GIS: Supporting Environmental Planning and Management in West Africa

Each World Resources Institute report represents a timely, scholarly treatment of a subject of public concern. WRI takes responsibility for choosing the study topics and guaranteeing its authors and researchers freedom of inquiry. It also solicits and responds to the guidance of advisory panels and expert reviewers. Unless otherwise stated, however, all the interpretation and findings set forth in WRI publications are those of the authors. Acknowledgments This report would not have been possible without the support of Karen Holmes, our principal editor and writer, and Jillian Salvatore, who helps administer the work of the IWG and provides outstanding administrative support to the WRI Information Program. Hassan A. Hassan graciously provided the Preface, based on his long experience in bringing information technologies to bear on the difficult development problems in Africa. Finally, we want to thank the reviewers of the manuscript. WRI reviewers include: Department for Early Warning and Assessment). We appreciate their interest in this work and the many suggestions and observations they made. However, the final wording of the report is solely our responsibility. We wish to thank our co-authors for helping to compile information, draft country and case study reviews, and organize country workshops. Their hard work made this report possible. In a broader context, it is their expertise and dedication that have been (and will continue to be) responsible for helping to overcome the many barriers standing in the way of bringing spatial information and GIS technology to bear on social, economic, and environmental problems in their countries. We would also like to thank our colleagues on the joint USAID/World Resources Institute Information Working Group for Africa (IWG) who helped define the project and select the focal countries. The IWG reviewed the methodology, the principal findings, and the recommendations at its annual meetings. A full list of the members of the IWG can be found in Annex 6. Preface Most rural Africans depend on natural resources—the land, water, and wildlife—for their livelihoods. Even those living in the towns and cities rely on clean air and water, sanitation services, and proper waste disposal to maintain the health and well being of their families. This report, GIS: Supporting Environmental Planning and Management in West Africa, is an important one for those of us committed to improving the management, use, and conservation of natural resources and the environment in Africa. What is uniquely useful about this study is that …