"Geoinformation Sciences in Support of Africa’s Development" :: Nairobi Conference

On October 18-21, 2004, two representratives of Elizabeth City State University attended the "Nairobi Conference" in Nairobi, Kenya. This event was sponsored by the African Association of Remote Sensing of the Environment (AARSE) which is the organization responsible for all GIS remote sensing activities in Africa. Attending the conference from ECSU were Mr. Kuchumbi Hayden and Mr. Antonio Rook who delivered the presentation "Mentoring Minority Undergraduates through Remote Sensing and Geo-Information Sciences Research" (Powerpoint Presentation). This presentation was part of the research by Dr. Linda B. Hayden, Mrs. Keisha Wilkins, Mr. Kuchumbi Hayden, and Mr.Antonio Rook focused on three of the Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research (CERSER) programs which have mentored minority undergraduates through remote sensing and geo-information science research. These programs included:

• Undergraduate Research Experience in Ocean and Marine Science
• Academic Year Research Training
• and the NRL Internships Program

During the conference, attendees were able to select from several technical presentations on products used in remote sensing and to glean new techniques or methods used by others from around the world. The local organizing committee also organized wildlife and cultural safaris for conference participants.

Geoinformation Sciences In Support Of Africa’s Development

The “Nairobi Conference" is one of the bi-annual conferences, which is held under the auspices of the AARSE. AARSE was formed in 1992, and is a registered Regional Member of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) since 1994. AARSE is also the umbrella organization for all activities in remote sensing and GIS in Africa. One of its primary objectives is to increase the awareness of African governments and their institutions, the private sector and the society at large, about the empowering and enhancing benefits of developing, applying and utilising responsibly, the products and services of Geoinformation Technology.

The AARSE conference is a premier forum in Africa which brings together scientists, practitioners, educators, developers and vendors and policy and decision makers to discuss advancements (Latest developments), applications, capacity building and promotion of geo-information technologies in sustainable development of Africa. It is a forum in which participants learn and exchange ideas on the latest advancements in the technologies and their applications in different fields. Strategies for promotion and use of the technologies in Africa are also discussed.

Conference Topics included:

• The current development status of Geo-information technologies (Remote Sensing, GIS,GPS and ICT)
• The application of geoinformation technologies in the assessing and management of:
• Agriculture and forestry
• Soil
• Geology
• Water resources
• Biodiversity
• Rural and urban
• Coastal and marine resources
• Disasters
• Climate change and variability
• Environmental Database development and management
• GIS and predictive modeling
• Development of geo-spatial data infrastructure
• Education and training in geo-information sciences and earth observation.
• National, regional and international polices on space technology development and application
• Space technology and gender

5th AARSE Conference

Organized by:
The Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for development (RCMRD)

Co-sponsored by:
Ministries of Environment and Lands, Kenya
EIS-Africa
United Nations Enviromental Programme (UNEP)
UNESCO Office, Nairobi.
International Institute for Geo-information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), The Netherlands
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
MAPS Geosystems Ltd.

Conference Venue:
UNEP Headquarters, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya.