A comparative analysis of stakeholder roles in the spatial data infrastructures of South Africa, Namibia and Ghana

Spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) at various levels (global, regional national, local and corporate) are being developed by and in countries around the world. We assess here the SDI developments in three African countries, Ghana, Namibia and South Africa, using the SDI models developed by the Commission on Geoinformation Infrastructures and Standards of the International Cartographic Association (ICA), focusing on the stakeholders and their roles: the Policy Maker, Producer, Provider, Broker, Value-Added Reseller (VAR) and End User. SDI development in all three countries has involved a variety of stakeholders and has taken a long time, waxing and waning depending on the availability of funding and the commitment of the stakeholders, particularly the Policy Makers. This research on the similarities and differences of the SDI stakeholders in Ghana, Namibia and South Africa improves the understanding of SDI development and we hope that the results can help other countries with their own SDI developments. Based on our work, we make recommendations for refining the ICA’s stakeholder typology

Challenges and Opportunities for Spatial Data Infrastructure Development in Mozambique

Atumane, A. A. P., & Cabral, P. (2019). Challenges and Opportunities for Spatial Data Infrastructure Development in Mozambique. Journal of Map and Geography Libraries, 15(1), 7-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/15420353.2019.1661932The importance of access to spatial data for development and resource management is widely acknowledged worldwide. Unrestricted, reliable and efficient access to accurate, timely, and up-to-date spatial data may be achieved through a spatial data infrastructure. Thus, most developed countries implemented and continue to develop their spatial data infrastructure. In Africa, there is a growing number of governments committed to spatial data infrastructure development. This paper aims to contribute to initialize an spatial data infrastructure in Mozambique. We identified and characterized through a survey the government institutions producing, sharing, and using spatial data in the country to estimate their potential contribution to the development of the Mozambican spatial data infrastructure. We found 12 institutions producing 15 thematic datasets which can constitute the core of the spatial data infrastructure for Mozambique. Two government agencies have the technical skills and policies to make spatial data available to the public. Based on the possible contribution of these institutions, this paper proposes an spatial data infrastructure for Mozambique based on four pillars: i) organizational framework; ii) legal framework; iii) technical framework; and iv) accessibility.authorsversionpublishe

Championing a Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure Southern African Customs Union Case

Context and backgroundInfusion of technologies such as Geographical Information Systems into organizations has in most cases been associated with the concept of championing. Geographical Information Systems when developed across countries and/or regions, are integrable to create Spatial Data Infrastructure. In the Southern African Customs Union region, the concept of Spatial Data Infrastructures at national level have been acknowledged and/or kick-started. The efforts by these countries in development of National Spatial Data Infrastructures are evaluated with the aim of advancing a Southern African Customs Union Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure. This region has been incepted as collaborative trade block of the member countries. In the context of geospatial information, it is advanced that the region has discoverable opportunities and organizational platform for Spatial Data Infrastructure. A consideration is made that spatial data is capable of strengthening operational, tactical and strategic endeavors of Southern African Customs Union by providing evidence-based support to decisions and policy making.Goal and Objectives:The objective being interrogated in this paper, is the discoverability of geospatial data and information systems in Southern African Customs Union that can be integrated with its trade data and championed into Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure.Methodology:Mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative was used. In qualitative form, documents, questionnaires, interviews and workshop attendance have been utilized to decipher the attitudes of various stakeholders within Southern African Customs Union towards a Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure Concept. In a quantitative form, discoverable data has been found then further processed in line with the goal and objectives stated above.Results:Results obtained have enabled an elementary geodatabase proposition and maps of the region with a number of macroeconomic indicators. Furthermore, a discussion has been done to advance a preliminary determination of sponsor and champion of Southern African Customs Union Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure

Capacitating local governments for the digital earth vision : lessons learnt from the role of municipalities in the South African spatial data infrastructure

The Digital Earth vision foresees the availability and accessibility of geospatial information to achieve the goals of sustainable development, economic growth and social well-being. In the case of urban areas, up-to-date geospatial information is essential for managing a city towards achieving these goals. The rapid shift from rural to urban areas globally puts pressure on local governments and they often struggle to find and organise the resources required to collect and maintain geospatial information that can help to address urban growth challenges. A spatial data infrastructure (SDI) can facilitate the availability and accessibility of geospatial information towards addressing national objectives, however, the involvement of local governments in an SDI can be a challenge. In this paper, we critique the role of municipalities against the backdrop of the developments of the South African SDI (SASDI) to date. The critique identifies five high-level shortcomings of the SASDI that have led to the limited participation of municipalities. Based on the shortcomings, we provide recommendations for capacitating municipalities through SASDI so that the Digital Earth vision can also be achieved for municipalities. These recommendations are aimed at involving the local sphere of government in a national SDI and are equally applicable to other countries.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjde20hj2022Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

Planning Cities in Africa

This open access book provides insights into challenges, threats and opportunities of urban development in Africa. It discusses how and why African cities need localised urban planning concepts and theories to deal with challenges and threats of rapid urbanisation and climate change. The book delivers an in-depth view of the nature and gaps of the framework on which current planning practice and education in Africa are based. With that, it discusses the potentials of African cities to mobilise local knowledge, resources and capacity building for sustained and resilient urban growth. This work is addressed to educationists and practitioners in the field of urban development management, climate change adaptation and urban resilience. Specifically, such audiences include researchers, spatial planners, graduate students and member of civil societies working on urban development management

Water use options for regional development : potentials of new water technologies in Central Northern Namibia

The CuveWaters project relates the alignment and implementation of innovative water technologies to an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Cuvelai-Etosha-Basin, which lies in Central Northern Namibia. The aim here is to improve inhabitants’ living conditions by means of appropriate technical schemes and measures – particularly with a view to enhancing water supply and basic sanitation (incl. waste water disposal). A focal part of Cuve-Waters concerns the re-use of water, efficient use of water and utilisation of different water qualities for different purposes (multi-resource mix). With respect to urban conditions and the problems of adequate supply and sanitation, the prospect of a semi-decentralised infrastructure system is under investigation, a concept which includes rainwater utilisation as well as waste water collection and treatment. One major option for such systems, in which waste water is considered a valuable resource, is a washing house combining effective waste water collection (vacuum sewer) with high-tech separation techniques (generation of energy, nutrients and waste water processing). Cleaned waste water – free of bacteria, viruses or pathogens – and fertiliser from an anaerobic waste water treatment plant can be re-used for irrigation in small scale agriculture to enhance food security and/or generate alternative income through the marketing of fresh produce. Energy, in the form of biogas, can be used for cooking or lighting. On the rural sites of the study area, adequate water supply poses a major challenge, for which three technology options are investigated here: rainwater harvesting, solar-coupled desalination of brackish groundwater, and managed aquifer recharge. Suitable technology options are selected for different sites in a participatory process (cf. CuveWaters Project 2008a, CuveWaters Project 2008b). Thus, general aims of the project in terms of providing regional economic impetus and improving livelihoods are: - to link integrated water resources management to land issues, develop the technology needed to build capacity, and achieve better governance; - to bring together supply- and demand-driven approaches in developing the infrastructure; - to consider water as related to other resources (land, energy, nutrients) and other fields of sustainability such as poverty reduction, equality and regional development. From these project objectives arise the key questions driving the surveys documented in this paper: what impetus for regional development can be expected from the implementation of technological options selected for the CuveWaters project? What constraints and obstacles need to be considered here, particularly in terms of incorporating the technologies into strategies of IWRM? What conclusions can be drawn when it comes to the supervision of implementation (training, capacity building, governance)? After an introduction the economic and social situation in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin along with the conditions for urban agriculture is outlined. This is followed by the discussion of the potentials for water-related activities in the region, taking into account additional water uses and the operation and development of infrastructures, whilst investigating the potentials of urban agriculture for Central Northern Namibia. Finally, these potentials are summarized and conclusions pertaining to flanking measures for technical implementation are drawn

Planning Cities in Africa

This open access book provides insights into challenges, threats and opportunities of urban development in Africa. It discusses how and why African cities need localised urban planning concepts and theories to deal with challenges and threats of rapid urbanisation and climate change. The book delivers an in-depth view of the nature and gaps of the framework on which current planning practice and education in Africa are based. With that, it discusses the potentials of African cities to mobilise local knowledge, resources and capacity building for sustained and resilient urban growth. This work is addressed to educationists and practitioners in the field of urban development management, climate change adaptation and urban resilience. Specifically, such audiences include researchers, spatial planners, graduate students and member of civil societies working on urban development management

The Evolution of National Spatial Data Infrastructure in Pakistan - Implementation Challenges and the Way Forward

Geospatial data are produced by several organizations located at various places, and that is clearly a distributed environment. Many technical and institutional issues need to be resolved to share data in such an environment and to eventually enable regional development. For this matter, many countries implement Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) for the last 40 years. Since 2010, also Pakistan is striving to implement an SDI at the national level (NSDI). However, so far, the promised benefits have not yet been achieved. This study explores the evolution of the NSDI in Pakistan from 2010 till 2020 to reveal what kind of challenges the country is facing. Given the importance of stakeholders' support for the implementation of SDIs, we conducted a stakeholder analysis and a dedicated survey. We adopted the power-interest grid method to classify stakeholders' interests based on their authority to influence the NSDI development. Among other, the results show that stakeholders’ low participation due to insufficient technological, financial, and human resources impedes NSDI implementation efforts in the country

Water use options for regional development. Potentials of new water technologies in Central Northern Namibia

The CuveWaters project relates the alignment and implementation of innovative water technologies to an Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in the Cuvelai-Etosha-Basin, which lies in Central Northern Namibia. The aim here is to improve inhabitants’ living conditions by means of appropriate technical schemes and measures – particularly with a view to enhancing water supply and basic sanitation (incl. waste water disposal). A focal part of Cuve-Waters concerns the re-use of water, efficient use of water and utilisation of different water qualities for different purposes (multi-resource mix). With respect to urban conditions and the problems of adequate supply and sanitation, the prospect of a semi-decentralised infrastructure system is under investigation, a concept which includes rainwater utilisation as well as waste water collection and treatment. One major option for such systems, in which waste water is considered a valuable resource, is a washing house combining effective waste water collection (vacuum sewer) with high-tech separation techniques (generation of energy, nutrients and waste water processing). Cleaned waste water – free of bacteria, viruses or pathogens – and fertiliser from an anaerobic waste water treatment plant can be re-used for irrigation in small scale agriculture to enhance food security and/or generate alternative income through the marketing of fresh produce. Energy, in the form of biogas, can be used for cooking or lighting. On the rural sites of the study area, adequate water supply poses a major challenge, for which three technology options are investigated here: rainwater harvesting, solar-coupled desalination of brackish groundwater, and managed aquifer recharge. Suitable technology options are selected for different sites in a participatory process (cf. CuveWaters Project 2008a, CuveWaters Project 2008b). Thus, general aims of the project in terms of providing regional economic impetus and improving livelihoods are: - to link integrated water resources management to land issues, develop the technology needed to build capacity, and achieve better governance; - to bring together supply- and demand-driven approaches in developing the infrastructure; - to consider water as related to other resources (land, energy, nutrients) and other fields of sustainability such as poverty reduction, equality and regional development. From these project objectives arise the key questions driving the surveys documented in this paper: what impetus for regional development can be expected from the implementation of technological options selected for the CuveWaters project? What constraints and obstacles need to be considered here, particularly in terms of incorporating the technologies into strategies of IWRM? What conclusions can be drawn when it comes to the supervision of implementation (training, capacity building, governance)? After an introduction the economic and social situation in the Cuvelai-Etosha Basin along with the conditions for urban agriculture is outlined. This is followed by the discussion of the potentials for water-related activities in the region, taking into account additional water uses and the operation and development of infrastructures, whilst investigating the potentials of urban agriculture for Central Northern Namibia. Finally, these potentials are summarized and conclusions pertaining to flanking measures for technical implementation are drawn.water use; urban gardening; poverty reduction; development; Integrated Water Resources Management; Namibia; Africa