Have you seen our newsletter covering GIS, mapping, surveying, remote sensing and positioning?
Topics covered in the July issue include
- Aerial sensors used in search for missing helicopter in Malaysia
-Japan plans EO Constellation
- Maps of Malaria
-Fleet dispatch in Taiwan
-Chinese EGNOS Trials
I have attached a copy or your can visit www.asmmag.com
ASM is free to those who subscribe. You can subscribe on our web site, or email me and tell me you would like to recieve the newsletter. We email it each month.
Wendy Chapman
Publisher
Asian Surveying and Mapping
59 Alexander Street
Alexandria NSW 2015
Australia
Ph: +61 2 9565 2223
Fax: +61 2 9550 2142
www.asmmag.com
Subject: IN BATTLE AGAINST HUNGER AND RURAL POVERTY, UN USES SATELLITES AND INTERNET
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 10:00:53 -0400
From: UN News Service <UNNews(a)UN.Org>
Organization: United Nations
IN BATTLE AGAINST HUNGER AND RURAL POVERTY, UN USES SATELLITES AND INTERNET
New York, Jul 21 2004 10:00AM
Using satellite imagery and spatial databases on the frontline of the battle against hunger and rural poverty, United Nations
agencies have developed a new Internet-bases system to provide vital agricultural information to decision-makers in developing
countries.
GeoNetworkâs InterMap viewer, developed jointly by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme
(WFP), allows users to overlay maps from multiple servers housed at development institutions worldwide to create a customized
thematic composite map on their own computer covering such variables as soil quality, vegetation and population density and
marketing access.
âGeographic information is crucial in identifying problems and suggesting possible solutions,â the Rome-based FAO said in a news
release today.
âFAO has taken a lead role in the area of spatial information management, not just in the UN system but generally. Other
organizations value our experience in this area and seek our expertise in enhancing their own,â added John Monyo, Assistant
Director-General of the agencyâs Sustainable Development Department.
GeoNetwork is unique in that it is designed specifically to help developing countries improve their ability to manage spatial
information, harmonizing and improving access to FAOâs spatial databases in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food security. It
promotes multidisciplinary approaches to sustainable development by allowing FAO, other UN agencies, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and research institutions worldwide to share and distribute geographically referenced data more easily.
By overlaying various map layers, InterMap can illustrate the spatial relationship between a series of variables. It can suggest,
for example, the extent to which a poor transport infrastructure is keeping a region with a rich agricultural endowment in
poverty. Its use of free, open-source software minimizes costs to users â a particular plus for those in developing countries, who
can use, modify and redistribute the system source code and do not need to rely on foreign suppliers or costly proprietary software.
GeoNetwork has proved its effectiveness in the field. In Mozambique, 12 government and international agencies working on
agriculture, food security and humanitarian issues have been using it since September 2003 to share information and avoid
duplication. WFP has implemented the system in its regional bureaux in Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.
2004-07-21 00:00:00.000
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
Subject: Conservation GIS Course - Space Still Available in June
Date: Thu, 27 May 2004 10:11:18 -0400
From: GISCourse GISCourse <GISCourse(a)crc.si.edu>
The Smithsonian Conservation and Research Center is offering the following advanced GIS and remote sensing course:
Measuring Landcover Change and its Impact on Endangered Species
June 14-18, 2004
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
This one-week advanced GIS and remote sensing course provides conservationists with an opportunity to learn how GIS and remote
sensing can be used to assess the conservation status of endangered species. Participants will be provided with their own desktop
computer for all lab exercises. During the hands-on exercises participants will use the Internet, ArcView, ArcView Spatial
Analyst, ERDAS Imagine, Fragstats, and other spatial analysis programs. Instructors will lead participants step-by-step through
the process of:
* conducting a regional conservation assessment using GIS to determine critical conservation areas for an endangered species
* acquiring multi-date satellite imagery to quantify land cover change and to map the extent of the remaining habitat
* using landscape analysis to determine optimal landscape configurations for conserving the endangered species.
Visit the following web address for more details and registration information.
http://www.nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/ConservationGIS/GIS_tr…
Contact:
Kate Jenks
giscourse(a)si.edu
1500 Remount Road
Front Royal, VA 22630
540-635-6535 (GIS Lab)
540-635-6506 (FAX)
To request accessibility services, please contact Kate Jenks at least two weeks before the beginning date of the course.
*****************************
Kate Jenks
giscourse(a)si.edu
1500 Remount Road
Front Royal, VA 22630
540-635-6535 (GIS Lab)
540-635-6506 (FAX)
http://www.nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/ConservationGIS/GIS_tr…
"Conserving the world's wildlife through onsite and remote sensing technology"
*****************************
Subject: FW: GIS for the Humanities Workshop - Sydney, Australia
Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 11:42:38 +0100
From: Paul S. Ell <paul.ell(a)QUB.AC.UK>
Reply-To: H-Net Network for The Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative <H-ECAI(a)H-NET.MSU.EDU>
To: H-ECAI(a)H-NET.MSU.EDU
From: Martin P. King [mailto:mking1977@hotmail.com]
Sent: 22 May 2004 4:29 AM
Subject: GIS for the Humanities Workshop - Sydney, Australia
GIS Workshops 2004, 12-16 July 2004
The University of Sydney, Australia
The Archaeological Computing Laboratory at the University of Sydney,
Australia, holds annual workshops which introduce archaeologists,
historians, natural scientists and others to a wide range of GIS techniques
for historical, site and landscape mapping, along with practical analysis
and data presentation. We aim to get participants up to speed on the
effective use of GIS, Desktop Mapping and GPS for a broad range of
applications. We particularly target applications which are not well covered
by standard GIS courses, such as the use of historic maps, archaeological
data, database management, practical field recording methods and the
delivery of maps on the web.
The workshops are suitable for students, researchers and managers who can
benefit from handling spatial data but do not require high-end GIS - those
you might call 'soft GIS users'. The workshops will help with the mapping of
many types of observations - not only historical and cultural data, but also
species sightings or population data - without a heavy investment in the
highly technical skills of full-blown GIS.
We aim to provide participants with new skills and an up-to-date overview of
the equipment, applications and approaches available to maximise on the
spatial component of their data. We use the latest version of ESRI's ArcGIS
the TimeMap software developed by the ACL for web-based mapping.
Participants are encouraged to bring along their specific problems or
datasets for analysis.
Timetable:
Introduction to GIS in the Humanities
12-13 July 2004
AUD$200 + AUD$20 GST (until 30 June 2004) AUD$250 + AUD$25 GST (after 1
July 2004)
Practical GIS, GPS and Survey
14-16 July 2004
AUD$500 + AUD$50 GST (until 30 June 2004) AUD$600 + AUD$60 GST (after 1
July 2004)
Both components together
AUD$600 + AUD$60 GST (until 30 June 2004) AUD$700 + AUD$70 GST (after 1
July 2004)
Full details and application forms are available at:
http://acl.arts.usyd.edu.au/acl/activities_and_expertise/teaching/workshops.
html
Further information:
Contact Andrew Wilson
e-mail: wilson(a)acl.arts.usyd.edu.au
mail: ACL/SSIU
Madsen F09
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Australia
Many thanks. V
Subject: [Fwd: Asia/Pacific spatial data infrastructure]
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 15:44:06 -0400
From: Kate Lance <klance(a)www.gsdi.org>
Subject:
Asia/Pacific spatial data infrastructure
From:
Kate Lance <klance(a)www.gsdi.org>
Date:
Thu, 20 May 2004 15:43:35 -0400
To:
webmanager(a)undp.org.vn
I would like to bring to your attention the existence of a free,
regional
monthly spatial data infrastructure newsletter which may be of interest
to ENVIRO-VLC:
SDI-AP (published since December 2003)
This newsletter is for colleagues in the Asia/Pacific region who are
interested in GIS, remote sensing, and data management issues (online
data discovery, web mapping, data custodianship, data standards,
data coordination, etc.).
Each month, highlights from countries are provided, as well as
information about data sources, tools, applications, funding and
training opportunities, and job vacancies. The monthyl issues aim to
raise awareness and provide useful information to strengthen local and
national SDI initiatives, as well as support synchronization of regional
activities.
All back issues are online at http://www.gsdi.org/pubs2.html
And one can subscribe online at http://fgdc3.er.usgs.gov/Registration/
to receive future newsletter notices or updates.
I encourage you to let colleagues know about these newsletters.
---- Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and GIS for Participatory Natural Resource Management: State of the Practice
Experience has shown that development efforts that ignore indigenous knowledge (IK), local systems of knowledge, and the local
environment generally fail to achieve their desired objectives. IK systems are becoming extinct because of rapidly changing
natural and social environments. A Geographic Information System provides a framework to document and store indigenous knowledge
meaningfully. Participation by the local community in development initiatives is critical for achieving sound natural resource
management to utilize the full potential of IK systems. (PDF)
http://www.is.cityu.edu.hk/research/ejisdc/vol17/v17r3.pdf
----------------------------------------------------------
UNDP's ICT for Development (ICTD) Observatory keeps an
eye on related critical issues for developing countries.
If you have information to contribute to the Observatory please
submit to nitobserver(a)sdnp.undp.org or use our web form at
http://www.sdnp.undp.org/observatory/userform.html
----------------------------------------------------------
Dear All,
With a little over a month left for the deadline for submission
of abstracts (30 April, 2004) for GIS-IDEAS 2004, I take
this oppurtunity to remind the subscribers of this list to kindly
submit their abstracts through the symposium web-page
(http://gisws.media.osaka-cu.ac.jp/gisideas04/).
The conference is scheduled to be held at Hanoi University of Science,
Vietnam from 16-18 September 2004. Details are
available on the conference web-site. Looking forward
to seeing many Geoinformatics researcher and practitioners at the
Symposium and hoping that the meeting would be a big success. Would also
like to request you all to pass on the info about the GIS-IDEAS 2004 through
appropriate means that may available to you.
Kind regards
Raghavan
-------------
Dr. Venkatesh Raghavan
GIS-IDEAS 2004
Co-cordinator
EXPERT MEETING AT UN AIMS TO ENCOURAGE MORE ACCURATE USE OF PLACE NAMES
New York, Apr 21 2004 8:57AM
Some 150 experts, representing 22 linguistic or geographical divisions around the world, gathered today at United Nations
Headquarters in New York to encourage the development of more consistency and accuracy in the use of place names, especially on
maps and in gazetteers.
The <"http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/ungegn.htm">UN Group of Experts on Geographical Names will meet for 10 days, during which
they are expected to discuss and propose steps to standardize written forms of geographical names. This will include measures on
how to Romanize place names being converted from languages that use non-Roman script.
William De Vries, Officer-in-Charge of the UN Statistics Division, said the last conference of experts on the issue, held in 2002
in Berlin, agreed to a set of recommendations that stressed that standardized place names form �part of a nation�s cultural and
historical heritage.�
Mr. De Vries said consistent geographical names, especially when disseminated widely, helped the development of cartography, urban
and regional planning, peacekeeping, tourism and commerce. They also strengthened the preservation of cultural heritage.
In a statement, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) said consistent and accurate place names promote more
effective communication worldwide.
2004-04-20 00:00:00.000
________________
For more details go to UN News Centre at http://www.un.org/news
Subject: CFP: VR and Cultural Landscapes
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 09:19:55 +0800
From: H-SEASIA Editor <h_seasia(a)NUS.EDU.SG>
To: H-SEASIA(a)H-NET.MSU.EDU
Call for Proposals:
"Beyond GIS: Mindscapes, VR and Cultural Landscapes"
Workshop and symposium
May 9, 2004, 9 am - 5 pm
Hearst Mining Building, University of California, Berkeley
Chair: Maurizio Forte, CNR-ITABC
e-mail: Maurizio.forte(a)itabc.cnr.it
web: www.itabc.cnr.it/VHLab
The landscape is a dynamic context of different transformations
intelligible through the time: cultural, historic, political, social,
geomorphologic, geographic, anthropological.
The study and analysis of the archaeological and cultural landscape
involve a multidisciplinary approach in order to reconstruct cultures,
paleo-environments, mental maps (mindscapes), geomorphology, and
settlements in diachronic way. Therefore the diachronic and dynamic
reconstruction of the landscape needs to implement different methods and
advanced digital technologies: GIS (Geographical Information Systrem),
remote sensing, virtual reality, predictive modelling, and multimedia
applications.
The main goal of the workshop is to start a multidisciplinary discussion
of the digital methods of analysis and 3D representation for the
reconstruction of the cultural and archaeological landscapes, from both
epistemological and technological perspectives. The complexity of these
kinds of contexts tests the most advanced digital technologies in the
effort to understand cultural identities, issues and differences through
time. The integrated use of GIS, remote sensing, virtual reality and
multimedia applications is a fundamental approach for understanding the
past and the present and, in the case of this workshop, for
interpreting cognitive models of the landscape.
The interpretation or reconstruction of previous cognition is not a
simple process. Knowledge is cognitively processed information, and is
both represented and the basis of action. Cognitive archaeology, the
study of past ways of thought as inferred from material remains, still
presents so many challenges to the practitioner that it seems if not a
novel, at any rate, an uncertain endeavour. One goal is to show that
people had preferences independent of economic necessity. A second goal
is to demonstrate how ideals may be altered or transformed by reality
into an amalgam. Settlements and housing location are the results of a
series of personal and cultural decisions. The ideal pattern of
settlement, in the mind of the ancient people, may be tempered, adjusted
and transformed by topographic reality. These ideal forms are grounded
in such economic realities as trade and transport, or established upon
such cultural realities as heritage, aesthetic norms, or social and
religious rules. As archaeologists, one of our ultimate goals is to
extract the cultural ideals from the complicated reality in the complex
patterns of prehistoric material remains. The interpretation and the
knowledge of archaeological landscape is the result of numerous
compromises between ideal and real.
Fundamental to archaeology is the interpretation of human behaviour over
space and time. Increasingly, spatial aspects of past human activity
have been discussed through the theories and methodologies that
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have brought to the subject. GIS is
typically used to provide a series of hypothetical scenarios of, and
alternative perspectives on, the spatial inter-relationships that exist
between people and their environments. Archaeological research has
therefore emphasised the need for an integration of anthropological,
cultural and social values within ecological variables. Especially the
agency debate has re-emphasised the importance of human volition within
the creation of an archaeological landscape. Human action is influenced
by how groups perceive their worlds and, indirectly and only in part,
structured by the accommodation of affordances created by the dynamic
interplay between humans and their animate and inanimate surroundings.
But human landscapes are really generated through unique human action
and interpretation, using both environmental characteristics and
socio-cultural understandings. Human social and material interaction is
fuelled by habitus and agency. Human agency, representing unique
viewpoints based on material culture and landscape (structure) and
unique history (narrative), is crucial for human choice and action. It
is therefore argued that it is the effects of human agency that
structure landscapes and reveal how dynamic surroundings are
interrogated and interpreted.
Topics:
- Remote Sensed Archaeological data and 3D visualization;
- 3D GIS in archaeology: tools and software;
- Cybernetics and cultural landscapes
- Virtual museums and territory
- Digital Ecosystems
- Artscapes, taskscapes, mindscapes
- Virtual Reality Systems and Visual Geographic Information;
- 3D databases in Archaeology;
- VR devices for the advanced visualization of spatial data;
- Virtual Reconstructions of Archaeological Landscapes;
- Multilayered analyses of Spatial Data;
- DGPS and archaeological surveys for monitoring and reconstructing
- 3D archaeological landscapes;
- 3D GIS and Geophysics;
- 3D Web Interfaces for Visualizing GIS archaeological data;
- 3D Virtual Libraries of Georeferenced Cultural Data;
- Archaeological Spatial Analyses and 3D Visualization;
- Open Gl Technologies in Archaeological VR GIS;
- Epistemology of VR GIS in Archaeology;
- VR GIS, Communication and Cultural Tourism.
This workshop is a part of the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative
Congress, May 7-10, 2004.