content
Main featuresITC and University Twente
Join Forces 2Flying the Benelux 4
Project NewsAdvanced Earth Observation
Applications 7ADB-GMS Core Environment
Programme 9
Education NewsFirst Graduates GSIM 11First MSc Fair 12
EventsISPRS Workshop in Iran 14
Partnership NewsMoU State Key Laboratory for Disaster Prevention 15Joint Course GSI and NRSA 16Joint Education IIRS 17Visit Geological Survey andMining Iraq 17Graduation GISnaturem Ghana 18MoU Geomatics Business Industry China 19Interview President AARSE 20
Staff News 22
In Memoriam: Emmanuel Adjei Owusu 23
Life AfterAlumna Suda Swuttanakoon 24New year's Reception Thailand 25Refresher Course Tanzania 26Alumni Association Philippines 28Alumna Ari Susanti 29Alumni India Meet 30Alumni Iran Meet 31
What does the future hold in store? That’s a question that occupies most of
us from time to time, and many a savant in days of yore hopefully scruti-
nised the movement of the planets and stars in an endeavour to come up
with an answer. But ITC tends to look at things from a different perspective:
earth observation is its forte, not star-gazing. Fortunately ITC News is on
hand to pick up on those things not easily registered by the orbiting satel-
lites. And although we cannot claim to operate in the realm of prediction,
between the pages of this issue you will find much reflecting the Institute’s
plans and paths for the months and years ahead.
To start with, if you turn to page 2, you can read about developments in the
strengthening relationship between ITC and the University of Twente as the
two institutes head towards official integration with effect from 2010 - a
far-reaching agreement that will bring opportunities and increased potential
to both parties concerned.
Signings of memoranda of understanding are also featured this time round,
with the Geomatics Business Industry in China (page 19), with the State Key
Laboratory for Disaster Prevention of the Chengdu University of Technology
(page 15), and with GEOSURV-IRAQ (page 17), such documents serving as
vehicles to facilitate the development and implementation of agreed initia-
tives ... in the future.
So all in all, the year 2008 promises to be eventful in many and various
ways. Alas, my crystal ball is now growing dim but, if you have any exciting
plans or projects that you’d like to share with your fellow readers, remem-
ber: we’re just an e-mail away!
Janneke KalfManaging Editor
1ITC News 2008-1
I N T R O
introduction
Managing Editor: Janneke Kalf
Editing: Janice CollinsDesign&PrePress: Henk Scharrenborg
(Composer DTP service)Andries Menning
Printing: PlantijnCasparie Zwolle
Correspondence to: Managing EditorITC NEWSP.O.Box 6
7500 AA EnschedePhone: +31 (0)53 487 44 11Fax: +31 (0)53 487 45 54E-mail: [email protected]
colofonITC NEWS is published quarterly, by ITC, Enschede, the Netherlands
The views expressed by the contributors do not necessarily reflect those of ITC2008number 1
On 25 March, the
University of
Twente (UT) and the
International
Institute for Geo-
Information Science
and Earth
Observation (ITC)
signed the official
agreement
regulating the
integration of the
two institutions
with effect from
1 January 2010. ITC
is to be embedded
as the sixth, special
faculty in the UT.
Both parties see great advantages at na-tional and international levels in the integra-tion. Through the integration, ITC will bemore firmly embedded in the Dutch aca-demic education system, while the UT ex-pects to be able to profit from ITC’s interna-tional network.
Both sides are also expected to profit withregard to the recruitment and selection offoreign students and the relating proceduraltransactions. Intrinsically the cooperation -already partly in effect - can lead to innova-tive research and education in areas such asenergy, environment, climate change, water,geo-information and earth observation, anddisaster management.
The new relationship with the UT offers ITCand the UT interesting opportunities for jointresearch into new educational projects andmarkets. However, the mission of the UT dif-fers from that of ITC. Consequently, full inte-gration carries the risk that ITC will lose itsprominent position as an institute for capac-ity building. Molenaar recognises this riskbut a suitable arrangement has been madewith the UT. “In view of the name and fameof ITC, our brand will simply continue.Neither our name, nor our policy or locationwill change. The ambition of the UT is to be-come an international university with aEuropean orientation. ITC can help the UT todevelop an institutional culture that is neces-sary for a status of this kind. Working to-gether, the two parties can also developstrategies for activities outside Europe.”
The immediate reason for the amalgamationis the fact that, with effect from 1 Januarythis year, the subsidy from the Ministry ofEducation has changed in such as way that
ITC funding is awarded no longer directly toITC but via the budget of the UT. For the first50 years, ITC was autonomous and was di-rectly responsible to the Ministry of Educa -tion. The Bologna agreements have meantmuch more regulation of the internationalhigher education market, and increasinglyITC must fit within the frameworks now cre-ated. The UT has been the official penmanof ITC since 2002, and in 2006 the two insti-tutes signed a declaration of intent concern-ing more intensive cooperation. This resultedat the beginning of 2008 in the agreementsigned on 25 March in the town hall ofEnschede by Dr Anne Flierman, chairman of
2 ITC News 2008-1
M A I N F E A T U R E S
ITC and University ofTwente Join Forces
Janneke Kalf [email protected]
The UT and ITC maces, the bedel's staff of office.RECTAS had commissioned the carving of a specialITC mace. Dr. Jide Kufoniye, ITC Alumnus and direc-tor of RECTAS, Nigeria officially presented the maceto ITC in 2003.
the Executive Board of the University ofTwente, and Professor Martien Molenaar,rector of ITC. The mayor of Enschede, Peterden Oudsten, played host on this occasion.The amalgamation of ITC and the UT fitswithin the Future Vision for Enschede 2020,which can be summarised as follows: “Inthis vision of 2020 Enschede is renownedthroughout Europe as a knowledge city thatis the beating heart of the Euregional area,linking Netwerkstad Twente and the Germantowns of Münster and Osnabrück. It is a citywhere everyone is in paid employmentand/or works in a different way for the com-munity; where the socio-economic differ-ences are smaller than now because every-one shares in the growth and prosperity. It isalso a city that in many places looks betterand more attractive; where people feel athome; where people live, dwell, study, workand relax in an environment that is inviting,pleasant, sustainable and green.”
The histories of the two education institutesin Enschede are reasonably similar in length.For almost 60 years now, ITC has been en-gaged in international education at aca-demic level, as well as with courses at inter-mediate and higher vocational levels. Thishas been combined with research and tech-nical consulting in the area of geo-informa-tion science and earth observation, whereremote sensing technology is used for col-lecting spatial information.
The University of Twente has been in exis-tence for 47 years and engages in educationand research in academic fields ranging frompsychology and public administration totechnical physics and biomedical technology.ITC has approximately 240 staff membersand 1,700 students, while the UT has nearly2,500 staff members and over 8,000 stu-dents.
3ITC News 2008-1
M A I N F E A T U R E S
Dr Anne Flierman, chairman of the Executive Boardof the University of Twente, and Professor MartienMolenaar, rector of ITC
Mayor of Enschede Peter den Oudsten
Based in Antwerp,
Belgium, Aerodata
International Surveys
is an airborne
surveying and
mapping company
specialised in air -
borne data capture,
photogrammetry
and geoinformatics.
It combines exten -
sive know-how
with high-quality
technical equipment
to offer innovative
solutions mainly in
Europe but also in
Africa and the
Middle East.
At the beginning of 2007, a challengingproject was looming on the horizon ofAerodata International Surveys: capturing acountrywide digital orthophoto of theBenelux as fast as possible in order to createa time document. Aerodata has already car-ried out similar projects over the Netherlandsin 2003 and 2005 (Figure 1), but this wouldbe the first time over the whole of theBenelux. The importance of rapid image ac-quisition calls for an entire digital processingstream. Speed was top priority. In the daysto come, Aerodata International Surveys wasbusy with what would become, according tothose who participated, one of the fastestsurveying projects ever concluded in theBenelux.
Weather conditions for aerial surveying inCentral Europe can be rather nasty, evenduring the summer. However, in April 2007four weeks of nice weather were expectedin the Benelux. Synchronisation and plan-ning of our missions played a key role duringthese weeks in achieving the fastest digitalcapture ever of the Netherlands, Belgiumand Luxemburg.
BackgroundThe demand for high-quality and immedi-ately measurable geospatial source data isbecoming increasingly important, puttinggreater reliance on better imaging technolo-gies combined with advanced position sys-tems and workflows that deliver resultsfaster without compromising quality.
The Ultracam-D digital camera system is tiedto a GPS-aided IMU, capturing imagery froma fast-moving Fairchild Merlin survey aircraftand from the Cessna 310 and 402 (Figure2). The UltraCam-D simultaneously recordscolour and colour-infrared imagery (Figures 3
and 4), which satisfies multiple end usersand applications. The colour orthophoto mo-saic at 40 cm ground resolution is colour-balanced and shows a very high level of de-tail. Using the digital camera leads tosignificant improvement of the final productwith respect to image clarity, brightness,contrast, and visibility of details in shadowareas. The aim of this product is to set a newstandard for countrywide digital orthophoto
4 ITC News 2008-1
M A I N F E A T U R E S
Figure 1 Aerogrid 2005: the whole Netherlands in 40cm resolution
Four Channels, Three Countries:
Flying the BeneluxSebastian Ruik [email protected]
Figure 2 Fully equipped survey aeroplanes ready to fly
databases for the community of GIS usersthat need current high-resolution imageryfor their projects.
A fully automated workflow is utilised,based on different software packages for or-thophotos, orthophoto mosaic production,automated digital elevation model (DEM)generation, and fast and reliable triangula-tion of large aerial photo blocks. The dataare also delivered by an essentially new in-formation technology infrastructure, includ-ing internet connectivity, which was built todistribute the imagery (Aerogrid) (Figure 5).Project Details• Area: 80,000 km2• 12,000 images taken • 23 flights made • Mosaic details: GSD 40 cm, 1600 GB
database• Submetric precision • Panchromatic, IR, RGB images• Product description: orthomosaics, DTMs,
multiband orthomosaics
Uses and ConclusionUsing the Vecxel Utracam-D, which supportsa high degree of parallelism in data collec-tion, transferral and processing, we can re-duce costs and diminish environmental ef-fects. The result is unrivalled radiometry with
5ITC News 2008-1
M A I N F E A T U R E S
Figure 3 Aerial survey missionexecution using a Cessna 402
Figure 4 Ultracam-D inaction during a mission
over the Benelux
Figure 5 Off-the-shelfdata provider from theBenelux
Sebastian Ruik, an agricultural engineer
from Uruguay, gained his Professional Master’s
in Geoinformatics/GIS at ITC, Enschede, the
Netherlands. For three years, he was in charge
of the GIS and Remote Sensing Department in
2000 Aviation Systems, Uruguay and
Argentina, before joining Aerodata
International Surveys, Belgium
(www.aerodata-surveys.com). He is part of the
flight operation team that plans, coordinates,
models and executes Lidar, thermal, hyper-
spectral and photo missions. Aerodata
International Surveys relies on an experienced
multicultural team in aerial surveying, pho-
togrammetry, image processing, remote sens-
ing and GIS to provide geoinformatics solu-
tions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
better matching accuracy, allowing more fly-ing days in marginal weather as well as bet-ter interpretability and better stereo images.In addition to this, it collects true RGB colourand false-colour infrared all the time.
The near-infrared imagery is used for com-mercial and environmental uses in both ruraland urban areas. By providing informationon the extent of vegetation, and the typesand health of plants and trees, it can beused to support advanced crop managementand the analysis of ground vegetation. Inurban areas, near-infrared imagery can beused to measure open spaces, analyse typesof green space, and support habitat conser-vation programmes. It can also be used toevaluate the canopy size and location oftrees, their relationship with surroundingbuildings, and the potential for subsidence.This information is highly valuable to bothtree preservation officers and insurance com-panies.
Many different clients are using these digitalorthophoto databases to satisfy their ownneeds. Some examples are given below:• Environment
for environmental monitoring through thefour channels collected during the flight
• Forestry and agriculturefor forest inventory and managementplanning
• Municipal developmentfor large-scale digital mapping and model-ling
• Public sector managementfor spatial data infrastructure manage-ment, GIS for good governance, and landadministration
• Rural developmentfor land administration and land manage-ment: cadastral mapping, valuation, landregistration
• Telecommunicationfor 3D modelling for mobile phone net-work planning
• Habitat monitoringfor tracking changes in habitat over timeby using different years of aerial photog-raphy. Changes in habitat can be an indi-
cation of changes in the fauna, urban de-velopment, or even the climate.
• Town planningfor assisting urban planners to managedevelopment effectively and share ideasthrough visualisation (Figure 6)
• Cartographynot only for creation but also for updatingpurposes
• Geospatial analysis for building up a land use record of a spe-cific area, which can be used across arange of industries. The human and physi-cal geography of local areas is vitally im-portant to a whole range of professionals.Analysing the spatial distribution of arange of features can aid understandingof a particular environment or location.This mosaic could be classified into differ-ent parcels of land, using a standard ornon-standard classification.
6 ITC News 2008-1
M A I N F E A T U R E S
Figure 6 European Commission building in Brussels
The TIGER Capacity Building Facility(TCBF), which was established at ITCin the Netherlands in September2006, successfully organised theAdvanced Training Course in EarthObservation Applications for WaterResources Management from 26 to30 November 2007. This trainingcourse hosted by the RegionalCentre for Mapping of Resources forDevelopment, Nairobi, brought theESA capacity building efforts duringthe 2005–2007 TIGER implementa-tion period to a conclusion.
The course targeted technical peopleholding senior positions in govern-ment ministries dealing with water re-sources, water management insti-tutes/organisations, technicaldepartments, and related professionsin the respective countries. The se-lected participants not only possessedpractical experience in water re-sources planning and managementbut were also familiar with geo-infor-mation techniques.
The 26 participants, drawn fromCameroon, Democratic Republic ofCongo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Libya,Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa,Uganda and Zambia, were decisionmakers themselves or were the posi-tion to communicate with policymakers and thus influence the indi-vidual governments concerned,heightening their appreciation of thevalue of earth observation (EO) tech-nology as a tool for integrated waterresources management.
The course focused on the applica-tions of EO-derived products in inte-grated water resources managementand trained the participants in thepractical use of EO-derived productsto improve water management. Thefollowing topics were covered, bal-ancing theory and practical sessionsled by experts from ITC andESA–ESRIN:• Overview and application of EO
data for water resources and use ofgeo-information tools in water re-source management:- catchment characterisation- surface water mapping andfloods
- drought monitoring and forecasing
- water quality monitoring.
A fruitful round-table discussion washeld after the training course to ob-tain feedback from the participantsregarding their perceptions of Africanneeds and proposals for EO-based so-lutions/projects for the future.
Random feedback from a cross sec-tion of the participants at the end ofthe training course revealed the fol-lowing sentiments:
• Charles Tanania Kabobo, a seniorexpert in charge of the CongoRiver Basin Information System atCICOS (Congo River BasinOrganization), based in Kinshasa,Democratic Republic of Congo:“One of the main problems weface in the DRC is the lack of useof EO data for the Congo Basinand the lack of networking withother member states of CICOS.
The course was useful because ithas been a long time since I learntremote sensing techniques, so itwas very useful for revision pur-poses and for learning new up-dated techniques. I was here at theRCMRD five years ago for a courseon the application of remote sens-ing to hydrology studies.”
• Patrick Khisa, a regional surfacewater officer at the WaterResources Management Authority,Lake Victoria South CatchmentArea, based in Kisumu, Kenya:“The course was very useful to me,especially in helping me to identifyhow/where to get data. I havebeen made aware of altimeterdata, which provides a synopticview of water levels. Until now, Ihave been monitoring the lake lev-els with ground data. The coursehas also triggered my interest anddesire to do a PhD course in river-level monitoring, drought forecast-ing or flood monitor-ing/forecasting, since the biggestchallenge in Kenya is water fluxand regulating flow.”
7ITC News 2008-1
P R O J E C T N E W S
project news
Senior African Technical Experts Benefit from Advanced Earth Observation Applications
David Kirugara [email protected]
Chris Stewart [email protected]
Charles Tanania Kabobo
• Christine Mukwaya, a senior waterofficer dealing with transboundarywater resources at the Directorateof Water Resources, based inEntebbe, Uganda: “The course wasvery fast. I was able to see the databut it was a bit too theoretical be-cause interpretation of the data is aproblem and it is not obvious whatto do with the data. But the coursewas very valuable to be able to seedata for wide coverage. I have hadprevious remote sensing trainingbut this course showed me howeasy it is to access data and soft-ware for image processing.”
• Aiman Mohamed Khalil El Saadi, aresearcher at the National WaterResearch Center based in Cairo,Egypt: “The course was very help-ful to me and I was more inter-ested in the exercises since I preferpractical sessions to theoretical in-formation from lectures. In Egypt Irun a project using remote sensingto monitor lake water and certainlythis training course will be benefi-cial to my project.”
• Ernest Kusi-Minkah, a consultant(principal engineer) at theHydrological Services Department,Ministry of Water Resources, Worksand Housing, based in Accra,Ghana: “In terms of material con-tent and exercises, the course wasquite revealing. I enjoyed the inter-action between lecturers and par-ticipants. Time was a big factor:too short, too much material totake in. As a consultant, I am per-sonally interested in advising otherorganisations so that we canspread the knowledge learnt.”
8 ITC News 2008-1
P R O J E C T N E W S
Ernest Kusi-MinkahAiman Mohamed Khalil El Saadi
Patrick Khisa
Christine Mukwaya
Group picture of participants and resource persons at the opening ceremony of the trainingcourse
For more information, please contact Zoltan Vekerdy ([email protected]).See also http://www.itc.nl/tiger
The Greater Mekong SubregionEconomic Cooperation Programme(GMS ECP) was initiated in 1992. Theprogramme aims at enhancing co-operation, connectivity and compet-itiveness in the GMS region, com-prising Cambodia, Lao PDR,Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam andthe two Chinese provinces ofYunnan and Guangxi.
To promote sustainable and equitabledevelopment in the GMS countries,the Asian Development Bank (ADB)established the Core EnvironmentProgramme as a joint initiative ofGMS member countries. TheEnvironment Operations Center setup in April 2006 is located inBangkok and is responsible for imple-menting this programme, which con-sists of five components:1. Strategic Environmental
Assessments of GMS EconomicCorridors and Priority Sectors
2. Biodiversity Conservation CorridorsInitiative
3. Environmental PerformanceAssessments
4. Capacity Building forEnvironmental Management
5. Programme Development, Deliveryand Sustainable Financing
6. GMS Economic Corridors.
It is in the first component, where dif-ferent GMS economic corridors havebeen created, that ITC has been givenan assignment
SEA for the North-South EconomicCorridorThe GMS North-South EconomicCorridor (NSEC) is one of three prior-ity corridors targeted for infrastruc-ture development under the GMSECP. Ms Joan Looijen of ITC’s
Department of Natural Resources will,as team leader and SEA specialist, beresponsible for the strategic environ-mental assessment (SEA) of the GMSNSEC section running from Kunmingto Bangkok (see Figure 1). The SEAtechnical team is made up of five in-ternational specialists and three na-tional expert teams.
The northern part of the NSEC is gen-erally sparsely populated, with abun-dant natural resources as well as ahigh level of biodiversity. The area isalso home to many ethnic communi-ties. Moving south of the corridor inthe direction of Bangkok, populationdensity increases and the areas be-come more urbanised, industrialisedand commercialised.
The ultimate goal of the NSEC devel-opment is to reduce income dispari-ties, increase employment opportuni-ties, generate higher incomes, andimprove the living conditions of peoplein the corridor and surrounding areas.
The SEA aims to ensure that NSECdevelopment strategies and invest-ment plans are environmentallysound, socially equitable and eco-nomically efficient. Identifying and as-sessing appropriate strategic alterna-tives or options is a key aspect ofSEA. In the SEA for the NSEC andSAP (strategy action plan), the envi-ronmental, social and economic ef-fects of the planned transport,tourism and trade developments willbe assessed and alternative strategicoptions and scenarios considered, in-cluding different transport modes andmodel split options. The SEA will alsoaddress how these strategic optionsand measures can be integrated inthe NSEC planning process.
An integrated development strategyand action plan is being prepared forthe NSEC (NSEC SAP) and will beconsidered for adoption by the GMScountries later in 2008. The SEA willalso evaluate outcomes and improvesubsequent versions of the NSEC SAP.
As a number of major infrastructureinvestments have already been under-taken, the SEA will have a post-evalu-ative character, focusing on cross-sec-tor and transboundary issues, on thelivelihood of vulnerable communities,on environmental safeguards for criti-cal planning zones within the NSEC,and on mitigation measures.
Strategic evaluation methodologies,GIS and spatial decision support toolswill be applied to assess cumulativeeffects, identify critical planningzones, generate alternative options,and integrate environmental, socialand economic concerns in regionaldevelopment planning.
9ITC News 2008-1
P R O J E C T N E W S
Prestigious Contract for ITC within the ADB-GMS Core Environment ProgrammeSEA of the GMS North-South Economic Corridor
Marjan Kreijns [email protected]
Joan Looijen [email protected]
Figure 1 GMS North-South EconomicCorridor
Four missions in the region are re-lated to the different stages in theSEA:• inception phase in Bangkok
(January 2008)• site visit and consultations and re-
gional scoping workshop inKunming (April 2008)
• assessment workshops in Thailand,Laos and China (August 2008)
• regional SEA workshop in Bangkok(November 2008).
Training and Capacity BuildingOn-the-job training and capacitybuilding are key processes through-out the SEA, with the aim of improv-ing the cross-sector collaboration andcoordination during the GMS plan-ning process. The proposed frame-work for the capacity building inter-ventions will involve:• a pilot SEA of the transport, trade
and tourism sectors of the NSEC• training sessions focused on SEA
applications and benefits and thedevelopment of a technical pack-age of skills for effective implemen-tation of corridor plans and safe-guards.
During the SEA pilot study, on-the-jobtraining will be offered to introducethe applications and benefits of SEAand to develop skills in the implemen-tation of all relevant activities, toolsand procedures used in the pilot.
In addition to on-the-job training, aseries of separate capacity buildingactivities is being organised in re-gional and national workshops. These activities are being coordinatedthrough the national environmentagencies in China, Lao PDR andThailand.
To multiply the impact and ensuresustainability, the training participantscan in turn act as nodal agenciescatering for the future capacity build-ing needs in SEA in their own coun-tries.
By bringing together organisationsfrom three countries, a network willbe created in the GMS region.
10 ITC News 2008-1
The team at work during the inceptionphase in Bangkok
Sixiao eco-express way in Kunming
Fishing is an important source of income inthe NSEC area
The NSEC region has a rich biodiversity
The NSEC is home to many ethnic communi-ties
P R O J E C T N E W S
For more information: http://www.gms-eoc.org
March 2008, month of the MSc ex-aminations, also saw the graduationof the first four GSIM students. The GSIM programme is a new MSccourse in which social sciences andspatial information sciences arecombined. The course is imple-mented in cooperation with theFaculty of Management and PublicAdministration of the University ofTwente.
In the programme, a series of topicsrelated to political science, law andeconomics are combined with thecore curriculum on GIS and remotesensing, and information manage-ment. These are followed by courseson environmental policy, spatial plan-ning, and regional and ecologicaleconomics in combination with suchtopics as land administration, infor-mation system development, spatialmodelling, spatial statistics. In the re-search, the group focused on evaluat-ing food security and poverty reduc-tion policies in their countries oforigin.
In his address to the graduates,Professor A. van der Veen (integratedassessment and governance) pointedto the multidimensional and multi-level aspects of the research in gover-nance and space. This programmehas brought the integration of socialsciences and geosciences with newconcepts and tools again to the fore-front of research and education atITC. In a cheerful mood, the coursecoordinator, Mr de Meijere, handedthe degrees over to the students,stressing the importance of land forfood and survival.
The GSIM course is now a fullyfledged ITC MSc programme. In par-ticular, this programme offers manychallenges for students with a back-ground in social sciences and withworking experience in the public sec-tor. Applications for the course start-ing in September 2008 can still besubmitted. ITC can provide some fel-lowship support to the most promis-ing candidates if no other financialsupport can be obtained.
11ITC News 2008-1
E D U C A T I O N N E W S
education news
First Graduates in Governance and Spatial Information Management (GSIM)
Johan de Meijere [email protected]
For more information about the MSc degree course in Governance and Spatial Information Management, please refer to
www.itc.nl/education/courses/course_descriptions/C08-GSIM-MSc-01.aspx
First graduates of the joint ITC–University of Twente MSc degree course Governance andSpatial Information Management
To mark the start of the processwhen the MSc candidates selecttheir research topics, a new phe-nomenon has been introduced atITC: the MSc Fair. This was organisedfor the first time on 12 March 2008.
A new structure consisting of fourdistinct blocks has been introducedfor the MSc degree programme Geo-Information Science and Earth Obser -vation (see Figure 1). The aim is to:• give the students more control over
the choices they make• hand over control of the learning
process to the students• stimulate multidisciplinary research• strengthen the link between edu-
cation and research at ITC. The MSc candidates of the 2007 in-take are the first to experience thisnew set-up.
Seven courses are offered in the MScdegree programme (see Figure 2).Although the development of re-search skills is given attentionthroughout the programme, the MScFair marks the start of the selectionprocess concerning the MSc researchtopics. Previously, students had beenable to attend the MSc Day (lastWednesday of January), where se-lected participants of the preceding
MSc batch presented their research (afew weeks before the MSc examina-tions) and, by doing so, were in therace for the Klaas Jan Beek award,the prize for the best MSc thesis thatis presented annually at the openingof the academic year.
The MSc Fair marked the start of theinteraction between the MSc candi-dates and research staff concerningthe choice of MSc research topics.The three sessions presenting the 15research themes, together with theinteractive poster session and thelively panel discussion, were gearedto inspire the MSc course participantsto formulate their own individual re-search goals. (The 15 presentations ofthe research themes are posted onthe research web pages: see link inFigure 3).
The fair was a great success. At vari-ous times throughout the day, the au-ditorium proved too small to accom-modate the public, and students andstaff were engaged in elaborate dis-cussions near the poster boards - somuch so that they had to be calledfor the next session. The panel discus-sion at the end triggered discussionbetween students and staff on issuessuch as:
• How will I be prepared for the MScphase?
• What are the benefits and pitfallsof interdisciplinary research?
• Are research and applied sciencecontradictory?
• Can MSc students succeed in pub-lishing their results?
These questions were raised by DrDavid Rossiter, Professor Anne vander Veen, Dr Jantien Stoter andProfessor Alfred Stein, respectively.
The first MSc Fair, a day full of inspir-ing moments, was concluded withdrinks and snacks in the Annex.
Each MSc candidate is required to de-sign, undertake and report on re-search where geo-information scienceand earth observation is used to de-velop techniques and/or deal with arelated application problem, usuallywithin the field of interest of thecourse. The precise focus of the re-search is determined by the candidateand supervising staff in dialogue, andfalls within the scope of the researchthemes of the Institute (see Figure 3).The student adviser guides the MScstudents in the selection process, andsees to it that the students’ interestsare best served. This means that stu-
12 ITC News 2008-1
E D U C A T I O N N E W S
First MSc Fair Organised at ITC
Paul van Dijk [email protected]
Janneke Kalf [email protected]
Block Modules
1 1-4Principles of geo-information science and earth observation Introduction and principles of remote sensing, GIS and databases
2 5-10Application of geo-information science and earth observation in the field of interest Task-supported learning in the technical or application domain
3 11-15Research orientation Research skills and methods, two advanced subjects of choice, engagement in a research project assignment,and proposal writing
4 16-23Individual research Executing research and writing an MSc thesis
Figure 1
dents, provided they are properlyqualified, can also select a topic in aneighbouring field of interest. Whererelevant, MSc research topics are re-lated to the topics of candidates fol-lowing other courses, thereby stimu-lating interdisciplinary research. Inexceptional cases, it is possible for astudent to propose a special topicthat fits one of the 15 researchthemes. All MSc candidates presenttheir proposals at the end of Augustbefore a thesis admission committee.Interaction between MSc and PhDcandidates and research staff is stim-ulated during the individual researchphase. For the MSc candidates, themid-term presentation in earlyNovember serves as an importantcheck to see whether they are on theright track. The MSc research phase(six months) concludes with the pres-entation and defence of the MSc the-sis (early March 2009 for present co-hort).
The bridge between the taught partof the MSc course and the individualresearch period is made in Block 3(see Figure 1). At the start of Block 3,the Postgraduate Diploma studentsenter their final assignment. Theyhave followed the taught part (mod-ules 1 to 10) together with the MSccandidates. Following the MSc Fair,the MSc candidates have to maketheir own choices for Block 3 (re-search skills: module 11, mandatory;modules 12 and 13: two advancedsubjects of choice; and a (multidisci-plinary) two-week group researchproject during modules 14 and 15).They have to submit these reasonedchoices, together with their envis-aged MSc topics (pre-proposal), totheir course directors before the endof April. After approval of the sub-missions, each MSc student is as-signed two supervisors and then thelong and often rocky road towardsthe MSc degree summit starts.
We wish all the participants of the2007 intake the best of luck and suc-cess in their work!
13ITC News 2008-1
E D U C A T I O N N E W S
Seven courses are offered in the MSc degree programme in Geo-InformationScience and Earth Observation
• Applied Earth Sciences (AES)
• Geoinformatics (GFM)
• Governance and Spatial Information Management (GSIM)
• Land Administration (LA)
• Natural Resources Management (NRM)
• Urban Planning and Management (UPM)
• Water Resources and Environmental Management (WREM)
For more information on each course, see:http://www.itc.nl/education/courses/default.aspx
Research Themes
• Biodiversity in fragmenting landscapes (BIOFRAG)
• Carbon cycle and climate change (C-Cycle)
• Disaster management (DMAN)
• Earth systems science (ESS)
• Food security and environmental sustainability (FS-ES)
• Governance and integrated spatial assessment (GISA)
• Informed multilevel governance of urban regions (MUG)
• Land administration for informed governance (LA)
• Managing water scarcity (MWS)
• Spatial data infrastructure technology (SDI-T)
• Spatio-temporal data integration and visualisation (STDIV)
• Stochastic methods for image mining and data quality (DAQUAL)
• Sustainable urban-regional dynamics (SURD)
• Utilisation of sensor developments for efficient topographic mapping (TOPMAP)
• Water cycle and climate (WCC)
For more information on each research theme, see:http://www.itc.nl/research/themes.asp
MSc Fair: The interactive poster session during the first MSc Fair
Figure 3
Figure 2
The two-day workshop Geo-Information and Decision SupportSystems (6-7 January 2008) was organised by the ISPRS WG II/IVI on Spatial Planning and DecisionSupport Systems, the IranianNational Cartographic Centre (NCC),the Iranian Space Agency (ISA), the Iranian Statistical Centre (ISC),the University of Tehran, the KNTUniversity of Technology, and theInternational Institute for Geo-Information Science and EarthObservation (ITC). The workshoptook place at the NCC premises in Tehran, Iran.
The overall objective of this confer-ence was to enhance the role of GISand remote sensing in managementand decision-making processes.Remote sensing and geospatial infor-mation technology offer tremendouspotential for capturing data througha variety of earth observation plat-forms, as well as for integrat-ing/relating them through their com-mon spatial denominator. They offerappropriate technology for data man-agement, information extraction, rou-tine manipulation and visualisation.However, they lack the necessary ana-lytical capabilities to support decisionand management processes. For im-proved decision making, the requiredtools, techniques, models and deci-sion-making procedure have to be in-tegrated in a user-friendly informa-tion processing system called theintegrated spatial planning and deci-sion support system. Within this con-text, the conference tried to create aninternational forum to enhance therole of GIS and remote sensing inmanagement activities such as plan-ning, decision making, and the moni-
toring and evaluation of processessupporting the sustainable develop-ment of resources.
The workshop was attended by dele-gates from Turkey, Austria, China,Russia, Germany and theNetherlands. Altogether 41 oral pa-pers and 35 poster papers were se-lected from the 150 or so abstractsreceived, and these were presented inthe plenary and parallel sessions.Despite the severe weather condi-tions, around 250 people attendedthe meeting.
14 ITC News 2008-1
E V E N T S
events
ISPRS Workshop on Geo-Information and Decision Support Systems
Ali Sharifi [email protected]
ITC rector Professor Martien Molenaar (chair)and Dr Ali Sharifi (co-chair) at the openingsession of the conference
The official opening of the workshop Geo-Information and DecisionSupport Systems
The workshop was attended by delegatesfrom Turkey, Austria, China, Russia, Germanyand the Netherlands
The State Key Laboratory forDisaster Prevention of the ChengduUniversity of Technology (CDUT-SKLGP) was established in 1991. Eversince, the laboratory has workedwith partners from academia andindustry to develop integrated re-search on geohazards. Throughproject implementation, SKLGP hasmade continuous efforts to elimi-nate the threats to the environmentin China, mostly in southwest China.
SKLGP has built a very competentand dedicated team of professionals.Not only do they conduct (perform)research into geohazard preventionand geo-environmental protection,but they also facilitate the implemen-tation of the research results. Still,there is a gap in applying advancedtechnical aspects of the work, espe-cially in the use of GIS and remotesensing for hazard and risk assess-ment. Therefore there is a great needto upgrade the knowledge and to ed-ucate staff and students in this areain order to strengthen the laboratory.This enables CDUT-SKLGP to keepplaying a key role, not only in Chinabut also internationally.
ITC and CDUT share an interest in theapplication of geo-information sci-ence and earth observation to disas-ter management through the UnitedNations University–ITC School forDisaster Geo-Information Manage -ment (UNU-ITC DGIM) and the CDUTState Key Laboratory of GeohazardsPrevention. Dr Niek Rengers was in-vited to CDUT-SKLDP as a visiting pro-fessor and it is through him that thecontacts were made.
The preparations for the visit andcomposing the text of the Memoran -dum of Understanding took sometime. Eventually a date was set andProfessor Martin Hale and Dr Ceesvan Westen visited Chengdu from 13 to 16 December 2007, togetherwith Niek Rengers.
The Memorandum of Understandingwas signed in the presence ofProfessor Huang Runqiu, Dr TangChuan, Dr Xu Qiang, Dr Li Tiabin, DrZeqin Li, Professor Martin Hale and DrCees van Westen. In April 2008, DrTang Chuan and Dr Xu Qiang will visitITC to discuss further collaboration inmore detail.
15ITC News 2008-1
P A R T N E R S H I P N E W S
partnership news
Memorandum of Understanding Signed with State Key Laboratory for Disaster Prevention
Anneke Nikijuluw [email protected]
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in the presence of Professor Huang Runqiu,Dr Tang Chuan, Dr Xu Qiang, Dr Li Tiabin, Dr Zeqin Li, Professor Martin Hale and Dr Cees vanWesten
SKLDP and ITC staff proposing a toast to afruitful cooperation
For more information about theUNU-ITC School for Disaster
Geo-Information Management,please refer to
www.itc.nl/unu/dgim
From 12 to 19 January 2008, ITC, together with GSI and NRSA, India,conducted the course Application ofHigh-Resolution Imagery forLandslide Inventory, Hazard and RiskManagement. ITC’s Dr Cees vanWesten and Dr Norman Kerle wereinvolved in the teaching. They bothgave a presentation on the first dayof the workshop on landslide inven-tory, hazard and risk managementunder the RECLAIM project.
As part of this joint course, severalfieldwork areas were visited. The firstdestination was Joshimath, locatedalong one of the source rivers of theGanges, close to one of the four pil-grimage sites for Hindus in the highHimalaya. A group of 30 participants(including the whole RECLAIM group)took part in the field trip, and it tookthem about 12 hours to reach theirdestination. The purpose of this visitwas to evaluate different aspects of arecent landslide affecting the roadand nearby army camp. The resultswere presented to the local authori-ties in the auditorium of the armycamp. There was keen interest on thepart of the present stakeholders inthe landslide problem and possiblesolutions.
Afterwards, the participants travelledfrom Joshimath along the AlaknandaRiver to Chamoli, and then to thenext main river and the pilgrimagesite Okhimath. Along the way, thegroup visited a large landslide thathad occurred a few months earlierand had almost blocked the entirevalley. Around Okhimath, along theMandakini River, is the area whereTapas Martha (PhD NRSA-ITC) per-forms his fieldwork. A severe land-slide occurred in 1998, blocking theriver and destroying several villages,even on the other side of the river.
The last visit was to the fieldworkarea along the Mandakini River. Thisis the study area of Iswar Das (PhDIIRS-ITC). Rain was falling on the dayof the visit and the slopes were react-ing directly with small landslides. Oneof the cars was nearly hit by a rockfallthat came down on the road just afew meters ahead. As the driverswere afraid of continuing, it was de-cided to work in the downstreamarea, around Bhatwani.
All in all it was an eventful and re-warding joint course, visiting thefieldwork areas of the PhD studentsand discussing their progress on site.The course was concluded with din-ner and drinks offered by GSI.
16 ITC News 2008-1
P A R T N E R S H I P N E W S
Joint Course with GSI and NRSA
Anneke Nikijuluw [email protected]
In 1998 a very large landslide occurredaround Okhimath, along the MandakiniRiver, blocking the river and destroying sev-eral villages, even on the other side of theriver
Visit to the Bagariya River, upstream ofUttarkashi: on this rainy day the slopes werereacting directly with small landslides
The landslide that nearly hit us all
The purpose of this visit was to evaluate dif-ferent aspects of a recent landslide that hadaffected the road and nearby army camp
On 9 January 2008, Dr Cees vanWesten chaired the examinationcommittee of five MSc students ofthe joint Geo-Hazards course (batch2006-2008). All students performedwell and obtained their degrees,which they received at the gradua-tion ceremony on 11 January, along-side their fellow students of theGeoinformatics course.
While at the Indian Institute ofRemote Sensing (IIRS), Dehra Dun,India, Dr van Westen also met thenew group of seven IIRS studentswho are now at ITC for a three-month period as part of the joint ed-ucation programme. All studentshave provided their own funding.
The Dutch government recently or-ganised a conference in The Hagueon the assistance of the Netherlandsin helping to rebuild Iraq. Duringthe course of this meeting, Dr K.S.Al-Bassam, director-general of theState Company of Geological Surveyand Mining of Iraq (GEOSURV-IRAQ), paid a surprise visit to ITC on28 January to discuss the revival ofthe collaboration between ITC andGEOSURV-IRAQ that in the past hadled to the training of GEOSURV-IRAQ staff - staff currently still in ac-tive service.
Discussions progressed smoothly andefficiently, and resulted in aMemorandum of Understanding con-firming the intentions of ITC andGEOSURV-IRAQ and constituting theenabling vehicle to develop and im-plement mutually beneficial andagreed initiatives, with the training ofGEOSURV-IRAQ staff being a priority.
Point of InterestAt the moment, IIRS is restructuringthe current Geo-Hazards course andhas decided to offer only three spe-cialisations:• the hydro-meteorological speciali-
sation• the geological specialisation• the environmental specialisation.
The course set-up is currently underreview by a nine-strong committeeheaded by the person in charge ofeducation quality assurance at IIRS. Itis also the intention to synchronisethe course in 2009 with the Geo-Hazards course at ITC. Both courseswill then have the same starting date.
17ITC News 2008-1
P A R T N E R S H I P N E W S
Joint Education IIRS-ITC: Geo-Hazards Course
Anneke Nikijuluw [email protected]
Graduates of the joint IIRS-ITC Geo-Hazardscourse (batch 2006-2008
Visit State Company of Geological Survey and Mining of Iraq
Sjaak Beerens [email protected]
The Memorandum of Understanding wassigned by Professor Molenaar on behalf ofITC and by Dr Al-Bassam on behalf of GEO-SURV-IRAQ
For more information about the MSc degree course Geo-information Science and Earth Observation for Geo-Hazards, please refer to
www.itc.nl/education/courses/disastermgt.aspx)
March 28 was an important day foreight young Ghanaians: after 18months of hard work and seeminglyendless struggle they were called onto the podium in the KNUST audito-rium to receive their MSc degrees infront of proud relatives, KNUST staffand numerous students. This wasthe second group of students fromthe joint course in GIS for NaturalResource Management(GISnaturem). They had started inSeptember 2006 in Kumasi, arrivedin the Netherlands in January 2007to follow modules 6 to 14 at ITC,and returned to Kumasi for field-work and their research period.
They had worked hard and it had notalways been easy. In January, thechange from warm sunny Ghana tocold dark Enschede had been espe-cially difficult. One student once con-fessed that it wasn’t just the cold thathad made them shiver - they hadcome prepared for that - it was thefact that there was hardly any sun inthose winter months that had madethem sad and homesick. Fortunately,this passed quickly as they settleddown to enjoy the summer monthsand the flowers in the Netherlands.
They chose interesting and relevanttopics for their MSc research and de-veloped their research proposals atITC. This done, it was time to gohome and do their fieldwork in amore familiar environment. They ranafter butterflies, explored what wasleft after fires had ravaged theforests, bothered farmers with longquestionnaires, measured trees, andmade long bike tours in search of fu-elwood. Under the guidance of twosupervisors, one from KNUST and onefrom ITC, they carried out their re-search and wrote their theses. Andthese they successfully defended on26 and 27 March.
And there they were, in the KNUSTauditorium, waiting to get their de-grees. Suddenly it was all over: theirtime as students, the struggle to getthat one image properly corrected,the stress to mail that particular chap-ter to the ITC supervisor, the worryabout missing a crucial deadline, lifein the guesthouse with their pals, thefriendly interaction with the KNUSTstaff. When they received their MScdegrees on the morning of 28 March,
Daniel, Steve, Thomas, Yakubu,Stephen, Louis, Mawuli and Raymondwere following in the footsteps ofmany predecessors - not simply lastyear’s GISnaturem group but alsothousands of other ITC alumni.
The formal ceremony attracted alarge audience, including the vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor ofthe university, numerous staff andmany students. There were a couple
18 ITC News 2008-1
P A R T N E R S H I P N E W S
Graduation of Second Batch of GISnaturem students in Ghana
Louise van Leeuwen [email protected]
The second group (2006-2008) of graduates from the joint course in GIS for Natural ResourceManagement
Plant a tree and save a life: the graduatescontributing to a healthy environment
of speeches and then the degreeswere presented. After the formalities,there were drinks and food. But be-fore the food could be enjoyed, onemore job had to be done. They hadto make their contribution to ahealthy environment: they had planttheir trees. As the Ghanaians say:
ITC has been collaborating with theHeilongjiang Bureau of Surveyingand Mapping in Harbin, northeastChina, since 2000. A considerablenumber of Bureau staff are ITCgraduates, having successfully com-pleted Master or MSc studies at theInstitute. In addition, several tailor-made courses and a range of studytours have been jointly organised byITC and the Bureau for many geo-matics professionals from all overChina.
The Heilongjiang Bureau of Surveyingand Mapping is a highly active andinnovative organisation, and listedamong its activities is the establish-ment in 2003 of a geomatics indus-trial park. The International High-Level Forum on Outsourcing Servicesand Geomatics Industry Developmentheld in June 2007 signalled the offi-cial opening of the complex, and ITCwas invited to present a keynote ad-dress at this event.
Not only is the Heilongjiang Geomat -ics Industrial Park the only domesticgeomatics park, it is most likely thelargest geomatics park in the world.In 2006, the 30 enterprises operatingin the park had a total turnover of€10 million, with €3 million in over-seas-funded projects.
Within the current (11th) five-yearplan of China, the Geomatics Indus -trial Park pursues a number of ambi-tious objectives:• 2000 people employed, with an
annual turnover of €30 million, ofwhich €14 million from exportearnings
• 100 to 150 companies operating inthe park
• two keylabs, two geomatics projectcentres with international collabo-ration partnerships
• organisation by the NortheastInstitute of Wuhan University oftraining and education for some3,000 technicians, 150 high-leveldevelopers/researchers and 30 in-formation services pioneers.
“Plant a tree and save a life.” So offto the site where last year’sGISnaturem graduates had alsoplanted their trees. Very carefully, thefragile young trees were planted andwatered, a promise for a healthy envi-ronment. We hope that, just as these
young saplings will grow into bigtrees, so too the young graduateswill grow into big men who willcontribute to an environmentallyhealthy country. We wish them allthe best for the future!
19ITC News 2008-1
P A R T N E R S H I P N E W S
For more information about the International MSc course GIS for Natural Resource Management,
please refer to www.itc.nl/education/courses/naturalresources.aspx
ITC Signs MoU with Geomatics Business Industry in China and the Netherlands
Sjaak Beerens [email protected]
The Heilongjiang Geomatics Industrial Park in Harbin, China
The Geomatics Business Park located in Marknesse in the Northeast Polder, the Netherlands
During various exchange visits to ITCby staff from the Heilongjiang Bureauof Surveying and Mapping and theGeomatics Industrial Park, regular vis-its have been made to the GeomaticsBusiness Park located in Marknesse inthe Northeast Polder (the Dutchequivalent of the Heilongjiang Geo -mat ics Industrial Park), close to theNational Aerospace Laboratory, andmeetings convened with the staff.The Geomatics Business Park is abusiness and science park for compa-nies and knowledge institutions thatoperate at the interface of remotesensing, geosciences and informationtechnology - a unique collaborationof organisations that develop andmarket innovative geo-informationproducts and services on the basis ofremote sensing data and the like. Thispark offers innovative and knowledge-intensive companies operating in thismarket optimal access to state-of-the-art knowledge, technology and facili-ties, and challenging opportunities forcooperation. It is the most importantcentre in the Netherlands for knowl-edge development and the delivery ofoperational geo-information productsand services based on remote sensing(www.geomaticspark.com). The com-panies involved currently providevalue-added products and services re-lated to water management, air qual-ity, coastal zone management, off-shore engineering, land use andagribusiness.
Could you tell us how AARSE cameinto being? When was it started?And what was the vision behind it?The African Association of RemoteSensing of the Environment (AARSE)was formed in August 1992 duringan international conference organisedby the United Nations in cooperation
with the USA government. The con-ference was on Satellite RemoteSensing for Resources Management,Environmental Assessment andGlobal Changes Studies: Needs andApplications of Developing Countriesand was held in Boulder, Colorado,USA. Among the reasons for forming
the Association were the following: • the reported benefits being derived
from the application of remotesensing and the contribution beingmade towards the indigenous de-velopment of these technologiesby participants from many coun-tries
These exchanges have made the vari-ous parties aware of the opportuni-ties for collaborating on the develop-ment of products and services,worldwide market potential, scientificinformation and knowledge ex-change, and capacity building. To of-ficially consolidate these opportuni-ties, the various parties have signed aMemorandum of Understanding toform an official vehicle to enable thedevelopment and implementation ofmutually beneficial and agreed initia-tives. The document was signed byrepresentatives of the four organisa-tions during a special ceremony atthe Heilongjiang Geomatics IndustrialPark in Harbin, China, on 15February. It is anticipated that the firstcollaborative initiatives will be devel-
oped and carried out with supportfrom programmes of the DutchMinistry of Economic Affairs, thus en-hancing scientific and economic col-laboration between China and theNetherlands.
20 ITC News 2008-1
P A R T N E R S H I P N E W S
Interview with Tsehaie Woldai, President AARSE
ITC News [email protected]
The International High-Level Forum on Outsourcing Services and Geomatics IndustryDevelopment in June 2007 signalled the official opening of the industrial park
The Memorandum of Understanding wassigned during a special ceremony at theHeilongjiang Geomatics Industrial Park inHarbin on 15 February
• the prevailing low-level contribu-tion of the natural resources to thesocio-economic development ofmost African countries
• the resource and environmentalmanagement practice in Africa,which was resulting in the un-precedented depletion, destructionand degradation of the resourcebase
• the inadequate human and institu-tional capacity to redress the situa-tion in order to evolve a sustainabledevelopment strategy.”
What is the organisational struc-ture of AARSE? How does it un-dertake its various activities?AARSE is composed of three mainbodies: the Board of Trustees, theExecutive Council and the AdvisoryCouncil Members. The Board ofTrustees, which is composed ofAfricans and other dedicated mem-bers from outside the continent,looks after the well-being and theproper functioning of theAssociation. The Executive Council iscomposed of the president, the vice-presidents, the secretary-general, thetreasurer, the conference president,the editor, the auditor, and one repre-sentative from a national society thathas formally endorsed the AARSEconstitution and fulfils the member-ship obligations.
The AARSE vice-presidents representthe five sub-regions of Africa: theNorth African Region, the WestAfrican Region, the Central AfricanRegion, the East African Region andthe South African Region. Essentially,the selection of the vice-presidents isbased on the need to reach out morewidely to African scientists, engineersand other professionals, to registertheir membership of the Association,and to facilitate communication.
What are the key achievements ofAARSE?The formulation of the Association 15years ago is finally gaining a measureof recognition. Moving from 10 foun-dation members in August 1992, theAssociation could proudly claim over1000 members from Africa and abroadin November 2007. So far, it has gainedrecognition from the UN economicCommission for Africa (UN-ECA) andthe African Union. In 1994, AARSEbecame a registered member of theInternational Society of Photogram -metry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).Furthermore, in 1997 AARSE was co-opted as a member of the StandingPreparatory Committee for the UNRegional Cartographic Conference inAfrica. During this conference, AARSEwas honoured to become the um-brella organisation for all activities inremote sensing, GIS and the environ-ment in Africa.
In the last few years, AARSE has workedclosely with, and has received thesupport of, many international insti-tutions and organisations, such asITC, UNOOSA, UNESCO, UN-FAO,UNEP, the IEEE Geoscience and Re -mote Sensing Society, the CanadianSpace Agency (CSA), the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA) and NASA.
In 2004, AARSE became an organisa-tional member of GEOSS. Its activeparticipation in the InternationalCouncil for Science (ICSU) RegionalOffice for Africa, the UNESCO-GOOSEProgramme, UNESCO-IYPE, UN-ECACODIST (Committee on DevelopmentInformation, Science and Technology),the African Reference Programme,Mapping Africa for Africa, and otherinitiatives in the African continent, aswell as the unparalleled open supportit enjoys from various remote sensingand GIS institutions and governmentsin Africa, is a reflection of its successand commitment to the bettermentof Africa. This is not just about pres-tige. There is recognition that space isan essential tool for decision makingand is a useful tool for Africa. Theseare no isolated developments. AcrossAfrica, there are more than 20 na-tional space agencies (also referred toas national remote sensing agencies),and there are also regional centresand universities with special expertisein this field. Nearly all are connected(as institutional members) to AARSE.
How does AARSE implement itsobjectives?AARSE holds a biannual conference,annual workshops, symposia and tu-torials to exchange and discuss ideasrelated to the usage of remotelysensed data and GIS in environmentaland natural resources assessment inAfrica and elsewhere. So far, it hasundertaken:• six AARSE conferences (Harare,
Zimbabwe; Abidjan, Ivory Coast;Cape Town, South Africa; Abuja,Nigeria; Nairobi, Kenya; Cairo,Egypt), with the next one plannedfor Accra, Ghana, in October 2008
21ITC News 2008-1
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The Local Organizing Committee, International Organizing Committee and the ExecutiveCouncil of AARSE with the 6th AARSE Conference Award winners for the best paper presen-tation, best poster and best paper by a young Scientist in Cairo, Egypt
• six AFRICAGIS conferences in col-laboration with its partner organi-sation EIS-Africa in various parts ofAfrica (Ghana, Botswana, Nairobi,Senegal, South Africa, BurkinaFaso)
• remote sensing workshops in col-laboration with ISPRS (Benin,Tanzania) and GEOS (South Africa,Burkina Faso).
Furthermore, AARSE• has participated as organiser of the
AGIT conference at the Universityof Salzburg, Austria
• has been instrumental in the initia-tion of the African Space Scienceand Technology initiative
• encourages the creation of nationalsocieties/associations in eachAfrican country and the holding ofseminars, symposia, workshops onthe use of the technology in prob-lems related to their countries
• promotes multinational trainingprogrammes dealing with the tech-nology, system maintenance, oper-ations and services for membersand associate members in coopera-tion with and sponsored by appro-priate institutions
• represents the African geo-infor-mation user communities in majorspace-related international activi-
ties• has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with major Africanand international organisations inthe field of geo-information tech-nology.
What are the future plans of AARSE?AARSE will continue its advocacy forthe establishment of an African SpaceAgency. It will also build on its ongo-ing initiative in the African ResourcesManagement Satellite ConstellationProgrammes.
It will also pursue the best fundingmechanisms, collaboration and net-working actions. It is seeking to iden-tify a network of excellence to linkAfrican platforms (e.g. AARSE, AfricanSpace Agency Initiative, ARMS) withother platforms (EC, ESA, CSA,NASA, etc.) in order to establish a di-alogue with the following objectives: • development of a policy frame-
work• development of an African space
strategy• joint plan of action for research
(adaptation, validation of existingservices)
• gap analysis• new developments through syner-
gies between African and other in-
ternational services• outreach and capacity building
(near-real time exercises, trainingmeasures)
• regular monitoring and evaluationof progress (in respect to plan ofaction).
22 ITC News 2008-1
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More informationabout AARSE canbe found atwww.itc.nl/aarse
AARSE 5th Conference in Nairobi, Kenya
Ms L. Pei Staff member Support Unit E-learning, Bureau Education Affairs 1 January 2008
Dr M. Bockarjova Post-doc Department of Urban and Regional Planning and
Geo-information Management 1 February 2008
Ir S. Slob Department Earth Systems Analysis 1 January 2008
E.L. Poppe Department Geo-information Processing 1 January 2008
Welcometo ITC
Staffleaving
staff news
Emmanuel Adjei Owusu was bornon 24 November 1963 in Tema,Ghana. He started his education atAggrey Road Elementary School,Tema, and went on to West AfricaSecondary School in Accra. He en-tered the University of Ghana,Legon, in 1987 to read geology withphysics, and obtained his BSc in1990. Through various positions, hedeveloped further as a keen explo-ration geologist engaged mainly ingold prospecting throughoutGhana. Besides that, he also heldteaching assignments, most recentlyat Western University in Tarkwa andKwame Nkrumah University ofScience and Technology (KNUST) inKumasi.
Emma, as he was affectionatelyknown, first came to ITC in 1997 tostudy for his MSc degree in mineralexploration at the ITC location then inDelft. His first steps in the interna-tional scientific community were suc-cessful and in 1999 resulted in anMSc degree with the grade “verygood”. Alongside this formal qualifi-cation, he also earned a multitude offriends among staff, fellow studentsand countrymen. In line with this pro-fessional development, he applied fordoctorate studies in 2004, and wasgranted a scholarship by theNetherlands Fellowship Programme ayear later. Back at ITC, now inEnschede, he committed himself toresearch on the gold potential ofGhana. The working title of his re-search, which was supervised byProfessor Martin Hale and Dr JohnCarranza, was Mineral ResourceAssessment in a Poorly ExploredRegion: A Case Study from Ghana.He was generating new knowledgeabout mineral exploration; he was ontrack for gaining the degree ofDoctor of Philosophy; and he was de-ploying and refining his considerable
skills in gold exploration at an excep-tionally exciting and prosperous timein the minerals industry. His profes-sional future could hardly have beenbrighter.
Alongside research work at ITC thatcommanded the respect of his fellowscientists, Emma made sincere friend-ships with fellow researchers fromAfrica, Asia, Latin America andEurope. Through them, he had aglobal perspective on life and an in-ternational network on which hecould rely. In large numbers, this di-verse community - including the rec-tor, many ITC staff, and the localGhanaian community in Enschede,among whom Emma was well-knownand highly regarded - was united inits expression of grief over Emma’stragic loss in a memorial service onSaturday, 19 January 2008. This sameday, the funeral was held in Ghana,attended by ITC’s vice-rector,Professor Martin Hale. The ITC PhDcommunity (Emma was elected secre-tary of its representative committee in2006) said: “He was cherished for hisinherent sociable nature, maturity,
kindness and love, and his intellectwhen dealing with both scientific andsocial issues; those who were veryclose to him feel that they have lostnot only a friend but a father whomthey will dearly miss.”
Despite these friendships and his de-manding programme at ITC, he re-turned frequently to Ghana to ensurethat his family enjoyed the caringsupport of their head of household. Itis a remarkable sign of Emma’s caringnature that, immediately prior to hisdeparture for Ghana, he had just wel-comed some newly arrived studentsat Enschede railway station. He couldnot visit his family over the Christmasbreak, and so went over to see themas soon as the New Year had started.It was during his stay in Ghana thathe and his cousin MichaelAcheampong were involved in a fatalcar accident on 8 January 2008.Emmanuel leaves a wife, Yvonne, andtwo children, Jesse and Jonathan.
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In Memoriam: Emmanuel Adjei Owusu (1963–2008)
Paul van Dijk [email protected]
Emmanuel Owusu
ITC alumna, Ms Suda Swuttanakoon,is the director of a very special proj-ect in Thailand. It is one of the RoyalDevelopment Projects.
In February 2008, I visited the KhaoHin Sorn Royal Development StudyCentre with my family and Dr MariaBastidas (ITC alumna from Venezuela).Ms Suda explained that before it wasset up the forest in the region hadbeen mostly destroyed and the soilwas badly degraded. As she went onto explain: “His Majesty saw the needto rehabilitate the soil as it had be-come sandy due to the continuouscultivation of field crops. Therefore,the main activity of this centre is torestore soil fertility.“
Since the early days of his reign, HisMajesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej ofThailand has visited numerous ruralareas to see how people live. Thesevisits inspired him to launch the RoyalDevelopment Projects to improve thelives of the people and promote thesustainable use of natural resources.The ultimate objective of these sixprojects is to tackle agricultural prob-lems on a regional basis and enableThai farmers to become self-reliantand self-confident.
Opened on 8 August 1979, Khao HinSorn is located about 100 km south-east of Bangkok in the PhanomSarakham district of Chachoengsaoprovince. The centre covers 1,900 raiand employs 269 workers.
A tour of the study centre highlightedinteresting case studies of pioneeringwork in agricultural research and de-velopment, environmental rehabilita-tion and conservation, and social,
economic and community develop-ment, where the introduction of sim-ple technology and know-how acces-sible to a grassroots population was
helping villagers and farmers to be-come self-sufficient. We really enjoyed the visit - as well asthe wonderful lunch at the centre!
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life after itc
ITC Alumna Director of Royal Khao Hin Sorn Project in Thailand
Marjan Kreijns [email protected]
Contact information:
Ms Suda SwuttanakoonKhao Hin Sorn Royal Development Study CentrePhanom Sarakam District, Chachoengsao Province 24120T/F: +66 (0) 3859 9105-6E: [email protected]: www.rdpb.go.th/rdpb/EN/BRANDSITE/theproject_rdsc04_1.aspx
Since 1949, the compound of theDutch embassy has been located inthe middle of the busy Pathumwandistrict. It forms a beautiful parkand an exceptional green oasis oftrees, space and tranquillity amidstthe hustle and bustle of the denselypopulated Bangkok metropolis.
In 2005, the construction of a newchancellery was completed in thecompound and renovations started onthe ambassador’s residence. The beau-tiful villa was modernised, while main-taining its original architectural fea-tures. At the end of 2007, Mr PieterMarres, the ambassador, took up resi-dence again in the now-renovatedvilla and on 15 January he invited theNetherlands alumni to a New Year’sreception. It goes without saying thatit was a great honour for the alumnito be one of the first groups wel-comed to the renovated residence.
Some 70 Netherlands alumni at-tended the reception hosted by theambassador and NAAT (NetherlandsAlumni Association of Thailand). TheITC chapter of NAAT was well repre-sented by 20 attendees, who hadlively discussions and enjoyed thebuffet dinner.
More informationThe ITC alumni in Thailand are veryactive. If you want to join the ITCalumni chapter (of NAAT), pleasecontact the general secretary,Mrs Parida Kuneepong E: [email protected] T: +66 (0)81-9299197
For general questions about ITC’sactivities in Thailand or for infor-mation on how to apply for ITCcourses, please contact the ITCrepresentative in Thailand, Mrs Marjan Kreijns E: [email protected] T: +66 (0)2 3913663
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Some 70 Netherlands alumni attended the reception hosted by the ambassador and the Netherlands Alumni Association of Thailand
The venue of the alumni reception: the residence of the Dutch ambassador in Thailand
New Year’s Reception at Renovated Residence of Dutch Ambassador in Thailand
Marjan Kreijns [email protected]
A 14-day refresher course sponsoredby NUFFIC and entitled TargetingUrban Poverty Alleviation in Sub-Sahara Africa was held in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, from 19 to 31November 2007. The course wasconducted by Ardhi University incollaboration with ITC. Course coor-dination and execution was under-taken by Dr Javier Martínez and DrSherif Amer (ITC), Dr AlphonceKyessi (Ardhi University,) and DrGora Mboup (UN-Habitat, GUO,Nairobi).
In total 20 participants from Ethiopia,Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda andZambia completed the course.
The main topics covered in the courseincluded urban poverty dimensionsand alleviation strategies; urban andintra-urban poverty indicators; datasources, potentials and limitations;global monitoring tools; and target-ing urban poverty and mapping. Thecontent included theoretical andpractical approaches to urban envi-ronmental planning and manage-ment, with the focus mainly on devel-oping countries, particularly in theSouthern Sahara region. In the firstweek, the participants were exposedto sharing experiences concerningurban poverty/indicators, targetingthe urban poverty dimensions andpoverty reduction strategies, acquisi-tion of data sources, potentials andlimitations, and global monitoringtools. Participants were given the op-portunity to present country-basedstudies. This was very useful and of-fered new and unique ways of deal-ing with urban poverty allevia-tion/reduction. The second week wasdevoted mainly to the application ofspatial tools for targeting urbanpoverty and mapping. Spatial data
analysis, modelling and visualisationwere carried out using Arc-GIS soft-ware.
Since agencies and governments suf-fer from limited capacity and even alack of urban managers, fast-growingurban areas in Africa, as well as de-veloping countries in general, are fac-ing challenges in controlling andmanaging urban poverty. Povertymapping (the spatial representationand analysis of indicators of humanwellbeing and poverty) is becomingan increasingly important instrumentfor investigating and discussing spa-tial, social, economic and environ-mental problems. Such an instrumentcould assist in mapping public re-sources with increased transparency.
The course was therefore timely as itenabled participants to improve theirskills and be exposed to ideas andmethods that would be useful in theirwork as urban managers. The needto target urban poverty alleviation forurban development and to incorpo-
rate stakeholders’ concerns as a pri-mary focus within urban planningand management is widely recog-nised.
While most of the alumni found thatthe topics concerning urban povertydimensions and alleviation strategiesand urban and intra-urbanpoverty/indicators refreshed theknowledge and experience gainedduring earlier studies at ITC, the topicon targeting urban poverty and map-ping using Arc-GIS proved a real eye-opener.
A one-day excursion was organisedto an informal settlement in Dar-es-Salaam: the Kinondoni district in theHanna Nassif area. Here the partici-pants were able to gain practical ex-perience of poverty alleviation strate-gies and of management projectactivities. The Hanna Nassif area hasmade good progress in terms ofurban poverty reduction and the par-ticipants were able to acquire first-hand experience of how the commu-
26 ITC News 2008-1
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Course participants in class
Successful Refresher Course on Targeting Urban Poverty Alleviation in Sub-Sahara Africa
Alphonce Kyessi and Amin Mtoure [email protected]
Ardhi University, Dar es Salaam [email protected]
nity has been involved in the settle-ment upgrading process. HannaNassif was therefore a best practiceexample for the course, and we theparticipants gained a lot of knowl-edge and experience to take backhome and apply in improving theurban poverty reduction techniquesin our own cities.
The course also gave participants anopportunity to go to Bagamoyo, acity of historical significance on thecoast of the Indian Ocean. The one-day excursion allowed the partici-pants to see efforts to conserve im-portant cultural and historical aspectsof the town for future generations.Bagamoyo was famous as a shippingpoint for the slave trade. In its vicinityare the ruins of Kaole, which servesas a good example of how environ-mental changes can undermine thesustainability of human settlements.The decline of Kaole has been attrib-uted to such causes as the silting upof the estuary, the expansion of man-groves, and the increased salinity ofthe groundwater.
During the closing ceremony, the par-ticipants received a certificate of at-tendance and a bundle of materialsfor reference purposes. On behalf ofall participants, a presentation was
made to thank the course coordina-tors and sponsors, as well as the sup-porting staff who had facilitatedmany of the course events during thetwo weeks.
According to the course evaluation,the course was successfully con-ducted. Participants expressed theview that the knowledge acquiredduring the course would be of greatbenefit to their home organisations. Ithas become evident that better infor-mation has the potential to con-tribute to poverty mapping and sub-sequently to decision making.Therefore, the challenge is for all par-ticipants to make an effort to use bet-ter tools and accurate informationand thus arrive at strategies gearedtowards strategies targeting the alle-viation of poverty and the develop-ment of sustainable cities in Africa.So we look forward to similar coursesorganised for alumni, as these wouldgo a long way to helping us to be-come better strategic thinkers in thefield of urban poverty alleviation inour urban areas.
We therefore thank ITC, ArdhiUniversity, and the sponsors for bring-ing alumni together and for helpingto build stronger ties and links withinthe South–South and North-South.
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Water supply
Poor housing in Tanzania
The Philippines has finally joinedthe network of ITC alumni associa-tions (IAA), as it formally organisedthe IAA Philippines during a meet-ing held on 17 March 2008 at theCabalen Restaurant in OrtigasCenter, Mandaluyong City. Themeeting brought together bothnew and longstanding ITC gradu-ates, spanning the years from 2004to as far back as 1969.
The highlight of the meeting was theinitial drafting of the charter of theIAA Philippines, and the selection ofthe interim members of the ExecutiveCommittee. Mr Federico Nadela, whoattended a photogrammetry course(P1) at ITC in 1969, was chosen fromthe 16 ITC alumni present to be presi-dent. Mr Reynaldo Adorador, also aphotogrammetry graduate but thistime in 1977 (P1) and 1980 (P2), waselected vice-president, while MsRegina Reyes, who followed thecourse Natural ResourceManagement, Planning andCoordination (NRM3) in 2002, waselected secretary. As agreed by thegroup, the IAA Philippines will betemporarily housed at CertezaSurveying & Aerophoto Systems Inc.
Among the immediate concerns ofthe IAA Philippines is the wish to be-come a chapter of the NetherlandsAlumni Association (NAA) of thePhilippines. The group was fortunateto have, in the person of Ms LiliaRaflores, a representative from theNAA Philippines present at the meet-ing. Next on the group’s agenda willbe the drafting of a work plan for theassociation.
The above gathering of ITC alumniwould not have been possible with-out the help of Ms Marina Geurtsand Mr Jeroen Verplanke, respectivelythe present and the past ITC alumnicoordinator. Both have been very sup-portive in the group’s efforts to reachout to all ITC graduates and organisethe IAA Philippines. Many respondedto the official invitation sent by theITC alumni coordinator. And while anumber wanted to join the gathering,their locations prevented this becausemost of the alumni are located out-side Metro Manila and some havemoved to other countries.Nevertheless, they have expressedtheir interest and support in organis-ing the IAA Philippines.
With the formal organisation of theIAA Philippines, it is envisaged thatcloser and more frequent contact willbe established between Filipinoalumni and ITC, with a view to pro-moting knowledge sharing, particu-larly with regard to new technologiesand methods.
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The Philippines Joins the Community of ITC Alumni Associations
Regina S. ReyesIAA-Philippines Coordinator [email protected]
IAA Philippines: (from left to right, sitting in the front row) Rhodora Gonzales, Federico Nadel(president), Reynaldo Adorador (vice-president) and Regina Reyes (IAA Philippines coordina-tor/secretary)
The Alumni Office interviewedalumna Ari Susanti (MSc NRM 2003-2005) from Indonesia. Ari is memberof the ITC Alumni Association ofIndonesia and works as a lecturerfor the Faculty of Forestry at GadjahMada University in Yogyakarta.
Why did you choose to study inthe Netherlands and at ITC in par-ticular?The Netherlands offers various schol-arship schemes, and ITC is the centreof excellence when it comes to apply-ing GIS and remote sensing in variousfields. One such field is planning andcoordination in natural resourcesmanagement, and the Institute intro-duces students to many planningtools. Furthermore, it provides an in-ternational working environment,since the students and staff comefrom all over the world.
Any particular memories of theITC facilities and staff that youwould like to share with our read-ers?The facilities are excellent, in line withthose of other higher education insti-tutions in Enschede, and the staffmembers are very helpful. I wouldlike to say a special thank-you to thestaff in the library. They did a verygood job. However, student housingstill needs more attention, especiallywith regard to internet and public fa-cilities. The housekeepers are very dis-ciplined, getting up early to welcomethe students on every Wednesday.
What are your experiences as astudent?The end-of-module party was myfavourite event. I hardly ever missedit. My Indonesian friends gave me amiddle name because of this. Theycalled me Ari “party” Susanti. TheInternational Evening was great. I metmy husband, Raymond Matthijs, at
the International Evening held on 20November 2004. He was a student atthe University of Twente, in theFaculty of Political Science. And wegot married on 1 March 2008!
The sports centre was nice, but thelarge number of students whowanted to take part meant theschedule was too tight. I had to workhard at ITC to meet the standards, tobe professional, and to stay abreastof new technological developmentsand information technology.
Did living in the Netherlands comeas a culture shock?I experienced no culture shock when Ifirst arrived in the Netherlands.Everything was OK. Perhaps this isbecause I was used to working withmany and various people. It’s alsoeasier to get used to something thatis ordered and systematic. The cultureshock hit me when I went back toIndonesia!
Any memories of Dutch food, theEnschede shops or the weather?In general, Dutch food is plain and Idon’t like it very much, except themilk, cheese and chocolate.Compared with prices here in mycountry, it is very cheap. During mystudy at ITC, I ate mainly Indonesianfood, since there are many Asianshops (toko) around. Asian foods arequite expensive but they saved mefrom going hungry.
Winter was incredible! December2003 was the first time I’d ever seenreal snow. When I arrived in theNetherlands, my first impression wasone of clean air and a clean environ-ment.
Any advice for ITC?There should be more schemes to en-able graduates to continue studying
for a doctoral degree at ITC or atother higher education institutions inthe Netherlands. I also feel that moreinformation regarding such opportu-nities should be supplied and that de-veloping joint research with the insti-tutions where alumni work would bea good idea.
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Interview with Ari Susanti
Marina Geurts [email protected]
International Evening, 20 November 2004
NRM field trip, 28 October 2003
Having met in the Netherlands, Ari Susantiand Raymond Matthijs (alumnus of theUniversity of Twente) got married on 1 March 2008
Coinciding with the Map India 2008conference, the ITC Alumni IndiaMeet was held on Friday, 8 February2008. The meet was organised atGreater Noida, an ultra-moderntownship near Delhi.
Apart from exchanging pleasantries,the alumni discussed various issuesregarding ITC and alumni interaction,and possible ways of strengtheningthe alumni association.
It was noted that these days NFP fel-lowships are quite scarce and thatother funding possibilities need to bepursued for Indian students. A strongsuggestion was made to tap the re-sources in the now-emerging privatesector economy in the country forsponsoring candidates for higher ed-ucation and short courses at ITC.
Earlier, through the ITC-IIRS exhibitionbooth in Map India 2008, a largenumber of potential students wereinformed of the various courses andfunding options. ITC shared the exhi-bition with IIRS and was pleased topublicise the two joint educationalprogrammes that are currently of-fered (MSc in Geoinformatics andMSc in Geo-Hazards).
Among those attending the meetwere Major General R.S. Tanwar, sur-veyor general of India; Brigadier R.Sivakumar, convener, NSDI; Mr P.S.Uttarwar, director, Delhi DevelopmentAuthority; and Prof. Dr Mahavir, ITCalumni coordinator for India.
ITC was represented by Dr LucBoerboom, Dr Javier Martinez and MrJohn Horn. Incidentally, the occasionalso served as an opportunity to cele-brate Mr Horn’s birthday.
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ITC Alumni India Meet
Prof. Dr Mahavir [email protected]
John Horn [email protected]
ITC exhibition booth with Mr John Horn(ITC) and Dr S.K. Srivastav (IIRS)
Newly appointed surveyor general of IndiaRajendra Tanwar with colleague Ashok Prim(both ITC alumni)
National Exhibition Centre,Greater Noida, venue for theMap India 2008 conference
Conference registration at Map India 2008
ITC alumni and ITC staff
On the evening of 7 January 2008,an alumni party was organised atthe premises of the National Carto -graphic Centre (NCC). ITC rectorProfessor Martien Molenaar and ITCprofessors John van Genderen,Alfred Stein, Anne van der Veen andDr Ali Sharifi, together with over 50ITC alumni, attended the party. Twoalumni from ITC’s early days werepresent: Mr Vali Tavana and MrRoshani Moghadam, who studied atthe Institute in 1957 and 1965, re-spectively.
The party was officially opened byProfessor Molenaar and a deliciousdinner was served. The alumni wereencouraged to keep in touch or re-es-tablish contact with ITC by supplyingtheir current address details.
During his trip to Iran, the author ofthis article paid a visit to the Dutchembassy in Tehran and had a meetingover lunch with the Dutch ambassa-dor, Mr Radinck J. van Vollenhoven.The importance of the alumni net-work was emphasised during thecourse of this meeting.
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ITC Alumni Party, Tehran, Iran
Ali Sharifi [email protected]
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