AFRICAGIS has become the premier event focusing on the development and application of geoinformation technologies in Africa. Significantly, the event has become the principal forum in Africa where geo-information practitioners, policy and decision makers, sectoral specialists, technology vendors and service providers, scientists and other interest groups from all over Africa and abroad, meet and share knowledge and experience. Over the years AFRICAGIS has grown in stature and size, increasingly attracting hundreds of participants from Africa and abroad. Additional background and history can be found in the write-up on the conference series which is annexed to this brief.

AFRICAGIS 2005 Conference and Exhibition (AFRICAGIS ’05) marks the 12th anniversary of the launching of this major event. It will be hosted by the Geo-Information Society of South Africa (GISSA).

MAIN CONFERENCE THEME

AFRICAGIS ’05 is intended to take people beyond talking about what can be done with geo-information, and to explore and highlight what is being done with geo-information in Africa. This has resonance with the discussions at AFRICAGIS ’03, and builds upon the theme of relevance from that event. Several speakers had pointed out that geo-spatial data has become increasingly available, and that technological barriers to the effective use of geo-information in supporting development are steadily being eroded. Other speakers challenged African practitioners to come up with real examples of where geo-information had made an impact on people’s lives, particularly through support to local development efforts.

There are many ongoing initiatives in a number of areas in Africa, in which geo-information and GIS technology are being exploited — in areas as diverse as combating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and in governance. The trend towards wider application of GIS, going beyond natural resource management, was apparent at AFRICAGIS ’03, with papers relating to land administration and management, health and local development being presented. Through the Geo-information Sub-committee of the UNECA Committee on Development Information (CODI-GEO), there is currently a project underway to encourage the standardized, digital capture of base maps for countries in Africa, by African mapping agencies under the banner of “Mapping Africa for Africa”. Poverty reduction strategies and NEPAD’s Peer Review Mechanism are likely to further stimulate the usage of and reliance upon geo-information in Africa. These are extending the body of knowledge and experience in geo-information in Africa, and catalyse better integration of the African statistical community, with the existing geo-information management community for which the conference will provide a platform for sharing.

The theme for AFRICAGIS ‘05 is therefore “Beyond Talk: Geo-information working for Africa.” The conference will address itself to the challenge of demonstrating the relevance of geo-information as a decision-support tool to support local, national, sub-regional, and regional priorities, as well as emerging issues. With this theme the conference organisers hope to encourage contributions emphasising what has been achieved through more effective geo-information management and utilisation in Africa. The core theme will explore local-level applications of geo-information to planning and development; equitable access to, and effective use of resources and basic services; and the vulnerability of populations to, and mitigation of disasters; incidence and management of diseases; poverty reduction projects at community level and the improvement of local development planning and governance, through the sharing of information resources at local level.

The conference will also explore global issues and initiatives that impact on the development and application of geo-information Africa. Achievements in the area of geo-information will also be assessed in the global context. Partnership approaches which have contributed to the development of geo-information and its impact on the developmental agenda will also be explored.

CLICK HERE FOR SUB-THEMES

Invited keynote speakers will address the conference each day on the sub-themes. In addition, technical sessions (papers, posters, and workshops) will be scheduled in such a way as to further reinforce the day’s theme.

WORKSHOPS

There will be full-day thematic pre-conference workshops, as well as demonstration and topical workshops that will run parallel to the technical sessions. Consistent with the theme of the conference, emphasis in the workshops will be on what is being done, rather than what might be done, with geographic information and technologies.

PANEL DISCUSSION

There will be the traditional “wrap up” panel session to tie things up into a coherent conference output. A panel of discussants will highlight and critique endeavours, reinforcing issues raised, identifying key lessons, and noting major recommendations which have been made from the different segments of the conference — from technical papers, poster presentations, workshops, and exhibits. The session will also provide time for articulating, summarising, and formally adopting the conclusions of the conference before the formal closing ceremony.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

A full 5-day conference and exhibition has been planned. The schedule of events has therefore been planned to give ample time for presentations and to enrich the conference experience and value for all participants. There will be 2-3 keynote speakers during the plenary sessions, and at most 5 (ideally 4) speakers per technical session.

Four technical sessions and two workshops have tentatively been scheduled to run in parallel using all the rooms. Decisions as to whether to run all sessions will be taken closer to the conference on the strength of confirmed submissions.

Daily events are scheduled to start at 08:30. This is to allow time for delegates to visit the exhibitions before settling in for the morning plenary sessions. This also allows for time to be scheduled in the afternoons for additional plenary presentations (by exhibitors, vendors and service providers), and also for participants to spend time at the exhibits before departing to their respective hotels.

Technical visits to selected institutions have also been planned. Details published in due course. In addition, and heeding to "popular request" a mid-week break in the technical programme has been introduced to allow for some cooling off. A city tour will be organized during this time.

The Technical exhibition will provide the opportunity to participants to display and present projects related to GIS technology. The aim of this exhibition is to reflect on the influence GIS had on development in Africa over the past few years. As the commercial exhibition, the technical exhibition will form an integral part of the conference. You are therefore invited to submit projects for this important exhibition. Entry forms will be made available under the Exhibitions area of this site. A separate form for each project is needed in order to compile the Project Exhibition Catalogue. Prizes will be given for the best entries in each category"