AfricaGIS 2019 – Rwanda

AfricaGIS is the largest geospatial, science and technology conference on the African Continent. The conference is held every two years and is organised by EIS-Africa, a pan African non-profit organisation. The AfricaGIS conference and exhibition series have become a flagship geospatial information marketplace in Africa. For the past 20 years, the series have contributed immensely to the development of skills and institutional capacity in geoinformation across the continent. This year’s conference was held in Kigali, Rwanda, from 18 to 22 November. With around 500 participants from the entire African continent, it provided an excellent platform to showcase and demonstrate the its4land land administration toolbox.

The its4land partners of WWU, UT-ITC and Hansa Luftbild held a workshop on Monday 18 Nov under the FOSS4G (Free Open Source Software for Geospatial) sessions to present the software tools which were developed in the its4land project. This workshop introduced the participants to the Smart SketchMaps tool, the Visible Boundary Delineator and the Publish and Share platform, and gave them the opportunity, to gain first-hand experience in using the software tools (the workshop took place in the computer room of the University with some 20 desktop computers).

On Thursday 21 Nov. ITC organized an Alumni-Reception inviting both Alumni and conference participants. The non-formal format of the event was attended by 35 guests and provided also a good framework to continue the discussion about its4land and its exploitable results.

Figure 1: its4land exhibition booth with professionals learning about the its4land software tools
Figure 2: Live demonstrations of the tools
Figure 3: Professor Angela Schwering of WWU demonstrating Smart SketchMaps
Figure 4: Dr. Sophie Crommerlinck of UT-ITC and Dr. Imad Humayum of Hansa Luftbild holding the FOSS4G workshop about the its4land toolbox
Figure 5: Workshop participants learning how to use the Publish and Share platform
Figure 6: Workshop participants learning how to use Visible Boundaries Delineator tool
Figure 7: General view of the workshop participants being active in experiencing the its4land software tools
Figure 8: Group photo of the workshop participants
Figure 9: Group photo of the its4land project partners presenting the its4land toolbox at AfricaGIS in Rwanda