Chapter 11 Modern Cartography, Policy Issues and the Developing Nations: Rhetoric and Reality

Publisher Summary Nations” is a euphemism used by the rich nations to describe the poor and before discussing some of the policy issues in the chapter relating to the way modern cartography can make a contribution to the solution of development problems the nature of these problems needs to be considered. The World Bank study of Environmental Information Systems concludes with an epilog thatidentifies six major challenges facing developing nations, if geoinformation systems are to succeed in playing a more significant role in African Development. None of these major challenges is technological. Generalizing on development issue and on developing nations is fraught with difficulties. Development is a dynamic concept and is both site and time specific. In the application of ITC and of modern cartography, there are examples where developing nations are leading the world, such as the Malaysian case, and at the other extreme, nations that are being left far behind in the information revolution. To suggest that information and communications technologies (ICT), and GIP, in particular, will solve all development problems is unrealistic but on the other hand to suggest that these are inappropriate technologies for developing nations is equally misguiding.