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Title
International cooperation and technology transfer
Author
Mussio, Luigi

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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