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alternatives, including the zero alternative. 
• Mitigation & control: model and map distribution of 
pollutants. The result can be used to concentrate 
measures in the most affected areas. Also, the 
geographical location and extent of mitigation activities 
can be shown with time. 
• Public consultation & participation: preparing 
presentation material, explain the project to the public 
and allow a quick response to necessary changes. 
• Monitoring and auditing: preparing design of monitoring 
programs, processing and storage of monitoring data 
(including data from remote sensing), comparison of 
actual outcomes with predicted outcomes, and data 
presentation, e.g. showing the variation of the location 
of pollutants with time. 
The only exception to the use of GIS in EIA was in public 
participation. GIS was only used to communicate the final 
results to the public and no attempt was being made to 
collect and integrate the public’s view in the EIA process 
using GIS. Though GIS has the capability, practitioners did 
not use it for this purpose. 
The mentioned disadvantages of using GIS for EIA were 
mainly the time and cost spent. (5) 
3. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES 
There is potential for the use of GIS in the management of 
environmental resources in Africa. (11) , though the adoption 
of and growth of GIS applications is hampered by the lack of 
adequately trained users and inhospitable organisational 
and financial environment. (13) 
Before the late 1980s, measures to protect against 
environmental and social impacts were widely seen as 
delays to development or "luxuries". (1) Hitherto EIA is still a 
new concept in Tanzania, faced with: 
• Lack of environmental database, hence much 
time is spent in collecting baseline data. 
• Professionals in EIA are still few. 
• Many decision-makers do not know its 
usefulness. 
• In many cases, the EIA reports are used to 
complete requirements of international lending 
institutions. 
• Assessment Methodologies usually lack 
scientific basis due to inaccessibility to modern 
tools. (6) 
EIA has had very little impact on decision-making in 
Tanzania. In most cases, ElAs were extremely late in 
starting, under-resourced and generally omitted to involve 
other stakeholders to any meaningful extent. Most focused 
on outputs and paid little attention to process. Compliance 
with the recommendations of EIA has been the exception 
rather than the rule. Consideration of alternative project 
options was often absent, or extremely weak, and there 
were no examples where EIA had seriously considered 
cumulative impacts.' 14 * In this case, GIS could be used as a 
tool in EIA methodology and decision-support together with 
its presentation appeal exploited to impart awareness to the 
decision makers. 
There have been various initiatives to meet the challenges 
in Africa. For instance, in early 1990 the World Bank in 
conjunction with other donors and international agencies 
established The Program on Environment Information 
Systems (EIS) in Sub-Saharan to support the process of 
sustainable development in sub-Saharan Africa. The 
Program supports African countries as they assess their 
priority needs in terms of environment and land information 
systems, and analyse the technical, institutional, legal and 
economic issues hampering their possibilities of meeting 
these needs. It assists them in finding adequate, sustainable 
and long-term solutions to deal with these issues. (3) 
From distant past, Africa had had a myriad of social 
problems. Ethnic violence, inter- and intra-state conflicts, 
and other threats to peace and stability in Africa have further 
escalated since the beginning of the 1990s. Already, 
beleaguered as the African region is, its landscape is 
deteriorating further in more subtle and dangerous ways. 
Environmental degradation and abuse -- as manifested 
mainly in accelerated desertification, soil depletion, land 
degradation, destruction of tropical forests and water 
pollution - is raising serious concerns about the manner in 
which the continent's resource base is being exploited and 
managed, and about the long-term sustainability of that 
resource-base. (12> The use of IT systems is imperative for 
African countries in their effort to industrialise and increase 
the standard of living of their people. (14) 
The EIS and similar programmes offer the opportunity to 
see light in the end of the tunnel. 
4. DISCUSSION 
The application GIS in EIA in Africa is not luxury. It can be 
used as a tool in EIA methodology and decision-support, 
together with its presentation appeal exploited to impart 
awareness to the decision-makers on issues of environment 
and development. 
The application, though technically feasible and useful, will 
be rendered meaningless if the EIA itself is taken as a mere 
formality, and the concerned parties do not adhere to it. 
Good plans, policies, strategies and actions in conjunction 
with support like the EIS and other Institutional- 
Strengthening Programs, can change the situation. 
ENDS