Abstract

GIS for Everyone - Teaching GIS in Developing Countries
Track: Education
Authors: Rachel Kornak

International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) is a research network made up of 13 collaborating universities and non-governmental organizations around the world. Since 1992, we have collected ecological and social data for over 350 community forests in 18 countries. Most of our partners are located in countries where funding limits easy access to GIS software. Following the concept of "GIS For Everyone," IFRI has incorporated ArcGIS Explorer Desktop and ArcGIS.com into their official training program. Recent workshops in India and Tanzania have enabled students to overlay GPS data with aerial photos, site photos, and other data to create maps and interactive presentations of their research forests. Often times these maps are the first glimpse these individuals have of aerial photos and digital maps of their communities. Our goal is to incorporate current materials into an online training course that can be freely accessed by individuals working on similar issues.