Strengthening African Regional Geoprocessing Centres With a Relational and Spatial Database

1 October 2017
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)

Addis Ababa — An African Minerals Development Centre-led (AMDC) initiative for strengthening African regional geoprocessing centres with a relational and spatial database will take place on 13 October 2017 at the UN Conference Centre.

The database is envisioned as a tool for managing geological and mineral information and implementing the African Mining Vision. African regional geoprocessing centres will have access to relational and spatial database; which allows geological and mineral information to be gathered, organized, standardized, and made available in a single geo-referenced environment in a digital format. This will lead to a sustainable process of exchange, update, analysis, and dissemination of geological and mineral information.

Kaiser de Souza, geology and mineral information expert of AMDC, said, "The availability of geological information allows the public and private sectors to take appropriate decisions. The more accessible the information, the lower the risk of investment in mineral exploration and development; and the greater the possibility of its practical use in areas of social and environmental interest, including territorial planning and management."

Taking into consideration all issues related to ownership of data, confidentiality, and data security, a regional relational and spatial databasewouldallow data sets to be organized with standard terms and arranged to enable regular communication of data between African geological survey organizations (GSOs), scientific community, prospectors, future applicants for plan of work for exploration of different mineral resources, and government agencies. It would also allow existing maps to go through a process of standardization of terms for accessibility for remote online searches, with the possibility of downloading maps and related information.

The project is being developed by João Henrique Gonçalves, database and geoprocessing expert and AMDC consultant. AMDC, together with Gonçalves, will be at the Conference Centre to present the regional database on 13 October 2017.

Read the original article on UNECA.

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