The ARD, with support from the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), facilitated a three-day training workshop in January for Public
Officers on the use of the Geographical Information System (GIS)
through satellite technology.
The GIS is a data base of all the essential attributes of the land
and according to ARD Human Settlement Specialist Ivan Laughlin: “Land
is a fundamental plank in any development process (and) mapping is one
of the voices of the land.”
Seven of the twelve Public Officers were in attendance to receive
Certificates of Participation during a special ceremony today at the
ARD Board Room, all of whom expressed appreciation for the training and
pledged to apply and share the knowledge obtained. Members of the ARD
Human Settlement Task Force (HSTF), along with members of the media,
witnessed the presentations.
UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Barbados and the OECS Mrs.
Rebeca Arias congratulated the ARD for initiating the training and said
the UNDP has been pleased to work closely with ARD, which has a key
role in coordinating all the reconstruction efforts in Grenada.
Mrs. Arias noted the importance of sharing information among
agencies, as well as and making the information obtained through
satellite imagery open to the public domain.
Mrs. Arias also took the opportunity to present four computers to the ARD for distribution among the agencies of the HSTF.
Mr. Michael Mason, Acting Chief Land Use Officer in the Ministry of
Agriculture, Lands, Forestry and Fisheries, was particularly pleased to
be part of the training and looks forward to utilising the knowledge
gained.
“I am so happy today. I have been pushing this since 1994,” Mr.
Mason said, giving the assurance that the information will be shared
through the HSTF. He said the application of the technology obtained
from the training will secure data integrity and avoid duplication of
data.
The HSTF was established by the ARD in 2005 and brings together – on
a weekly basis – representatives of the Lands and Surveys Department,
Land Use Division and the Forestry Department in the Ministry of
Agriculture, Lands, Forestry and Fisheries; the Valuation Division,
Physical Planning Unit and Central Statistics Office in the Ministry of
Finance and Planning; the Supreme Court Registry in the Ministry of
Legal Affairs; the Housing Authority of Grenada and the National
Disaster Management Agency (NadMA).
The HSTF falls under the ARD Department of Social Recovery and
Director Dr. Jennifer Holder Dolly explained why the ARD has
incorporated Human Settlement into the overall development process.
“Human Settlement is an all-embracing approach to the sustainable
development of the living environment … At its heart then is the
shaping of people’s lives. For us in the ARD therefore, it is a
signature moment when we broaden the base of persons with the skills to
make full use of the GIS technology and the institutional capacity to
develop this planning tool and national resource,” Dr. Dolly said.
She congratulated members of the HSTF for modeling coordination and communication.
“In my view you have modeled the significant gains to be made from
collaboration and respectful communication; respecting the integrity of
each Department and at the same time cooperating where overlaps exist
and where efficiencies can be realised in operations. I am pleased to
advise the UNDP that the Task Force is, in fact, operationalising the
recommendations of the training consultants,” Dr. Dolly said.
Participants in the training course are listed below:
- Beryl-Ann Clarkson – Central Statistical Office
- Odean Peters – Valuation Division
- Fabian Purcell – Physical Planning Unit
- Wayne Wilson – NaDMA
- Valarie Phillip – NaDMA
- Anthony Jeremiah – Forestry Dept.
- Venance Msacky – Lands and Surveys Division
- Ashley Calliste – Land Use Division
- Ann Francis – Land Use Division
- Wayne Dhannie – 4H and Extension Division
- Nirvani Gopal – ARD Project Officer
- Kitwana Folkes – ARD Housing Coordinator