UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
World Bank- Environment Info. Systems

World Bank- Environment Info. Systems

Message #711 - Africa Link Echo Date: 03-May-93 18:00 WORLD BANK

PROGRAM ON ENVIRONMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

From: Koffi Kouakou To: All Subject: Program on Environment Information Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa

Hello, I would like to introduce myself to all of you and tell you that I am point 1:109/151.53 off the Baobab. My name is Koffi M. Kouakou. I have been operational for a while but I have not posted anything significant yet.

The reason I am broadcasting this message is to inform you about the Program I coordinate at the World Bank, the Program on Environment Information Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.

This multi-donor program was initiated by the World Bank in conjunction with other donors and international agencies in early 1990. The aim of the program is to help Sub-Saharan African countries set up operational environmental information systems, to meet the priority demands of resource users, planners and decision-makers for better renewable resource management.

The term "environment information systems (EIS) is used in the context of the Program to cover any organized system for environmental data management, including geographic information systems (GIS) containing environmental data sets.

The program supports African countries as they assess their priority needs in terms of environment and land information system, and analyze the technical, institutional, legal and economic issues hampering their possibilities of meeting these needs. It assists them in finding adequate, sustainaible and long-term solutions to deal with these issues.

The Program provides a framework for planning the development of an operational environmental information system: (a) an assessemnt of the environmental information requirements/priorities of resources users, planners, and managers at local, district and national levels; (b) an assessment of the current situation of the country an in particular an analysis of the issues the country faces in renewable resource information management and the gap bewteen priority information demand and current supply; (c) elaboration of a long term strategy (15 to 20 years) to establish a national environmental information system; (d) the identification of low-cost interventions to be implemented in the short term; (e) the preparation of the first investment segment (possibly 5 years) to implement the long term strategy; (e) the provision of help to relevant national institutions to initiate implementation under adequate financing.

Among the countries which have participated in the Program by sharing relevant information, are Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, madagascar, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Several biliteral and multilateral agencies, including the Bank, are supporting the program, and others are exepected to join in.

The implementation of the program is coordinated by an international Advisory Committee with 14 members, which meets twice a year, assisted by African participants. The latest meeting was held in Encshede, The Netherlands, on April 20, 1993. Within the World Bank's Africa Region technical Department, Environment Division (AFTES), Francois Falloux is the Principal Environmentalist responsible for the program.

A Program Secretariat has been established in AFTES in WAshington, D.C. and is run by Koffi M. Kouakou. It has the technical support of the Bank's Environment Department. It is intended to act as an information center on environmental information systems in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The program is specially building a network of institutions, organizations, groups, and people interested in EIS activities in Sub- Saharan Africa.

A newsletter is circulated 4 to 6 times a year as earlier issues. Please contact the Secretariat if you would like to be on the mailing list. Documents and Program overview materials are available free of charge upon request. Comments and contributions are welcomed. Contact:

Koffi Kouakou EIS Program Secretariat Room J 3-084 - AFTES Environment Division Africa Technical department The World Bank 1818 H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20433, U.S.A.

Tel: (202) 473-4332 Fax: (202) 473-7916 Telex: RCA 248423 WORLDBANK

Internet kkouakou@worldbank.org

--- GEcho 1.00 * Origin: Koffi's Point (1:109/151.53)


Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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