future outlook
MAFA's efforts will be achieved when the following needs have been addressed:
- Creating infrastructure to support the use of GI
- Ensuring availability and accessibility of the geographic data used for many applications.
- Developing decision- support systems
- Expanding geo-spatial capacity at individual, organizational and societal levels.
Ultimately, development in Africa will advance when people in Africa have the knowledge and capacity to identify their own spatial data problems and agree on their own solutions.