Environmental Information Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa: Investing in the Future

The World Bank, together with other donors, has launched a program for promoting information systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because of the importance of geo-referenced information systems in resource decision-making, a systematic review of the Bank...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Pavy, Jean-Michel
Language:English
Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2012
Subjects:
GIS
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/1994/09/1614978/environmental-information-systems-sub-saharan-africa-investing-future
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/10011
Description
Summary:The World Bank, together with other donors, has launched a program for promoting information systems in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because of the importance of geo-referenced information systems in resource decision-making, a systematic review of the Bank portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa has been carried out from Fiscal Year (FY) 1988 to FY 1993. This review assesses if the Bank commitment to developing geo-referenced information systems has been translated into its operation; draws and disseminates lessons; and formulates recommendations. The main findings are as follows: 1) the World Bank commitment to developing geo-referenced information systems is not yet reflected in its operations. 2) Investment in geo-referenced information systems has been concentrated in only a few countries and projects. 3) There are no clear trends in investment over time; but differences appear among Country Departments, some of them focusing more on the development of geo-referenced information systems than others. 4) Land titling, and more recently, environmental planning seem to stimulate investment in geo-referenced systems. The report ends with recommendations to promote and develop information systems in Africa and to promote and develop information systems within the Bank and donor agencies.