GIS and SDI for

Sustainable Development
Putting Information and
Communications Technologies to
Work for Nations and Communities

Agenda

What is GIS?

Why
Does It
Matter?

What is SDI?

W
g
n
hy
i
e
f
n
o
r D is
S B ed I g
I
SD
G Us in
e
s
ve I
i
p t?
o
w
l
lo Cr
e tex
v
p m it i
Ho
How Can GeoVillage
De C o n
en cal
t?
Benefit Local
ry
t
n
u
Communities?
Co

Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)

Computerized System for

Managing and Using
Intelligent Maps

GIS provides computerized tools for

capturing, managing, analyzing, and
visualizing geographic information

GIS supports many types of

uses..

converting the real world to

a digital form that can be used
and analyzed

..and allows the

comparison and display
of many thematic types
of data

More importantly, GIS has analysis,

query and visualization tools to
support many important uses..

 and it allows
us to use
location as a way
to integrate and
relate
information

Electric Utility
Customer
Records

Telephone
Customer
Records
Service
Requests

Census Data

Taxi Calls
Call Center
Complaints

11 Al Meel St

Home
Delivery

Building
Permits

Al Meel St

Emergency
Dispatch
Student
Records
Water Utility
Customer
Records

Business
Customer Records

 and it allows us to use location as

a way to integrate and relate
information from multiple sources in
useful, and sometimes critical
ways..

Fire incident, hazard material, calculation of

area likely affected based on wind
speed/direction, and notification through
reverse emergency call

Identify areas affected by a road

widening project

s
ge
on

ti o

Identify valves to be shut off in case of

water main break, and to also find what
properties will lose service so they can
be notified

C
c
f
a
Tr
Students with high
ily
a
asthma rate
D

Air Quality
Monitoring
Station

Best route for school bus based on

student locations, geocoded by address

Identify potential environmental health

and safety issues

Assess community facility and service

availability

How it used to work..

Previous survey and basemapping

Building Outlines
Utility Lines
Parcels
Street
Centerlines
Administrative
Boundaries
Street Edges
Spot Elevations
Survey Control
Points

How it needs to work today

Survey and mapped information updating
today..
Building
Permits

Building
Footprint
Other
Improvements

Transportat
ion

Road Centerlines
Turn Restrictions

Community
Facilities

Facility Locations
>20 entities

Utilities
Landscape
Others

Utility locations
Utility Characteristics

Parks and gardens

Public realm assets

Many other layers

maintained by over 27
key entities in Abu
Dhabi

Today, focus is on
updating of data topics
through the day to day
business transactions of
different units, according
to their area of
responsibility

GIS today is widely used to support

planning and operations in nearly all
sectors..

GIS today is widely used to support

planning and operations in nearly all
sectors..

Agenda

What is GIS?

g
n
i
e In
B
IS sed g
G
U pin ?
is
w
lo xt
o
e
v
H
te
De C o n
ry
t
un
o
C

Why
Does It
Matter?

How Can CII

Benefit Local
Communities?

What is SDI?

W
fo hy
r D is
ev SD
el I C
op ri
m t ic
en al
t?

Technology advances over the years

made it technically possible for more
people and organizations to be
connected.
GIS
Projects

Stand
Alone

GIS
Systems

Coordinate
d We

Distributed
Networks

Cooperati
had
veto

Spatial
Data
Infrastructu
re (SDI)
Public(
s)
Service
s

Cloud

then
invent new
institutional frameworks to take
maximum advantage of these
developments

.creating recognition that

institutional structures were needed
to optimize information sharing. The
result, Spatial Data Infrastructure
(SDI) has spread world-wide, and Abu
Dhabi has one of the more advanced
programmes (AD-SDI).

Geo Center of Excellence

New Ideas
and Methods

New Technologies
and Applications e.g.
Location Based Services,
Executive Dashboard, Mobile
Applications
2013
>65 entities
involved, with over
25 data providers,
580 layers
accessible through
common GeoPortal,
common services,
and active
Technical
Committee

SDI for
Development
Executive Council

SDI for
Development

Typical Phase 1 Implementation Approach

hase 1 Foundation
hase 2 Community Building
hase 3 Transformation

Agenda

What is GIS?

g
n
i
e In
B
IS sed g
G
U pin ?
is
w
lo xt
o
e
v
H
te
De C o n
ry
t
un
o
C

Why
Does It
Matter?

How Can CII

Benefit Local
Communities?

What is SDI?

W
fo hy
r D is
ev SD
el I C
op ri
m t ic
en al
t?

100s of Environmental Information Networks

100s of Spatial Data Infrastructures

FFooo
sseec odd &&
cuur w
riitty waatte
E
y
err
Ecc
o
d
dee onn
vvee oom
m
lloop iicc
pm
m
eenn
tt

Many Issues, Many Information

Communities, One Earth.

1000s of Data Federations

100s of National Mapping
Organizations
100s of National Statistical Bureaus

Huge
Huge
Global
Global
Challenges
Challenges

100s of International Finance

Institutions

Dozens of Standards Organizations

Need for national, regional and global information

infrastructure and coordinated efforts well
recognized

Biodiversity
Biodiversity
Conservation
Conservation
SSuusst
taaiin
D
Deevveelo naabbllee
loppm
meenntt
CCl
liim
ma
atte
e cc
hha
ann
gge
e

&
g&
inng
nni
ann
plla
rr p
ttee ee
ass ss
issa oonn
DDi sspp
tyy
iilliit
rree
taabb
l sst
ivviil
CCi
accee
PPeea
rittyy
Prroossppeeri
P

Dozens of foundations

rrttyy ioonn
e
e
v
ti
PPoov iinnaat
m
eelliim
oouurrccee
s
e
s
r
e
l
r
a
r l
N
Naattuura emeenntt
ag em
m
maannag

100s of millions of
dollars invested in the
creation of geospatial
data each year globally
Vast majority of this
information is never
used again beyond
original project
Very few SDIs in the
developing world

FFooo
sseec odd &&
cuur w
riitty waatte
E
y
err
Ecc
o
d
dee onn
vvee oom
m
lloop iicc
pm
m
eenn
tt

Global Investment in Geospatial

and Related Data is Immense

Huge
Huge
Global
Global
Challenges
Challenges

Biodiversity
Biodiversity
Conservation
Conservation
SSuusst
taaiin
D
Deevveelo naabbllee
loppm
meenntt
CCl
liim
ma
atte
e cc
hha
ann
gge
e

&
g&
inng
nni
ann
plla
rr p
ttee ee
ass ss
issa oonn
DDi sspp
tyy
iilliit
rree
taabb
l sst
ivviil
CCi
accee
PPeea
rittyy
Prroossppeeri
P

Need for more coordinated development efforts and

information management and utilization well
recognized

rrttyy ioonn
e
e
v
ti
PPoov iinnaat
m
eelliim
oouurrccee
s
e
s
r
e
l
r
a
r l
N
Naattuura emeenntt
ag em
m
maannag

Many Spatial Data Initiatives

(SDI) and data federations in
place in many countries
Focused on large
regional policy issues
Community
development efforts are
local by definition

Need for locally relevant information

infrastructure ??

Huge
Huge
Global
Global
Challenges
Challenges

rrttyy ioonn
e
e
v
ti
PPoov iinnaat
m
eelliim
oouurrccee
s
e
s
r
e
l
r
a
r l
N
Naattuura emeenntt
ag em
m
maannag

Biodiversity
Biodiversity
Conservation
Conservation
SSuusst
taaiin
D
Deevveelo naabbllee
loppm
meenntt
CCl
liim
ma
atte
e cc
hha
ann
gge
e

&
g&
inng
nni
ann
plla
rr p
ttee ee
ass ss
issa oonn
DDi sspp
tyy
iilliit
rree
taabb
l sst
ivviil
CCi
accee
PPeea
rittyy
Prroossppeeri
P

How to make SDI and

ICT4D relevant at the
local level??

FFooo
sseec odd &&
cuur w
riitty waatte
E
y
err
Ecc
o
d
dee onn
vvee oom
m
lloop iicc
pm
m
eenn
tt

Most formal information sharing

initiatives are focused at
national and regional levels

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Poverty
Mapping

Poverty mapping and related socioeconomic geostatistics

are being used extensively to develop better targeted
poverty alleviation interventions
Population
census
Household
surveys
Employment
and income
Distribution of
assets
Livelihood
systems
analysis
Poverty
determinants
assessment
Policy outcome
projections

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Project
Monitoring and
GIS provides a critical capability for tracking
Evaluation
development projects, monitoring and
assessing
their impacts, individually and cumulatively.
Project
location and
metainformation
Feasibility
studies
Project
planning and
design
Project
monitoring and
reporting
Environmental
impact
assessment
Social
safeguards

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Agriculture and
Food Security

GIS can be used to help optimize arable land and

agricultural resources and infrastructure for sustainable
and resilient food production and security
Agricultural
suitability
assessment
Food insecurity
assessment
Farm planning
and design
Precision
agriculture
Crop monitoring
and assessment
Early warning
assessment
Coop asset
management
Farm extension
management

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Water Security

Access to clean drinking water, irrigation, watershed

management, groundwater management, and other water
security factors are addressed effectively with GIS
Weather
monitoring
Watershed
analysis
Groundwater
analysis
River and stream
monitoring
Well management
Irrigation
infrastructure
asset management
Water insecurity
early warning
Water quality
assessment

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Humanitarian
Assistance

Natural disasters, military conflicts, political upheaval

have a disproportionately greater impact on the poorest
people in any country. GIS provides tools for identifying,
conducting and tracking humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarian
assistance asset
management and
tracking
Management of
Internally
Displaced People
(IDPs)
Supply chain
tracking
Relief effort
planning and
operations
Security
assessment and
operations
Inter-agency

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Cadastral
Survey and
Secure property rights support economic growth, social
Land and land
stability, encourage investment in infrastructure
improvements and other societal benefits.
GIS provides
Registration
tools to establish and manage property boundaries and
titles.

Property
boundary survey
and mapping
Land title
preparation
Informal land use
mapping
Computer
assisted tax
appraisal
Land use
regulation and
monitoring
Land suitability
assessment
Property
management

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Disaster
Management

Natural hazard
assessment
Resources at risk
assessment
Contingency plan
preparation and
drills
Disaster
response support
Post-disaster
recovery
Disaster
resistant
community
planning and
design

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Disaster
Management
2004 Banda
Aceh Tsunami

2010
Haiti
Earthqua
ke

1994
Northridge ,
USA
Earthquake

GIS has been used extensively to aid

in responses to nearly every major
natural disaster since the early 1990s

2011 Horn of
Africa Famine

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Deminin
g
GIS provides a critical capability for the
inventory, prioritization and tracking of mine
removal and maintaining community safety.

Total number of
land-mines
110 million in 64
countries

COUNTRY

TOTAL MINES

Afghanistan

10,000,000

Angola

15,000,000

Austria

Azerbaijan

100,000

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

3,000,000

Burundi

Cambodia

6,000,000

Chad

70,000

China

10,000,000

Costa Rica

Croatia

3,000,000

Cyprus

16,942

Czech Republic

Democratic Republic of the

Congo

Denmark

9,900

Djibouti

Ecuador

60,000

Egypt

23,000,000

El Salvador

10,000

Eritrea

1,000,000

Ethiopia

500,000

Falklands Islands (Malvinas)

25,000

Georgia

150,000

Germany

Guatemala

1,500

Honduras

35,000

India

Iran, Islamic Republic of

16,000,000

Iraq

10,000,000

Jammu and Kashmir

Jordan

Korea, Republic of

206,193

Kuwait

Lao Peoples Democratic

Republic

Latvia

17,000

Lebanon

8,795

Liberia

18,250

Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

Luxembourg

Mauritania

Mozambique

3,000,000

Myanmar

Namibia

50,000

Netherlands

Nicaragua

108,297

Oman

Peru

Russian Federation

Rwanda

250,000

Senegal

Slovenia

Somalia

1,000,000

Sri Lanka

Sudan

1,000,000

Syrian Arab Republic

Tajikistan

Thailand

Tunisia

Turkey

Uganda

Ukraine

1,000,000

Viet Nam

3,500,000

Yemen

100,000

Yugoslavia

500,000

Mined area
mapping
Mine removal
prioritization and
tracking
Field data
collection
Field crew
tracking and
reporting
Security
management
Public awareness
and
safety
Dollar cost
of land-

Human cost of land-mines

800 deaths a month, mostly innocent mines
civilians, with thousands more maimed To buy one: $3-$10
for life
To remove one: $300$1,000
Source:
UNICEF

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Renewable
Energy
GIS is being used widely to identify and assess
renewable energy resources all over the world,
from global to local analysis
Solar potential
modeling
Hydro power
potential assessment
Wind energy potential
analysis
Biomasss energy
potential assessment
Renewable energy
system planning and
design
Energy system asset
management
Operations and
maintenance
Energy demand
modeling

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Post Conflict
Reconstruction

Redevelopment and security are critical to sustainable

post-conflict reconstruction and stabilization. GIS
provides effective tools for prioritizing and managing
reconstruction efforts
Internally
displaced person
(IDP) camp siting
and management
Food and shelter
distribution
Security
management
Demolition and
clearing
management
Property and
housing rights
Reparations
calculation
Reconstruction
project tracking

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Health and
Human
GIS provides powerful tools for health management,
including the tracking and response toServices
chronic and
communicable diseases, among other matters.
Medical facility
inventory
Chronic disease
assessment
Epidemiology and
outbreak tracking
and response
Environmental
health
Field health
worker tracking
Mobile clinic
mgmt
Remote diagnosis
Ambulance
routing and
tracking

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Education

GIS can be incorporated to nearly every field and level of

education, thus providing important problem solving skills
and employment opportunities
Technical training
K-12 geographic
science
On the job GIS
training
Higher education and
spatial thinking and
problem solving
Applied research in
all sectors
Citizen engagement
and awareness
building
Career development
for continuing
education
International

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Climate Change

Understanding the type and extent of climate

change hazards and vulnerabilities to support
resiliency planning and adaptation efforts
Climate change
risk assessment
and contingency
planning
Emissions
reduction
planning
Carbon offsets
project planning
and design
(REDD, Blue
Carbon, etc.)
Awareness
building
Ongoing
monitoring and
assessment

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Environmental
Conservation

GIS has been used for many years all over the world
for protection of natural and cultural heritage and
community-based conservation
Habitat mapping
and analysis
Communitybased
conservation
Protected areas
management
Endangered
species
monitoring
Environmental
monitoring
Environmental
Impact
Assessment

How is GIS technology being used in

the International Development field
today?

Governance and
Democracy

GIS supports effective governance and promotion of

democratic principles, especially when open data policies
are adopted
Election
monitoring
Public polling
and opinion
measurement
Public awareness
building
Social
networking
Multi-dimension
public
information
exchange
Opinion trend
monitoring
Stakeholder
information
management

How can GIS technology be used in

the International Development field
today and tomorrow?

Green Economy

GIS provides the tools to understand and assess the intersection of local and regional
natural and socioeconomic systems, and to plan and develop communities and
economies that can evolve in ways that are sustainable, resilient and adaptable to
disruptive change, and supportive of human and ecological well-being and social
equity.

en
nm
iro

So
ci
al

v
En
t

Optimize utilization
of local natural
resources and
ecosystem services
EconoProvide
my
opportunities
for
sustainable
econommic
development and
growth
Minimize impacts to
local ecosystems
Support social
equity
Minimize and
mitigate risks, while
maximizing
opportunities
Provide evidence
based monitoring

Agenda

What is GIS?

g
n
i
e In
B
IS sed g
G
U pin ?
is
w
lo xt
o
e
v
H
te
De C o n
ry
t
un
o
C

Why
Does It
Matter?

How Can CII

Benefit Local
Communities?

What is SDI?

W
fo hy
r D is
ev SD
el I C
op ri
m t ic
en al
t?

$$
Data

Schools
Project
$$
Data

Water
Supply
Improvem
$$
ent
Sewer Data
Treatme
nt
Facility
Watershe
d
$$
Restorati
Data
on
Program

Agricult
ure
$$
Irrigatio
Data
n
Project

$$
Data

SDI for
Development

Informal
Settlemen
t
Regulariza
tion
Land Title
$$
Program
$$

Data

Data

$$
Data

Communit
y
Electrifica
$$
tion Data
Road
Constructio
n Project
$$

Communit
y
Agrofore
Data
Electrifica
Flood
$$
stry
tion
Protectio
ProjectData
n Project

Many
development
needs
Multiple projects
Different sectors
Different
Agencies
Different sources
of project
financing
Different sources
of technical
support
Different project
implementers
Different scales
of projects
Different
timeframes
Variable local
capacity
Duplication in
data collection

$$
Data

Schools
Project
$$
Data

Water
Supply
Improvem
$$
ent
Sewer Data
Treatme
nt
Facility
Watershe
d
$$
Restorati
Data
on
Program

Agricult
ure
$$
Irrigatio
Data
n
Project

$$
Data

SDI for
Development

Informal
Settlemen
International
t
Finance
Regulariza
Institutions and
tion
Technical
Land Title
Assistance
$$
Program
providers not
aware of each
others projects
Data
Project
Communit
implementers
unaware of each
y
others projects
Electrifica
$$
Government may
tion Data
lack complete
Road
picture across all
Constructio
sectors

$$

$$
Data

Data

Communit
n Project
$$
y
Agrofore
Data
Electrifica
Flood
$$
stry
tion
Protectio
ProjectData
n Project

$$

$$

Data

Data

$$
Data

$$
Data

$$
Data

$$
Data

$$
Data

$$

Data

SDI for
Development

Many projects
already creating
data
Scattered
information
$$ Little or no
Data
coordination
$$
across sectors for
Data
projects
No requirements
to repatriate data
Variable local
capacity to
$$
maintain and use
Data
data
No facility to
coordinate data
sharing across
$$
sectors
Data
Investment in data
not leveraged
beyond the initial
purpose

SDI for
Development
Better
information
= less risk

Poor
information
= more risk

Information

Risk
Good information
can increase
positive impact and
reduce risk
De-risking projects
can attract more
finance options
(sovereign funds,

$$

$$

Data

Data

$$

SDI for
Development

Data
Better
information
= less risk

$$
Data

Information

$$

$$
Data

$$$

$$
Data

Common Data
Repository

Poor
information
= more risk

$$
Data

$$
Data

$$
$$

Data

Data

Data

Risk

What required to
retain and reuse
the information we
have and attract
additional
investment???

SDI for
Development

Capacity to
effectively
manage and use
data and tools

$$$

Common Data
Repository

Project and
information
coordination

What required to
retain and reuse
this information
investment???
Policy requiring
repatriation of
project data to
host government
Policy
acknowledging
project
coordination and
SDI function in
government as an
enabling
environment for
and
effective
Capacity building
sustainable
program
development
o Central unit
o Agencies
o Other

Agenda

What is GIS?

Why
Does It
Matter?

What is SDI?

W
g
n
hy
i
e
f
n
o
r D is
S B ed I g
I
SD
G Us in
e
s
ve I
i
p t?
o
w
l
lo Cr
e tex
v
p m it i
Ho
How Can GeoVillage
De C o n
en cal
t?
Benefit Local
ry
t
n
u
Communities?
Co

eGovernment for the Bottom of the Pyramid

Putting Information and
Communications Technologies to
Work for Local Community
Development

What is GeoVillage - Community

Information Infrastructure?
GeoVillage is a conceptual framework and platform for the planning,
development, operation and management of a locally-based
information infrastructure to support sustainable and resilient
community development. The infrastructure comprises several
technical and organizational parts that fit together to put information
and communications technology and GIS for development to work for
local communities.
Linked together, a network of distributed GeoVillage nodes provides a
scalable framework for shared information, best practices, and
coordinated actions at the community, town, region and national
levels that can be linked to other eGovernment, Spatial Data
Infrastructure (SDI) and equivalent information sharing federations.

Issue Statement

Many enabling technologies becoming more accessible,

affordable, and familiar to more people across the world
Many innovative applications of information and communications
technology for development (ICT4D) arising all over the
developing world. These are having a significant impact on social
and economic development in many parts of the world
Development projects often lack sufcient environmental,
infrastructure and socioeconomic contextual and place-specific
information to properly condition, design, and monitor local
projects effectively
Much information that is needed in common is collected by
different government and non-government entities in the
development community for individual projects and programs and
at different levels (village to region), but few mechanisms in place
to share information across the community, or to even to
repatriate information to beneficiaries for future use

Issue Statement

Informal economies in many countries in transition are as

important, if not more important than the formal economy, but few
policy or infrastructure responses in place to leverage this latent
resource base
Keeping communities proactively engaged in defining local needs
and informed in regards to development initiatives in their
communities is fundamental to transformative change
Focused and coordinated development approaches needed to take
maximum advantage of the limited resources available
Lessons learned from Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), Information
and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D), and
crowd-sourcing programs and initiatives around the world provide
important foundations for a new kind of infrastructure
Community Information
Infrastructure

Foundation Renewable
Enabling
Energy Power
Telecommunications
Infrastructure Generation
GeoVillage
Foundation
Infrastructure can
be provided for
those communities
that lack
telecommunication
s and
electrification

MicroGrid

gvNET

gvVIEW

Mobile Phone,
Geographic
Internet, Email and Information System
gvPROJECT
VoIP
gvCOMMUNITY
Project Management
Internet
Local Community
and Monitoring
Website
System

gvFINANCE

gvSUCCEED

Access to
Microfinance
Networks

Best Practices
and Success
Stories

gvTRADE

gvBANK
Electronic
Banking
Services

gvHEALTH
Remote Health
Network Services

Cloud
Computing
Resources

gvLEARN

Remote Learning
Network Access

Market Prices,
Barter, Exchange,
Local and Export
Sales

gvJOBS
Employment
Opportunities

gvGROW

Agriculture
Extension
Services

vVIEW

eographic Information System

Consolidation of
relevant data for
local
development
area (LDA)
Inventory of
existing situation
Analysis of
development
issues,
opportunities
and constraints
Information
confirmed and
refined through
community social
networking

PROJECT

oject Management and Monitoring System

GIS opportunity
and constraint
analyses linked
with community
and multi-donor
engagement
process to
support better
project
formulation
Track multi-donor
and multi-sector
project locations,
resources and
status
Generate project
status reports
and maps

vNET

obile Phone, Internet, Email and VoIP

Provide basic
telephony
services and
points to charge
phones
Access through
low cost
handsets and
other portable
devices
Provide local
advanced
services for
internet, email
and VoIP
Prepaid
subscription
provides credits

gvCOMMUNITY

Local Community Website

Represent local
issues and
provide
community
information
Website could
act as a portal
to other gv
services
GV Service
providers
provided with
templates and
showcase
example local
community
websites as a
starting point

vSUCCEED

est Practices and Success Stories

Provide a Wikibased
framework for
compiling,
searching and
accessing
relevant success
stories, best
practices and
the like
Focus on subject
areas, issues
and technologies
that are relevant
to community
development
locally

vFINANCE

ccess to Microfinance Networks

Many channels
for microfinance
now available
across the world
Provide an
online
application to
identify which
microfinance
institutions may
be appropriate
for a given need,
as well as
tutorials, help
guides and
models for how
to prepare and
submit funding

gvPAY

lectronic Payment Services

SMS or online
transactions,
with secure
authentication
Reduce
transaction
costs to financial
institutions
Reduce
transaction
costs to remote
customers
(avoid half-day
travel to
physical bank,
reduce security
risks)

RADE

et Prices, Barter, Exchange, Local and Export S

Establish mechanism for

tracking and publishing
market prices for common
products. Local in this case
would refer to logical
economic market areas for
local subsistence use
Provide an online market
that in addition to cash
sales can also accommodate
barter and exchange
transitions
For selected products,
provide a framework for
connecting local primary
producers with
consolidators or regional
and international export
sellers. Focus on fair trade

gvJOBS

Employment Opportunities

Local and
regional
employment
boards (long
term, temporary
and seasonal)
Job training
opportunities
Online job
opportunities

vHEALTH

emote Health Network Services

Access to health
information networks
and resources
Remote consultation
and diagnosis
Epidemiological
reporting
Environmental health
and chronic disease
reporting
Access to clinics and
mobile facilities
Access to medical
supply material
Emergency response
support

vLEARN

emote Learning Network Access

Connect to
education networks
at various levels
Access to online
teaching and
learning resources
Trade school and
certificate programs
Connecting schools
and teachers for
professional and
cultural exchange
Home school options
Student to Student
networking for
learning

vGROW

mote Agriculture Extension Services

Support existing
field extension
services
Connectivity across
agricultural
communities and
professional
extension officers
Forum for sharing
issues, ideas and
best practices
Access to
infrastructure,
markets, finance,
and banking
Access to fair trade
certification services
and marketing

Who benefits from GeoVillage?

Community,
self-Help
Groups, Local
Development
Agencies, and
NGO's
Electrical
service
providers
Telephone
service
providers

Basic telephone and electrical services for areas that

don't have it. Promoting rural economic development
and livelihoods, where progress can be accelerated
through electrification and clean energy services,
organizational support and promotion of local
entrepreneurship and capacity building and training.
Set up of rural energy service companies (ESCO's) and
local enterprises in unelectrified and under-electrified
regions in rural areas, and tap the rural electrification
opportunity through off-grid renewable energy solutions.
Open new markets in rural areas, and expand services in
existing emerging market areas. Cell tower operators
seeking to reduce their dependence on diesel-based
generation systems and build greener operations can be
early adopters for consuming electrical services from
rural energy-service companies and provide sites that
can be anchor loads.

Who benefits from GeoVillage?

Local
government
and
community
representativ
es
Donor
agencies

Promote local economic development and investment.

Provide channels for strengthening public access to
education, finance, agricultural extension, medical, and
other important community services.

Provide better formulated and managed aid and

technical assistance projects and programs. Better
coordination among donors and with the government.
Support multi-sector community services, capacity
building and training support for rural development,
and / or are providing output-based aid, loss-default
guarantees to lenders or other financial aid.
Policy players Drive rural electrification, distributed renewable energy
and
and economic and social development mandates.
government
Support the development of multi-sector coordination
agencies
among government, donors, companies and international
organizations in regards to sustainable and resilient local
community development.

Who benefits from GeoVillage?

Companies,
Open new rural markets, and seeking assured and
industries and affordable electricity supply, telephone services, and
businesses
strengthened local labor markets
Lenders

Provide loans for capital infrastructure and working

capital: both for rural energy-service companies,
telephone and other GeoVillage services and other rural
enterprises.

Impact
investors

Support those looking to make investments: either at the

project level or at the program level: both for rural
energy-service companies, telephone and other
GeoVillage services and other and the rural enterprises

Who pays for GeoVillage?

Community,
Prepaid subscriber fees, supported through mobile
self-Help
banking services to cover phone, electrical and other
Groups, Local GeoVillage service fees.
Development
Agencies, and
NGO's
Electrical
service
providers

Startup capital investment for infrastructure through

various sources.

Telephone
service
providers

Infrastructure provided by telephone service provider.

Fees paid to electrical services business unit for
electricity provided to operate the tower(s) and other
needs

Who pays for GeoVillage?

Local
government
and
community
representativ
es
Donor
agencies

Operational budgets from government to support local

operations as government function, or fees to Local GV
Service Provider

Subsidy funding and/or user fees paid Local GV Service

Provider where needed to support initial development
and operations until facility can be financially selfsustaining. Once established, user fees paid to Local GV
Service Provider when facilities needed to support local
project activities
Policy players Subsidy funding and/or user fees paid Local GV Service
and
Provider where needed to support initial development
government
and operations until facility can be financially selfagencies
sustaining.

Who pays for GeoVillage?

Companies,
User fees paid to Local GV Service Provider for services
industries and used
businesses
Lenders

Provide loans for capital infrastructure and working

capital: both for rural energy-service companies,
telephone and other GeoVillage services and other rural
enterprises. Loans repaid through operating revenue

Impact
investors

Provide loans for capital infrastructure and working

capital: both for rural energy-service companies,
telephone and other GeoVillage services and other rural
enterprises. Loans repaid through operating revenue

GeoVillage
Community Information Infrastructure

How can GIS technology be used in

the International Development field
today and tomorrow?

GIS provides the tools to understand and assess the intersection of local and regional
natural and socioeconomic systems, and to plan and develop communities and
economies that can evolve in ways that are sustainable, resilient and adaptable to
disruptive change, and supportive of human and ecological well-being and social
equity.

Is increased GIS, SDI, and ICT

for development at multiple
scales feasible??

v
En
en
nm
iro

So
ci
al

Econo
my

What challenges??

GeoVillage
Community Information Infrastructure

ption #1 - There is no local information available..

Experience suggests that in most cases there is vastly more information
existing than most people realize because it is scattered across many
agencies
and in many
different forms.
Fundamental
Data
Wide variety of data often
Uncovered Through Data
available in different
Inventory and Assessment
government and commercial
Activity
sources
Sector-specific data from local
government sources
International organizations
NGOs and charitable
organizations
Private companies (international
and local)
Declassified information from
security and military sources
Crowd-sourced information (e.g.

GeoVillage
Community Information Infrastructure

tion #2 - The people are not ready for technology

Enabling Technologies
Global Positioning
Satellites (GPS)

Cloud
Comput
ing

Cell phones outpacing electrification in

many parts of the world
Mobile devices increasingly able to
connect to Internet and are locationaware
Mixed media can provide access for
semi-literate
Communications infrastructure seen as
development priority in most countries
Cloud computing reducing need for
heavy local computing resources
Distributed options for local renewable
energy sources becoming more
feasible

Global
Telecommunicatio
ns

74

GeoVillage
Community Information Infrastructure

eption #3 - Technology is expensive.

Price of basic computers has

declined drastically while
capabilities have soared
ICT4D bringing lots of low cost,
appropriate tech solutions in
response to real world needs
Education systems at all levels
in most parts of the world
incorporating computing at
some level

75

GeoVillage
Community Information Infrastructure

ception #4 - Change is difficult.

Cell phone adoption faster than any

other technology adoption in
history;
Social networking placeholder
Mobile telephony and basic
computing in wide usage in the
developing world and growing
rapidly;
Basic technology only requires basic
literacy, but encourages increased
literacy and technology familiarity
through usage for practical
purposes.

76

GeoVillage
Community Information Infrastructure

ception #4 - Change is difficult.

Cell phone adoption faster than any

other technology adoption in
history;
Social networking placeholder
Mobile telephony and basic
computing in wide usage in the
developing world and growing
rapidly;
Basic technology only requires basic
literacy, but encourages increased
literacy and technology familiarity
through usage for practical
purposes.

77

Agenda

What is GIS?

g
n
i
e In
B
IS sed g
G
U pin ?
is
w
lo xt
o
e
v
H
te
De C o n
ry
t
un
o
C

Why
Does It
Matter?

How Can CII

Benefit Local
Communities?

What is SDI?

W
fo hy
r D is
ev SD
el I C
op ri
m t ic
en al
t?

SDI for
Development
Better information needed for better development
project planning and execution;
Better planned and coordinated projects produce better
results and attract more investment;
There is already significant investment in data going on,
but it is not retained for use beyond initial project;
Leveraging this investment requires a combination of
high level direction and support, institutional
cooperation, and capacity building;
Policies are required for government and international
finance institutions and development aid organizations
to recognize SDI as a sustainable development enabling
environment, and to require that data produced from
projects is submitted to the host government;
Local communities need local solutions ICT4D is
bringing new opportunities that can be tailored to local
conditions. The GeoVillage concept provides an
organized framework for government to facilitate local
solutions;
The return on investment in SDI and GeoVillage can be

GIS and SDI for

Sustainable Development
Putting Information and
Communications Technologies to
Work for Nations and Communities