The second Municipal GIS User Seminar arranged by Buffalo City in liaison with Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) was held on 4-5 December, 2003. GIS managers from metros and major municipalities throughout South Africa were invited. The objective is to establish a forum for major municipalities' GIS users throughout the country to share knowledge and ideas about GIS strategies, data, technology, standards and applications.

The participating municipalities were Msunduzi Municipality (Pietermaritzburg); Johannesburg; Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (East Rand); Sol Plaatje Municipality (Kimberley); Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (Port Elizabeth); Tshawane Metropolitan Municipality (Pretoria); Ethekwini Municipality (Durban); George Municipality and KSD. Also Eastern Cape Department of Health attended the Seminar.

The seminar saw two days of intense discussion and dialogue between the delegates. The discussions confirmed that Buffalo City Municipality, whilst perhaps not as advanced as some of the other municipalities, is proceeding in the right direction. The general feeling at the seminar was that this type of forum is well overdue and that contact between the municipal GIS representatives must be continued. A next meeting is therefore planned in 2004.

Swedesurvey has been given the responsibility to assist Buffalo City, South Africa, in building a comprehensive GIS that will support the objectives of the Integrated Development Planning. In the first phase GIS strategies were formulated which are being implemented during the second phase now in full swing.

For more information, please contact
Christer Kjörneberg, Project Leader.

Swedesurvey's Newsletter 10, 2003 is now available in pdf-format.

Swedesurvey has recently signed a contract with the regional authorities in Northern Greece on the implementation of a land consolidation project regarding an area with olive trees on the island of Thassos. The project will be administered through Swedesurvey - Hellas SA in cooperation with our partner Giannis Gatziroulis.

On 10 - 14 November 2003, the State Enterprise Centre of Registers hosted a study visit for the Ugandan delegation comprising specialists from the Uganda Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment and other state authorities. This study visit was held in co-operation with the Swedish overseas agency Swedesurvey AB with the purpose of demonstrating the land information system designed and implemented in Lithuania and key aspects of its development.

The Minister of Lands, Hon. Isoke Matia Baguma, the Permanent Secretary, Civil Engineer. Bill K. Kabanda and seven members of the Land Information System Working Group of the Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment in Uganda are visiting Swedesurvey and the National Land Survey of Sweden during the first week of November. The visit is an activity within the project for the preparation of a detailed plan for the design, development and implementation of a land information system in Uganda, which commenced last month.

The main purpose of the visit is to demonstrate how a land information system can contribute to sustainable social and economic development, good governance and environmental conservation and how such a system can be established and made easily accessible and decentralised, using modern affordable technology. The study tour is a very important contribution in making key persons aware of the importance of a functioning land information system. It will also give examples of necessary commitments in terms of political support, legislation, organisation and financing mechanisms.

During their stay in Sweden they are visiting Swedesurvey, headquarter and local office of the National Land Survey of Sweden, the Municipality of Gävle, Gävleborg County Administration and a bank and a real estate agent in Gävle.

The group will proceed to Lithuania on Sunday for a one-week study tour arranged by Swedesurvey and the State Enterprise of Registers.

Twenty officials from CLSPI are visiting Swedesurvey in order to gain experience and establish networks within GIS, LIS, GPS and remote sensing. CLSPI is a non-profitable organisation within the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) in China. The group consists of executives, managers and engineers from both CLSPI's Head Office in Beijing and from provincial offices. During their stay in Sweden they will also visit the National Land Survey of Sweden's regional office in Kiruna to study how remote sensing is used in their production lines.

The 7th of October a delegation consisting of representatives from 7 different SIDA offices at Swedish embassies visited the Swedesurvey headquarter. The purpose of the visit was to get an insight in the work of Swedesurvey and Lantmäteriet as well as to discuss the administrative procedures for the International courses arranged by Swedesurvey. This was a fruitful day for all involved.

Late in September the Sida financed project "Capacity building for the implementation of an national spatial data infrastructure" was terminated. A seminar was held at hotel Bratislava where many people from different authorities and associations partcipated and gave their appreciation to the project results.