Swedesurvey was invited to read papers at a workshop on ‘Applications of GIS in Services and Utilities’ hosted by The Ministry of Communications and Technology under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Syria. The workshop brought together researchers, developers and experts in GIS in Syria and neighboring countries to serve as a forum related to GIS in services and utilities.

In his presentations, Mr. Christer Kjörneberg, Swedesurvey, stressed the importance to have an approved strategy in building a corporate GIS in an institution. Although several of the presentations focused extensively on technical aspects, the underlying message during the workshop was that GIS can be used as an effective strategic management tool.

Swedesurvey has signed a contract with the Government of Ghana for the development of an Urban Management Land Information System (UMLIS) for a selected pilot area in Accra. The main objective of the project is to develop a tool for local governments in Ghana which will help them to efficiently collect land rents as well as other municipal fees. The project owner will be the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) in co-operation with Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

It is a three year project and an important part will be capacity building of the local staff involved in the project. Swedesurvey’s local partner in Ghana, GEO-TECH Systems Ltd., will also be involved in the implementation of the project.

The project is financed by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Government of Ghana.

“East Africa Cadastral Seminar Series,” hosted a one-day seminar on “End-to-End Cadastral Solutions for Economic Development” in Kenya, Nairobi and Ethiopia, Addis Ababa and also attended at Egerton University ESRI- supported Kenya user group conference.

“East Africa Cadastral Seminar Series,” was co-organized by ESRI of Redlands, California; Swedesurvey, the international arm of the Swedish National Land Survey; International Land Systems of Virginia; and Oakar Services of Nairobi in the beginning of October. The seminar was attended by about 200 participants from various government and non-government agencies involved in land administration. The aim of the seminar was to bring a better understanding about the use of GIS and digital cadastral tools in various applications. Digital Cadastre is a crucial tool for economic development, especially in developing countries. It forms the basis for the undisputed definition of land ownership and land rights, which forms the basis for land taxation and gives land owners access to credit. To view the presentations please visit:
http://geoinfo.uneca.org/cadastrePres.htm