The conference theme Beyond Talk: Geo-information working for Africa will be explored through the following sub-themes which will emphasise actual implementation:

Sub-theme 1: Geo-information for local integrated development

Geo-information needs to be seen to be making a difference to people’s quality of life at the local level. The theme will explore the use of geo-information and GIS technology in the mitigation of impediments to access by indigenous people, tenant-labourers, disadvantaged groups, women, land owners, industry, developers, government, etc., to a variety or resources and opportunities, including land, minerals, housing, basic services, infrastructure, economic opportunity, etc., for development.

The conference will highlight the use of geo-information in local governance applications, such as integrated development planning, local economic development, and spatial development frameworks; access to land, ownership and tenure, land use conflicts, and land reform; local economic development; infrastructural development; empowerment of disadvantaged communities; access to, and opportunities to leverage local resources for development; and the delivery of, and access to basic services.

The term integrated is used in this sub-theme to bring home the importance of partnerships for meaningful local development.

Sub-theme 2: Geo-information and integrated disaster risk management

In recent years disasters appear to have, unfortunately, become a fairly regular occurrence. In general, poor communities tend to be the most vulnerable, and bear the brunt of these extreme events which, by their very nature, also undermine sustainable development efforts. Reducing the impact of such events requires a comprehensive approach that is based on sound information and knowledge. Geo-information technologies have been demonstrated to provide useful tools for the identification and analysis of risk, contingency planning, management, monitoring, early warning, and assessment of the impact disaster. This sub-theme will explore issues regarding the vulnerability of communities to extreme events, including natural disasters, drought, crop failures, etc., and the role geo-information tools can play in minimising disaster risk and vulnerability in Africa.

Sub-theme 3: Spatial data infrastructure in Africa: the way forward

A framework that facilitates the sharing of geo-spatial information among the variety of users results in significant cost savings in respect of harmonising data formats, archiving of data, metadata development to facilitate data discovery, and its use in decision making processes. Indeed, countless workshops and conferences have extolled the importance and benefits of spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for Africa. There have been, and still are initiatives to reduce duplication of effort among agencies that collect data, improve data quality, and reduce costs related to geo-spatial data. There are also efforts to make geo-information more accessible and available to the public, and to increase the benefits of using available information. This sub-theme is intended to provide a platform for a more strategic focus on these initiatives, and review of the status of SDI development in Africa. More importantly, emphasis in discussions will be on how implementing SDI has made a difference in Africa. Given that the majority of SDI programmes operate at a national level, the sub-theme also provides a platform for exploring factors that impeded SDI development, and approaches for making harmonised geo-spatial data more readily available at a scale that would allow real transaction-based information exchanges at a regional level.

Sub-theme 4: Geo-demographics and business geographics

This is the first time that a theme will be devoted to demography and business geographics at AFRICAGIS. The inclusion is a positive indication of the growing number of business organisations which are adopting the use of this technology as part of their methodologies of creating business or establishing their competitive edge. Location is core to many industry sectors including, financial services, and telecommunication and retail organisations. In Business Geographics the challenge lies not in land use or environmental issues, but rather the potential return on investment the organisation can receive in deploying this technology. Another critical factor of focus is how the technology is able to integrate with other mainstream IT functions. Business Geographics can answer many questions including: where is the best site to open a new store or introduce a new product? Were do my customers live and work? Where are my competitors active? The challenge in focusing on this theme is to highlight how geo-information can be leveraged to add value to business processes, or create opportunities, taking into consideration demography and location.

Sub-theme 5: Partnerships for development in geo-information

This sub-theme will emphasise the value of partnerships in bringing about the development of capacity and support structures, including telecommunication systems to facilitate access to available geoinformation and data resources, marketing, and brokerage services, for the real take-off of the geo-information sector in Africa. Partnerships will be interpreted to cover public-private partnerships, increased co-operation between various government agencies, as well as international partnerships, e.g. sub-regional co-operation. In particular, the active participation of the private sector in the production, management of, and development of appropriate geo-spatial information applications in Africa will be explored.

Invited keynote speakers will address the conference each day on these 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.