deficient area which merits attention if African experts are to derive maximum benefits from the
experiences of their fellow application experts.
5. FACTORS LIMITING DEVELOPMENT OF REMOTE SENSING AND ITS
APPLICATIONS TO RESOURCES EXPLOITATION
From the preceding chapters it will be seen that the meagre membership of the Principal
organ entrusted with the implementation of the African Remote Sensing Council is adversely
affecting its operations and effectiveness at regional level. The failureof the participating members
to pay their annual assessments for the smooth working of the secretariat of the Council, and the
understaffing at technological level (which leaves the implementation of the work of tne secre-
tariat in the hands of its Secretary General) are other factors. Co-ordination of remote sensing
activities of member States of the region becomes impossible because of the weak structure
of the package which has an unwieldy number of organs for implementation of the programme.
It does seem to me that the structure at regional level needs critical examination for future
effectiveness and efficient management of the programme.
At sub-regional level also, the same factors come into play although at a lesser scale. Added
to these is the insufficient number of trained application experts in many fields to be able to
cover a wider spectrum of the applications of the technology. If the sub-regional centres are to
wait for technical co-operation projects before they can train their staff for instructional purpo-
ses, then the rate of development of the centres will be very slow. For the training courses, semi-
nars and workshops which are organized by these centres, the participants are, more oftan than
not, ilk qualified and not the right ones to attend such courses, etc.; and hence, scarcely benefit
from such courses, seminars, etc. There is also the problem of equipment; the sub-regional cen-
tres are still inadequately equipped and a few lack suitable infrastructural facilities and materials
— modern photolaboratory, processing fluids (chemicals) and papers, etc. Archiving facilities
are even absent in a few of them.
At national level, these factors take a different shape; uere is no need for a large membership
but focal points to coordinate the remote sensing activities of the sundry users in the countries
are practically absent with the result that an integrated and effective planning of the resources
cannot easily be achieved. The governments have not yet accorded their national institutions
responsible for surveying and mapping including remote sensing high priority in the provision of
allocations in their national budgets. Training of staff/personnel, at appropriate level, has not
received the serious attention of most African countries, part of the problem being the low level
of, or sub-standard educational attainments of the nationals. The drawback in this state of affairs
has on the development and application of the technology by the Africans themselves is that its
usefulness is down-played. The development of the technology subsequently suffers from ''mal-
nutrition'' and left to chance.
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
It is obvious from the concerted efforts of the member States in establishing the African Re-
mote Sensing programme that the awareness of the use of remote sensing for the inventorying,
exploration and exploitation of their natural endowments has been created. In the realization of
the fact that their economic surv val depends upon the rational development of those resources
for the benefit of their people, and cognisant of one fact also that there is need to pool their
resources to achieve maximum use of the potentials which the technology can offer, they estat!
shed sub-regional centres for the training of their nationals. These lofty initiatives must be backed
up by the provision of adequate facilities (financial and moral supports) without which any
achievement of the goals set out in the ARSP will be but a farce.
TE
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