Canadian Support Project for GEONAT in Tunisia
Support the Tunisian government in the development of a national geomatics plan to ensure better monitoring of land use and the sustainable management of resources while ensuring the sustainable management of the environment.
Objectives
- Create a national geomatics plan.
- Provide geomatics training/education.
- Enhance Tunisian expertise in geomatics.
- Develop information structures comprising a reference framework that is shared, reliable, accessible and conducive to the development of implemented geomatics work.
Partners
- Earth Sciences Sector (ESS), Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)
- Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)
- Tunisian Government
Duration
From 2000 to 2005
Background
CIDA commissioned this project under an agreement between Canada and Tunisia for a $4.5-million program, signed in October 2000. An administrative agreement between CIDA and NRCan identified ESS as the Executing Agency for the GEONAT project.
The need of a national program became an issue when many government departments started acquiring geographic information systems and digital geographic data to address their specifics needs, without considering the needs of others departments. This information could not, most of the time, be shared with other users therefore creating significant duplication in the acquisition of geospatial data. The GEONAT program addresses the needs of the entire geomatics community in Tunisia to ensure that a single process exists to minimize duplication and encourage users to share the information.
Over its five years, this program achieved its objectives by:
- delivering information sessions to managers, leaders, and decision-makers from various Tunisian government departments that use geospatial information;
- creating a national geomatics plan (SGN); and
- creating a GEONAT web site.
The SNG was completed by the Canadian geomatics firm DMR Conseil from Québec City. The training component was done through Laval University. It prepared an educational geomatics program for a group of 25 Tunisians from the various government departments. The ten sessions of two weeks each were held in Tunis. A special training program for managers, providing them with a series of applications where geomatics is used in the planning and implementation phase of National Programs was also completed.
For more information, please visit the GEONAT program Web site.
Contact
Denis Haché – Program Manager
Tunisian operators collecting data from aerial photography