Namibia Municipal GIS and other International GIS News

Namibia

Ephraim Katjatjena, the spokesperson of the Omururu Municipality, said the town recently launched its Geographical Information System (GIS) in conjunction with the Polytechnic of Namibia and the Tavastia Vocational Training College in Finland.  This places Omaruru in a leading role with regard to GIS, along with towns such as Windhoek, Rundu, Walvis Bay and Otjiwarongo.  

- New Era

Pakistan

Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has approved Pakistan Space Policy and it is likely to be presented in National Assembly for its consideration and approval soon, Chairman, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Major General Ahmed Bilal informed business community on Thursday [Feb 9].

Space work has been slow going during the past 40 years, but some success with satellite imagery for agriculture is helping move initiatives forward.

- Business Recorder

Tunisia

At the first ever Geospatial Conference in Tunisia (GCT), held from February 9^th to 10^th, the consensus was loud and clear: Tunisia must revamp its cartography with the latest geospatial innovations if it wants to develop efficient industries and infrastructure projects across the country.

- Tunisia Live

Fiji

The Secretariat of the Pacific community (SPC) is working with the Fiji Department of Forestry to build capacity in using very high resolution satellite images to map land and forest cover in Fiji.

- Solomon Times

The Phillippines

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) today unveiled a new website - with maps!

Another important feature of the new website is the Mobile Mapping Service, a facility for viewing the locations of health facilities and provides a visualization of various corporate data using maps. Office Locations shows the locations of PhilHealth’s Regional and Branch offices. Once the link is clicked, the Google map of the Philippines will be displayed. Overlaid on the Google map are the locations of the Regional and Branch Offices shown using the PhilHealth logo as the symbol.

Under the Health Facilities Locations, the Google map will show by default all health facilities that are already mapped. This facility will enable the site visitor to see the location of a specific health facility on the Google map and its photograph. At the same time, the PhilHealth GIS Application System (PhilGIS) can show statistical data on accreditation, claims, collections, and membership data in map forms or statistical maps. These maps are shown by regions and by provinces. (PhilHealth)

- Phillippine Information Agency

ROI for Chicago’s Tree Trimming GIS Use and other Government GIS News

[Chicago  Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Tom] Byrne said the blitzing now permits crews to trim 20 trees a day instead of 14.

The maps are based both on observation by city employees and by callers to the city’s 311 non-emergency line. Byrne said that in less than four months, use of the program has reduced the number of backlogged tree-trimming requests from 30,000 to 23,000, with a blitz taking place in each of the city’s 50 wards roughly twice a month.

...Byrne said it saves on manpower, fuel and mechanical wear and addresses complaints more quickly.

The app was first used to map crime, now tree trimming requests. Next up: graffitti.

- CBS Chicago

2011 NAIP 1 meter, 4 band aerial photography is now available in Image Server (image.agrc.utah.gov). This imagery was acquired statewide in the summer of 2011 as a part of the National Agriculture Imagery Program and is also available for FTP download as well.

- Utah GIS Portal

The county will now offer its global information mapping services at no cost to area school corporations.

Allen County commissioners approved a new membership agreement with Fort Wayne Community Schools today that will eliminate the fees the county normally charges for sharing mapping information, said Dave Estes, who manages the county’s GIS office.

The legislation that requires those fees has retricted the county from contributing to IndianaMap, the state's map.

- Journal Gazette (I contacted the paper about the expansion of "GIS" above)

"Investigators consider making map of arson fires" is the headline in the local paper in Kamploops, BC. They have a list of the suspicious fires. I wonder what they are waiting for?

- Kamloops Daily News

Esri is among those noted in new project cited in a press release from the White House discussing its Global Development Policy.

• A new “app store” for development to spur humanitarian apps and software: USAID has joined forces with today’s leading technology companies to build an “app store” for development-oriented software.  The platform will enable public and private technology interventions to be scaled and replicated across multiple countries, programs, and implementers while creating a marketplace of ideas and applications.   This partnership will take advantage of the knowledge of “cloud computing experts” from major technology companies such as HP, Cisco, Accenture, and ESRI to increase the productivity and efficiency of USAID’s development assistance.

- fact sheet via @michael_d_gould

Pictometry: One Third of U.S. Counties Use Us

I found the reference to one third of US counites using oblique imagery in a local news story on a new user in Minnesota:

The aerial oblique imagery services were purchased at a cost of $127,719 from Rochester, New York headquartered, Pictometry, using non-tax levy recorder fee and 911-funds budgeted prior to the new year. According to information from the company, one-third of U.S. counties now utilize the oblique imagery.

The company website puts it this way:

As a result, nearly one third of counties in the United States now rely on Pictometry solutions to ensure fair and equitable assessments and improve their internal work processes for claims communications with residents and more.

- Granite Falls Advocate Tribune (MN)

Congress: NOAA Should Explore Charging for its Satellite Data

For decades, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been carving satellite data into customized chunks that help other federal agencies solve some unusual problems—at no cost to the users. But faced with soaring NOAA satellite costs and a bleak budget outlook, lawmakers last month ordered the agency to explore ways of charging other federal agencies—and perhaps even some large consortiums of academic scientists that partner with government agencies—for its "specialized data products." It's time, they argue, for beneficiaries to help NOAA sustain a cash-strapped satellite program. A storm is brewing over the suggestion.

What Colleges are Using and other Education GIS News

Among the geo tools you can learn about (for use in reserach/classes in any discipline) at Duke:

GeoCommons

Google Earth Pro

ArcGIS

and Tableau Public but that's not noted as a GIS tool.

- Duke GIS and Data Blog

Dr. Seidu Mohammed, Director General, National Space Research and Development Agency [Nigeria] said deployment of satellite technology remained Nigeria's antidote to tackle the various environmental challenges facing the country.

Nigerian scientists are working with the University of Missouri to use imagery to do  environmental assessment of oil spill damages in the Niger Delta as well as an assessment of the Lake Chad.

- All Africa

A review of educational standards in the UK have led to the recommnedation, among others,. that geography be studied between ages 14-16.

It recommended that all pupils in England should study geography, history and a foreign language between the ages of 14 and 16, in some form, even if their courses did not lead to full GCSEs.

New standards are expected in 2014.

- Telegraph

The Casper Mountain Science School, Wyoming (CMSS) teaches K-12 students at Eadsville, a mining camp on Casper Moutain. The log schoolhouse and the town around the camp shut down a century ago and current students explore the history and geography of the area. And, local college students help enhance the K-12 program.

A group from Casper College’s advanced GIS (geographic information system) class created a layer of digital, interactive maps complete with pictures and historical information about Eadsville for those students.

- Casper Journal