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Earth Observation essential for geohazard mitigation
More than 250 scientists from around the world gathered for a five-day workshop at ESA's Earth Observation Centre in Frascati.
Resources & Tools
Sustainable Communities Initiative Partners with Rural, Remote and Aboriginal Communities
What is SCI?
GeoConnections is funding (800,000$ per year) the Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI), a national program that aims to provide rural, Aboriginal and northern communities with modern mapping technologies so that they can make informed decisions for sustainable development. The objective over the five years of the program is to provide approximately 100 communities with geomatic tools. With SCI only two years into its operational phase, 68 communities are already involved in the program, and discussions are ongoing with another 15 communities. Current results are exceeding expectations.
The SCI approach to community capacity-building through the use of technology transfer is innovative. Communities who are able to provide strong leadership and vision and are facing an important planning or decision-making challenge can come to SCI for support in solving problems. Communities are always in control of their project.
Through a dialogue, the community and SCI design a pilot project around the issue/challenge the community is facing. SCI assists the community by providing the tools for geomatics, technical support, help with data acquisition, and training. Training in geomatics is provided to community members in the context of the pilot project. This is the most important aspect of SCI: investing in people, in the community, for the community. Trainees readily see the usefulness of training and the benefits for their community.
Partnerships
The majority of the projects also greatly benefit from the contribution of various partners. An example of such a partnership is the agreement that has been recently signed between SCI and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), an organization that has represented the interests of the Inuit of Canada at the national level since 1972. SCI and ITK agreed to cooperate to plan and deliver SCI's program in a manner that is both culturally appropriate and sensitive to the concerns of the Inuit in the four regions of interest to the ITK. It is expected that community proposals will address local issues related to natural resources, environment and health (including contaminants in the environment and climate change), social well-being, or a combination of these issues that would benefit from the use of geomatics and Internet technology.
Another example illustrating the benefits of partnerships is the project in Blanc-Sablon, Quebec. Working in close cooperation with the Comité ZIP Côte-Nord, and the "Centre de recherché Les Buissons" (Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec), the project will investigate whether the harvesting of the small fruit called "chicouté" (rubus chamaemorus) growing in the region can be an alternative source of income for small communities in the area. Significant job creation potential exists in this renewable resource. The pilot-project objectives are to:
- Inventory and map the areas of growth, and estimate potential volumes;
- Strategically plan the picking of the fruit, which has a short maturation, by directing harvesting teams to maturing crops;
- Develop environmentally sound harvesting infrastructure (roads, bridges, etc.).
The mapping of growth areas (see map) is already well underway, and the results look very promising for these small communities on the North Shore of the St-Lawrence.
(click to enlarge...)
GeoConnection's Sustainable Communities Initiative has also held exploratory discussions with the Métis National Council (MNC) recently. The MNC is intrigued by the "bottom-up" approach that SCI has taken in bringing advanced geomatics tools to remote communities. They were also interested in hearing about SCI's two previous Métis projects. Further discussions will take place in the next few weeks to define the future relationship between MNC and SCI for upcoming projects involving Métis communities.
These are just a few examples to demonstrate that SCI is a good " best practices " program partnering with Canadian citizens, as well as a great horizontal enabling program involving many federal agencies.