Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

5^th AfricaGIS Conference
Nairobi, Kenya
5-9 November 2001

Abstract

The society in which you live has a significant influence on the type of information that you require to address particular socio-economic, development or environmental issues. For example, the apartheid policy in South Africa resulted in the concentration of black people in small regions in the country where there was little employment opportunity, limited investment in development and this resulted in the excessive exploitation of natural resources. Indicators covering these particular factors must be considered in the development of the information system for purposes of reconstruction and development in South Africa. It is also imperative that three factors are considered, namely, what policy at a national, continental or global level provides the framework in which particular information must be gathered, what international best practices exists and what theory should be considered in the development of the system. Having gone through such an exercise an appropriate spatial information model can be developed in deciding on what information is required for the development of the information system to address a particular problem in the society.

This paper will explore the philosophical issues associated with the development of the spatial information system and will focus on its application to the context of an African Renaissance. Examples of spatial information systems developed in South Africa will be discussed.