“We are commencing the remapping of Grenada. This room here is the ‘engine room’ of the development process,” according to Mr. Ivan Laughlin, Agency for Reconstruction and Development Inc. (ARD) Human Settlement Specialist.

The ARD Human Settlement Task Force, which comprises representatives from all land related agencies, was established in July 2005 to develop a Human Settlement Policy and Strategy for Grenada for the period 2005 to 2015.

Central to the work of the Task Force and the entire planning process is the remapping of Grenada. This requires the application of a Geographical Information System (GIS) through satellite technology.

The ARD Department of Social Recovery, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has organised a Training Workshop on the application of GIS and Remote Sensing for Public Officers, which got underway on Tuesday (January 24) in the very room that will become the hub of Grenada’s remapping exercise.

ARD Chief Executive Officer Mr. Richardson Andrews, speaking at the opening ceremony of the three-day workshop, said the ARD regards land and land related issues as critical for future planning.

“How we manage the land resources determines how we succeed in our development efforts,” Mr. Andrews said.

The Workshop, which is being facilitated by UNDP consultants Iftikhar Ahmed and Nigel Marshall, focuses on theoretical and practical applications of remote sensing technology.

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Barbados and the OECS, Ms. Rebeca Arias, said the training is important not only in a post disaster situation, but also for planning in general.

“This is a very good initiative that Grenada is taking, and other Caribbean countries can learn from your experience,” she said.

Public Officers attending the Workshop are from the Forestry Department, Lands and Surveys and Land Use Divisions in the Ministry of Agriculture, Central Statistics Office and the Valuation Division in the Ministry of Finance, the Supreme Court Registry in the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the National Disaster Management Authority.

What began today with this Workshop will eventually lead to a pictorial representation showing the conditions of every single piece of property in Grenada, facilitating the integration of all land and property records of the Country – the Cadastre.