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Abstract
Sustainable Use of Plant Resources in Southern Africa: GIS Supports Biodiversity ConservationTrack: Ecology, Archaeology, and Conservation
Author(s): Massimo Dragan, Michele Alberto Fernetti, Ernest Misomali
Plant life with its flora constitutes one of the most important renewable resources for Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. The region's plant resources are subject to heavy exploitation due to the population growth and alterations in local ecological equilibrium brought about by the changes of traditional production systems. The project, titled "Establishment of a Plant Resources Regional Network in the SADC Region: a service for environmental conservation of biodiversity and for sustainable development," aims at establishing an information network for the knowledge and management of plant resources in the SADC region. The main goal is to build up GIS-powered services capable of providing key information for plant species of economic interest. The specific objectives are to set up a network for the storage and distribution of information on plant resources, to train personnel in the design and implementation of digital inventories of natural resources, and to provide spatially enabled tools for biodiversity management and conservation.
Massimo Dragan
University of Trieste
Via Giorgieri 10
Trieste, Friuli Venezia Giulia 34127
Italy
Phone: 0039 040 676 33
Fax: 0039 040 676 33
E-mail: dragan@univ.trieste.it