A Mesoamerican and Caribbean

Geospatial Alliance

**(MACGA)**

**Project Proposal Presented to the Global Development Alliance**

30 April 2003

![](media/image1.wmf){width="6.402777777777778in"
height="5.403472222222222in"}**Landsat7 satellite imagery coverage for
Mesoamerica and the Caribbean**

Eric van Praag, Tom Albright, Diego Pedreros, and Kate Lance

USGS/EROS Data Center and Glenn Hyman CIAT

Submitted by Larry L. Tieszen, EROS Data Center

Tieszen@usgs.gov

April 2003

A Mesoamerican and Caribbean

Geospatial Alliance

**(MACGA)**

Executive Summary

**Most development decisions have a spatial component**. Geographic
information can greatly assist decision-making and resolve development
questions in a wide range of areas, from economic growth, trade,
municipal planning and development, and agriculture and food security to
humanitarian assistance, environmental conservation, and information
technology services.

An important problem confronting decision-makers in the Mesoamerican and
Caribbean (MAC) region is that spatial data are often unavailable,
generally offer limited geographic coverage, might not be found in
usable formats, and in many cases have been developed without the use of
consistent standards and in an uncoordinated way. What spatial data that
are available are often developed in a project-oriented context and not
enough emphasis has been placed on a long-term and sustainable national
and regional strategy for building spatial data infrastructure.
Moreover, spatial data access is often limited to the highly trained
technician, leaving a wide audience of potential users without access.

**We propose a Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA),
to undertake a concerted region-wide effort, to improve dramatically the
return on investment in data collection and to facilitate sustainable
networking among alliance members.** We will:

1.  build a regional task force for spatial data infrastructure
    development in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean (MAC) region and
    initiate long-term personal and professional networking;

2.  establish agreements on key standards and practices;

3.  build and strengthen the capacity of the national and regional
    organizations to produce, integrate, and share spatial data and
    incorporate data in Internet map server systems; and

4.  work through this task force to develop specific national and
    regional prototype information system products and data sets.

The main objectives of the MACGA are to improve access and distribution
of existing and new spatial data sets; foster harmonization and
integration of spatial data sets in the region; promote the appropriate
use of common standards and methods for spatial data production and
sharing; and establish a coordinating mechanism to link data providers
among themselves and with data users.

Implementation of the MACGA for the first two years will involve three
phases.

1.  **Planning Phase:** During this phase a project steering committee
    and project advisory committees are constituted and plans for
    capacity-building and product development are put in place.

2.  **Capacity-Building Phase:** This phase centers on the organization
    and hosting of several capacity-building workshops. Participants
    finalize regional MACGA action plans that guide subsequent work.

3.  **Implementation and Technical Assistance Phase:** The U.S.
    Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC) and MACGA partners
    will provide technical support and capacity-building during the life
    of the project. This will center on providing assistance in the
    development, implementation, staging, and cataloguing of specific
    data sets and products described in action plans developed during
    the capacity-building.

More than twenty partner agencies have announced their commitment to
participate. The list includes MAC national mapping and environment
agencies, national ministries of agriculture, NGOs, funding agencies,
U.N. agencies, research institutions, international development
agencies, international agricultural centers, and universities. Each
contributes to the alliance objectives in different ways: by funding
certain activities, by providing capacity-building, by distributing
spatial data sets free of cost, by offering workshop venues, by offering
software and training packages, by developing products and deliverables,
and by undertaking needed coordination and planning activities. Partners
have already pledged to contribute over \$2 million in support of the
MACGA.

The alliance brings very real and concrete benefits. It provides tools
and methodologies for data management to more than 250 MAC specialists,
strengthens links among data producing agencies, facilitates data access
to a wide audience of non-technical users, offers better data
integration and interoperability for regional projects, and assists in
the development of specific products such as global map data sets and
national Internet map server (IMS) applications.

Our vision is to build a lasting and sustainable spatial data
infrastructure in the MAC region that facilitates access and integration
of spatial data and through which data duplication is minimized and the
incorporation of spatial data into the decision-making process is
greatly increased. This project undertakes activities for the first two
years of the MACGA to provide the capacity-building, organizational
support, and technical assistance needed to sustain this vision and to
produce tangible products that demonstrate what this alliance can
achieve.

In a few years, a beneficiary of this alliance should be able to sit at
a single terminal and call upon the full wealth of spatial data
resources collected throughout the region, and indeed, throughout the
world!

Table of Contents

[A Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA)
1](#a-mesoamerican-and-caribbean-geospatial-alliance-macga)

[MACGA: Unleashing the Potential of New Technologies
2](#macga-unleashing-the-potential-of-new-technologies)

[MACGA: USAID Program Synergies 4](#macga-usaid-program-synergies)

[MACGA: Implementation Plan 6](#macga-implementation-plan)

[MACGA: The Institutional Context 10](#macga-the-institutional-context)

[MACGA: Expected Outcomes 13](#macga-expected-outcomes)

[MACGA: Future Plans 14](#macga-future-plans)

[MACGA: Request for USAID Assistance
15](#macga-request-for-usaid-assistance)

[Appendix A: Key Technologies 17](#appendix-a-key-technologies)

[Appendix B: Capacity Building Technology Topics
18](#appendix-b-capacity-building-technology-topics)

[Appendix C: Capacity Building Associated Presentations
19](#appendix-c-capacity-building-associated-presentations)

[Appendix D: Participating Alliance Partners
21](#appendix-d-participating-alliance-partners)

[Appendix E: MACGA Global Budget 23](#appendix-e.-macga-global-budget)

[Appendix F: Acronyms. 25](#appendix-f-acronyms)

# A Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA)

Unprecedented quantities of geographically referenced data are being
produced and disseminated in the Caribbean and Mesoamerican (MAC)
region, but problems such as limited data accessibility, lack of
standards, and a failure to coordinate data management practices mean
that the enormous potential value of data is not being fully exploited.
Waste occurs when efforts are duplicated to produce the same data over
and over again. It is also wasteful when disparate data sources are
scattered across the region and rendered effectively inaccessible for
decision-making.

At national levels, with donor assistance, substantial efforts are
underway to address geospatial data management inefficiencies. These
efforts include building capacity, transferring knowledge, and
installing technical infrastructure. However, unless and until it is
possible to integrate information collected across the region in real
time to answer even the most rudimentary transnational analytical
questions, much will have been for naught.

We, therefore, propose a concerted effort, regional in scope, to improve
dramatically the return on investment in data collection. We will bring
together the region's disparate data collectors and analysts in a common
understanding of what is needed to unify their multiple data sources and
make them available to wider audiences. We will furnish them the skills
and technical assistance to implement their plans. We will help them
produce their first unified information products made possible by this
newly integrated information infrastructure.

If we are successful:

-   An environmental specialist in Guatemala (or even Washington) will
    call upon data collected in Honduras and El Salvador from multiple
    agencies in each country, as well as from international satellite
    data sources, to construct in seconds a color-coded map that at a
    glance furnishes even the most non-technical policy maker with the
    latest impacts of deforestation and agricultural production on
    commerce and family income.

-   A public health specialist in Jamaica will be able to call on data
    on movements of people from immigration services on all the
    surrounding islands, linked to data on health clinic encounters of
    new viral infections, as well as environmental factors such as
    rainfall and hours of sunlight, to develop more effective and
    immediate strategies to fight epidemics even before they start.

To realize this vision, we propose the following steps:

1.  Build a Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA) of
    the region's key spatial data producers and repositories to
    coordinate the development of distributed-management,
    spatially-referenced, and regionally-integrated information systems.

2.  Through this alliance, establish agreements on the standards and
    practices for maintaining and sharing data throughout the region so
    that the desired information systems can be constructed.

3.  Build and strengthen the capacity of alliance members to implement
    and conform to the agreed standards and practices necessary for the
    implementation of the desired regional information systems.

4.  With standards and practices in place, develop specific prototype
    information system products. These products will each permit an
    information consumer in one location to access spatially referenced
    data maintained on many different servers located throughout the
    region, all at the same time, in a single query, to produce
    sophisticated products for enhanced analysis.

More than twenty partner organizations have announced their commitment
to participate. The list includes MAC national mapping and environment
agencies, national ministries of agriculture, NGOs, funding agencies, UN
agencies, research institutions, international development agencies,
international agricultural centers, and universities (See Appendix D for
a list of participating agencies and Appendix E to review their
contributions to the MACGA).

The main objective of the MACGA is to greatly improve access to spatial
data, information, and applications to enhance national and regional
capacities for better decision-making to face development and
environment challenges in the MAC region.

This project has the following specific objectives:

-   Provide the capacity-building and technical assistance needed by
    national and regional agencies and projects to develop specific data
    sets and applications.

-   Facilitate the implementation of integrated national databases for
    Internet map servers (IMS) in each country.

-   Promote the development of public domain digital core data sets at
    the national and local levels.

-   Promote appropriate use of common standards and methods in spatial
    data production, cataloguing, and dissemination.

-   Strengthen existing national spatial data infrastructures (SDI) and
    cataloguing systems (clearinghouses) and foster the establishment of
    new ones.

-   Help establish a network of peers in the region for professional
    support and development.

-   Improve national capacities for better decision-making and
    achievement of development objectives.

-   Foster harmonization and integration of spatial data sets in the
    region.

# 

# MACGA: Unleashing the Potential of New Technologies

Most development decisions have a spatial component (See Appendix A for
a description of each of the key technologies referred to in this
proposal). These decisions are related to basic questions about the
world around us:

-   Which areas are prone to flooding in a municipality? What are the
    best places to build particular infrastructure?

-   Which zones have reported increased encounters with a particular
    infectious disease in the last 24 hours?

-   Which farms produce shade-grown coffee in a particular region?

-   What precincts are reporting lower-than-average voter registration
    in the days leading up to an election?

-   How much has the forest cover shrunk in the last 10 years and why?

-   Which maize growing areas will see decreased growth due to late
    rainfall onset?

Answers to these and many other development questions require the use of
diverse sets of spatial data. These data sets are typically maintained
by different agencies within a country. Truly effective analysis often
requires not only the integration of these data sets within a country,
but also the incorporation of comparable data across national
boundaries.

For example:

-   **A municipal Geographic Information System** **(GIS)** can assist
    government staff in locating populated areas prone to flooding and
    other natural and human hazards, and evaluate economic losses from
    them, as exemplified by the USGS Mitch municipal GIS product
    ([http://mitchnts1.cr.usgs.gov](http://mitchnts1.cr.usgs.gov/)). The
    system unites data on population concentrations, historical flood
    imagery, the location of buildings, roads, power lines, and so on.

-   **Satellite imagery analysis for detection of forest cover change**
    can be used for biodiversity conservation planning, documentation of
    carbon dynamics, and certification of low-impact specialty commodity
    production. EDC has developed a prototype technique for supporting
    such certification by documenting forest incursion or stability in
    proximity to specialty coffee production areas. Certification of
    specialty commodities can help growers and cooperatives obtain
    premium prices for their crops. The system unites data on coffee
    production zones, forest cover, the locations of towns and villages,
    roads, waterways, weather patterns, etc.

-   **A digital elevation model** **(DEM)** such as that recently
    developed by the U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA)
    under the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) (a digital map of
    the world with precise altitude detail) can assist in the planning
    of infrastructure (i.e. construction of roads, bridges, electric
    grid, etc.), or in the location of coffee farms in low areas
    unsuitable for specialty coffee production
    ([www.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/](http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/)).
    High-resolution DEMs can be used to assess landslide risk, define
    hydrologic basins, estimate sedimentation rates, site facilities,
    and assist in a host of other development applications. The imagery
    from the shuttle is linked to data collected on the ground about
    coffee production and soil types.

-   **Satellite imagery** can be used to detect and monitor harmful
    invasive species that may have severe economic and environmental
    consequences. EDC has recently completed a project providing
    comprehensive monitoring information to assist the efforts of East
    African governments to combat a destructive water-hyacinth
    infestation on Lake Victoria. Time series satellite imagery on
    hyacinth ebbs and flows is linked to data from all three countries
    around the lake on rainfall and humidity, river flow rates, cloud
    cover, natural pests, etc.

-   **Maps with rainfall estimates** and other spatial data can provide
    early warning of flooding hazards or diminished agricultural output,
    as exemplified by the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) to be
    implemented in Central America
    (<http://edcw2ks21.cr.usgs.gov/adds/centralamerica/>). Data from
    orbit will be linked to data collected by field agents who visit
    communities and inspect covered grain storage, recording anecdotes
    from farmers about pest infestations, and so forth.

![](media/image2.png){width="2.6756944444444444in" height="2.28125in"}
**USGS Municipal GIS Project Locations C.A. Municipal GIS hazard map**

Note that in each of these solutions, data from a variety of sources,
frequently crossing national boundaries, are incorporated in a unified
analysis to address complex, multifaceted challenges. These are
precisely the kinds of products that will be accessible within the
Caribbean and Mesoamerica if we are successful in the present program.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and EDC
pioneered the creation of regional spatial data infrastructures (SDI)
with their work on the Interamerican Geospatial Data Network (IGDN).
More recent developments include a Spatial Data Infrastructure for the
Americas (IDEA in Spanish)
([www.cpidea.org.co/](http://www.cpidea.org.co/)) and a Global Spatial
Data Infrastructure (GSDI) at the global level
([www.gsdi.org](http://www.gsdi.org/)). The present MACGA program is the
logical next step.

# MACGA: USAID Program Synergies

The MACGA will complement and enhance USAID programs across multiple
sectors:[^1]

-   **In agriculture**: by "developing programs which use information
    and communication technologies to accelerate outreach to farmers,
    rural communities, agribusiness, and researchers". **For example**,
    an extension agent sitting in a cybercafe in a small town in
    Honduras should be able to access the latest rainfall data linked to
    information on pest outbreaks and planting schedules as seasonal
    weather patterns shift from week to week.

-   **In conflict relief and humanitarian assistance:** by "supporting
    the capability to provide timely emergency response to disasters
    worldwide"; and by "strengthening the capacities to prepare for and
    mitigate vulnerability in disaster situations". **For example**, a
    public health official should be able to call up a map in her office
    to track a time-series representation of cholera outbreaks in camps
    for refugees and internally-displaced persons around conflict
    borders.

-   **In economic growth and trade capacity building**: by "enhancing
    the capacity of countries to participate in, comply with, and
    benefit from the global trading system"; by "gaining access and
    capacity to use new technologies, including information
    technologies"; and by "supporting innovation and expansion of
    promising service delivery models, research and dissemination of
    microenterprise best practices, capacity-building and training
    activities, and donor coordination". **For example**, commodity
    transporters should be able to identify market opportunities by
    scanning spot prices in regional markets, linked to data on shipping
    costs and customs delays through particular transport corridors.

-   **In environment/energy**: by "establishing integrated monitoring
    and assessment of forest resources to conserve biodiversity and
    improve forest health"; and by "promoting new initiatives that help
    communities identify, value, and better manage freshwater and
    coastal resources under their control". **For example**, a forestry
    monitoring officer should be able to link satellite imagery showing
    recent forest cuts to region-wide municipal data on legally issued
    permits, zeroing in on illegal logging.

-   **In health**: by "developing and implementing cost-effective
    information technology (IT) approaches for addressing global health
    issues". **For example**, a health clinician in one country treating
    a patient for tuberculosis should be able to call up confidential
    records (with the patient's permission as indicated by the patient
    typing a personal identification number) showing where in the region
    (even in other countries) that patient was last treated, what drugs
    were administered, and whether this particular patient has a history
    of not following long-term treatment regimes.

-   **In information technology:** by developing "pilot programs to
    demonstrate how information and communication technologies (ICT) can
    support USAID objectives in education, economic growth, agriculture,
    democracy and governance, and environment". This is self-evident
    from discussions above.

# MACGA: Implementation Plan

1.  **Planning Phase**

Two regional advisory committees of key, founding MACGA members (one in
the Caribbean, the other in Mesoamerica) with their collaborating
international partners will identify specific capacity-building needs
and establish capacity-building plans. They will convene (physically or
virtually) soon after project funding is available.

The committees are directly involved in all project activities:
facilitate consensus building, incorporate national and regional needs
into the capacity-building, and support the appropriate selection of
participants. This point should be emphasized, since it happens
frequently, that participants do not meet entry-level technical
requirements necessary to benefit from the capacity-building.

The committees issue invitations to the key organizations in their
region to join MACGA and participate in the building of specific data
sets and applications. These organizations will then be asked to sign a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that clarifies the purpose and scope
of the Alliance and that incorporates descriptions of the main
activities and the parties responsible to undertake them. A first visit
to the region by project staff to organize advisory committee meetings
will provide an opportunity to discuss and finalize the MOU.

The MOU preparation and approval process provides a valuable opportunity
for partners to involve senior management in the project and elevate
issues related to spatial data generation and dissemination to a higher
political level. Whenever possible, other national institutions not
participating directly in the MACGA should be kept informed of project
developments.

2.  **Capacity-Building Phase**

A series of capacity-building workshops will be implemented.
Participants will develop a thorough understanding of the specific needs
for regional standards and practices, and agree on appropriate regional
protocols (See Appendix B for a description of capacity-building topics
and Appendix C for a list of complementary presentations).

The cornerstone of the capacity-building phase for **Mesoamerica** is a
three-week training workshop to be convened at EDC in Sioux Falls, South
Dakota. Participants come from national mapping agencies, ministries of
environment, ministries of agriculture or national coffee agencies, and
regional organizations such as the Central America Commission for
Environment and Development (CCAD), the Central American Tropical
Research and Training Agricultural Center (CATIE), and the Central
American Municipal Federation (FEMICA). Most alliance members will
participate in a one or two-day session to illustrate their
requirements, evaluate opportunities for data sharing, and conduct a
needs assessment for sustainable regional development. All training is
to be conducted in Spanish.

The capacity-building phase for the **Caribbean** rotates around two
workshops. A first two-week workshop will be held at EDC facilities,
while a second three-day workshop will likely be hosted in association
with the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA)
Caribbean GIS conference, to be held in Barbados in January 2003.
Participants will be selected from national mapping agencies and
national environmental agencies in the Eastern Caribbean and Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) countries. U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), the
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA), and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) -Caribbean Environment Programme
(CEP) will consider supporting travel and per diem for their
participants. Preliminary details on agenda topics and workshop
structure are provided below.

The EDC GIS and remote-sensing training lab has all the facilities and
technology required. Twenty-five networked computers allow participants
to work individually to enhance their benefits from the training. A
guided tour of EDC will provide an opportunity to view one of the key
national, as well as international, data centers in operation. Meetings
with EDC specialists working on areas of interest to participants can be
arranged, as well as remote sensing data and aerial photography
acquisition for those interested.

The training venue will offer ample opportunity for colleagues
interested in certain topics (e.g. Global Map, clearinghouses, ecosystem
maps, Mesoamerican Biological Corridor) to meet and interact. Facilities
and equipment will be offered for participants to meet in small ad-hoc
groups.

During the workshops, an action plan that clearly delineates activities
and deliverables to be produced during the project will be drafted and
agreed upon. Direct support will be provided by means of continuous
technical assistance and guidance, methodological support, and further
capacity building provided by the proposed International Center for
Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) - Norwegian Agency for Development
Cooperation (NORAD) follow-on workshops.

An important follow-up activity for the MACGA during 2004 is a project
to link regional and national geospatial data providers to local users
working on the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC). Project plans
also include additional workshops, developing analyses, and providing
geospatial data for conservation planning throughout Central America.

Two workshops are being planned in Central America with support of
NORAD. The workshops will be direct follow-up activities to the training
received in Sioux Falls, including the same Central American officials
involved in MACGA. The project includes funding for setting up IMS in
the ministries of environment. The IMS servers will focus on providing
geospatial information on the Internet to the entire Central American
community working on the MBC. This project is currently under review by
the Norwegian government.

The CIAT-NORAD proposed project would acquire server computers for
participating Central American ministries of environment, solving
problems of reduced hardware capacity of national institutions, and
complementing the GIS and image analysis software to be provided by the
MACGA

3.  **Implementation and Technical Assistance Phase**

An action plan that clearly delineates project activities and
deliverables will be developed as part of the capacity-building.
Mesoamerican and Caribbean participants return to their countries with
clear laid-out plans and specific data sets and products to develop.
Direct support to action plan activities will be provided by means of
continuous technical assistance to be provided by EDC staff, including
visits to the region for product review and hands-on training.\
\
This technical assistance facilitates the development of Internet map
servers (IMS) that assists data dissemination by initiatives such as
USAID's Quality Coffee Program (QCP), the MBC, and the CCAD Geographic
Initiative. It will also facilitate the establishment of a MACGA WEB
site and the production of a SDI newsletter for the region.

The MACGA has a long-term vision that includes the establishment of
seamless and fully integrated core spatial data sets available on-line,
and the creation and/or consolidation of spatial data catalogs
(clearinghouses) and spatial data infrastructures.\
\
MACGA partners can work with each country in addressing the
institutional and financial barriers to data development. Within a
limited budget, the project can provide support for start-up activities,
but the countries must develop incentives for all levels of government
and the private sector to collaborate in data development and routine
updating of data sets.

**Time Line**

![](media/image4.wmf)

**Deliverables**

Project deliverables are directly tied to the implementation plan:

-   Three training workshops: one for Mesoamerican participants and two
    for Caribbean participants.

-   ESRI Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) grant for GIS
    software and training packages to seven Central American environment
    agencies (a direct contribution to the MACGA and MBC), similar to
    those already provided to Central American mapping agencies.

-   Global Map prototype data sets produced by all participating
    countries.

-   IMS applications developed by each Central American environment
    agency working on the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC).

-   New clearinghouse nodes implemented by three participating agencies.

-   Upgraded clearinghouse nodes in three participating agencies.

-   Three coffee IMS systems and two national IMS applications.

-   MACGA action plans (one for Mesoamerica and one for the Caribbean).

-   Enhanced Mesoamerican ecosystem map page at EDC International
    Program Web site.

-   SRTM data sets for all participating agencies.

-   Landsat data sets for all participating agencies.

**Organizational Structure**

Project work has been organized in three-levels: a
coordination/technical assistance level, an advisory level, and a
capacity-building/execution level.

**Coordination/Technical Assistance Level**: A steering committee, with
representation from all MACGA partners, provides overall guidance to the
alliance work and supervises this two-year project and subsequent MACGA
initiatives. EDC and CIAT provide day-to-day project coordination and
guidance, as well as technical assistance to partner agencies developing
specific products and data sets. Three EDC specialists and one CIAT
specialist with part-time dedication take on these responsibilities,
which include: assistance in the formation of the committees,
capacity-building organization and planning, technical assistance,
preparation of draft project action plans, and establishment of
communication channels, among others.

**Advisory Level**: Two advisory committees are constituted: one for
Mesoamerica and one for the Caribbean. The committees provide general
advice and feedback, facilitate leveraging of resources and consensus
building, and help incorporate national and local needs into the MACGA.

**Capacity-Building/Execution Level**: Most MACGA agencies participate
at this level. Partners select the staff members to represent them in
the steering committee and the two advisory committees, select
participants for the capacity-building, provide input for the MACGA
action plans, coordinate project activities in their own agencies,
assist or directly provide training in selected topics, fund project
activities, distribute spatial data sets to MACGA members, and develop
the applications and data sets agreed-upon during capacity-building and
contained in the action plans.

# MACGA: The Institutional Context

We propose to build the alliance on a solid foundation. The Mesoamerican
and Caribbean region hosts many efforts to take advantage of the kinds
of technological developments reviewed above. Several projects
undertaken over the last few years have accelerated the production of
spatially referenced digital data.

However, most of these projects get to the point of developing data
sets, but frequently lack the resources or the mandate to develop them
according to agreed-upon standards, to make them interoperable with
existing data sets, to integrate them, or to catalog and disseminate
them to a wider audience. **These projects have laid the foundation. Our
challenge is their integration**.

In the long run, an analyst should be able to sit at a single terminal
and call upon the full wealth of data resources collected throughout the
region, and indeed, throughout the world. For this to take place, there
must be common ground among all initiatives:

**Caribbean Hazard Mitigation Capacity Building Programme (CHAMP)**

Implemented by CDERA, the goal of this effort is to develop
comprehensive natural hazard vulnerability reduction initiatives through
the development of national hazard mitigation policies, creation of
appropriate policy implementation programmes through comprehensive
hazard mitigation frameworks and the development and implementation of
safer building training and certification programmes.
([www.oas.org/cdera/champ](http://www.oas.org/cdera/champ))

**Caribbean Disaster Mitigation Project**

The goals of this project being carried out by CDERA include improved
flood hazard mapping, enhanced capacity for community disaster
management, and the development of disaster information clearinghouse
capabilities of CDERA
([www.oas.org/en/cdmp](http://www.oas.org/en/cdmp)).

**CarLand Project**

The U.S. Forest Service/International Institute for Tropical Forestry
(IITF), the Nature Conservancy (TNC), and EDC are collaborating to
develop a consistent land use/cover map and database for the insular
Caribbean. In Phase II, to be initiated in September 2003, they will
begin development of a regional IMS. Landsat data acquired by the
project will be distributed to Caribbean participants during the
capacity-building process.

**CCAD Geographic Information Initiative**\
This World Bank supported initiative aims to strengthen and integrate
GIS systems in Mesoamerica. It will create a regional digital map with
18 thematic layers by digitizing and integrating national data sets, and
stage it in an IMS. Its technical committee - with Mesoamerican
representatives from national mapping and environmental agencies - has
helped design the MACGA and it will provide an appropriate framework for
sustaining this initiative and for addressing national and regional
needs.

**Central American Geographic Information Project (PROCIG)**

This regional effort brought together 25 government organizations in
Central America to integrate spatial information activities in the
ministries of environment and agriculture and the geographical and
statistics institutes ([www.procig.org](http://www.procig.org/)). MACGA
builds on PROCIG's focus on spatial data infrastructures.

**Global Map**

This global initiative is assisting the countries of the world in the
production of national GIS data layers: boundaries, transportation,
drainage, population centers, elevation, vegetation, land use and land
cover; to be integrated into a global map and made available on-line.
Central American and Caribbean participation in this effort has suffered
due to the difficulty in obtaining the necessary technical capacity
required to participate
([www.iscgm.org/html4/index.html](http://www.iscgm.org/html4/index.html)).

**Integrated Decision Support System\
**USSOUTHCOM, the Pacific Disaster Center, and CDERA are developing an
integrated decision support system (IDSS) in the insular Caribbean
designed to improve timely spatial data and information access for
disaster managers and humanitarian assistance providers.

**Interamerican Biodiversity Information Network (IABIN)**

This initiative led by the Organization of American States (OAS) is
helping establish a continent-wide network of biodiversity information
([www.iabin.net](http://www.iabin.net/)).

**Land use/cover mapping of the Rio Lempa Basin**

Mapping agencies in the Rio Lempa basin (Honduras, Guatemala, El
Salvador) with assistance from the French Institut Géographique National
have developed a land use/cover map of the Rio Lempa basin.

**Mesoamerican Ecosystem Map**

The World Bank funded the development of a regional ecosystems map for
Mesoamerica in conjunction with local botanists and ministries of
environment and intends to integrate it in the future with national and
regional data sets. EDC staged the data on the USGS Mitch Program Web
site (<http://mitchnts1.cr.usgs.gov/data/otheragency.html>). The CCAD
would like to integrate the new map version produced in 2003 into an
IMS.

**Projects by the Central American Municipal Federation (FEMICA in
Spanish)**

The federation sponsors initiatives such as the Central American Archive
(Archivo Centroaméricano), e-learning, municipal risk management
efforts, cadastral database development, and municipal land use planning
that stand to benefit from the MACGA, in particular from the promotion
of municipal spatial data development that can be incorporated into GIS
tools on the Web.

**Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Latin
America and the Caribbean**

This UN-affiliated training centre with two campuses, one in São José
dos Campos in Brazil and the other in Puebla, Mexico, is responsible for
enhancing the capabilities of countries in the region in various
disciplines of space science and technology, providing post-graduate
level training and also short term training courses in the following
four areas: GIS and Remote Sensing, Space and Atmospheric Science,
Satellite Meteorology and Global Climate and finally Satellite
Communication.

**USGS Mitch Program**

The Program provided support to Central American countries in the wake
of Hurricane Mitch in 1998
([http://mitchnts1.cr.usgs.gov](http://mitchnts1.cr.usgs.gov/)). The
USGS and Central American partners produced an array of spatial data
sets that MACGA partners can now catalog and incorporate into on-line
mapping services. Most data sets were integrated into a municipal GIS
package built by the project. More than 70 Central American
municipalities received basic GIS training, hardware, and software
necessary to operate this system.

**USGS-EDC Mitch Clearinghouse project**

EDC provided assistance to several national agencies in Honduras,
Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador for setting up national spatial
data catalogs and Web sites (review a project site at
<http://clearinghouse.cnr.gob.sv/metadatos/index.htm>).

Other initiatives worth mentioning and that can potentially benefit from
or contribute to the MACGA are:

-   Mesoamerican Biological Corridor
    ([www.biomeso.net](http://www.biomeso.net/));

-   Puebla-Panama Corridor Program;

-   Mesoamerican Barrier Reef Program;

-   USAID Quality Coffee Program (QCP) -- in particular IMS applications
    now in the planning stages;

-   USAID Central American Environment Program (Proarca)
    ([www.proarca.org/sitio/index.php](http://www.proarca.org/sitio/index.php));

-   Organization of American States (OAS) Planning for Adaptation to
    Global Climate Change (CPACC) project
    ([www.cpacc.org](http://www.cpacc.org/)).

The proposed MACGA will include governmental and non-governmental
agencies working on the **Mesoamerican Biological Corridor** (MBC) in
all seven Central American countries. The MBC is an ambitious regional
initiative to link wildlife corridors throughout Central America,
enhancing natural habitats, and permitting migration of plants and
animals important for biodiversity conservation throughout the region.
Under the MACGA umbrella, ESRI will make a major donation of software
packages to each of the seven Ministries of Environment responsible for
providing geospatial data to the region-wide efforts to develop the MBC.

MACGA's support for spatial data infrastructures will enhance the
efforts of Central Americans to provide vital geospatial data for MBC
planning at local, national, and regional levels. Local governments and
NGOs need geospatial data for conservation planning in and around
protected areas that are part of the MBC, including land use,
infrastructure, and settlement planning. National level governments use
and provide geospatial data for country-level policy-making related to
conservation and sustainable development issues. CCAD is leading the
region-wide initiative to link biological corridors, recognizing that
conservation planning must account for ecological processes that ignore
political boundaries.

Key staff members in all the above-mentioned projects who have been
contacted by MACGA coordinators showed considerable support for this
initiative and have provided important feedback on the type of
capacity-building and technical assistance that will help to sustain
their projects -- as well as meet wider national needs.

# MACGA: Expected Outcomes

The MACGA helps bring spatial data and applications to a wide audience;
achieve reduced duplication of effort in spatial data development; lower
costs in project data acquisition; increase sophisticated use of spatial
data; promote data interoperability; increase use of common standards
and methodologies in spatial data production, cataloguing, and
dissemination; and improve possibilities for appropriate data
integration. Benefits will accrue to the following individuals,
organizations, countries and larger communities:

-   More than 50 MAC spatial data specialists, by providing them with
    tools and methodologies necessary for creating and manipulating
    spatial data sets.

-   More than 200 spatial data specialists, by the knowledge and tools
    acquired by colleagues that attend the training.

-   Regional agencies such as FEMICA in promoting generation and
    integration of spatial data at the municipal level.

-   Approximately 14 national geographic institutes and surveying
    agencies, 14 ministries of environment, and 2 regional institutions,
    by strengthening links and facilitating common goals and the
    establishment of a shared vision.

-   The Mesoamerican and Caribbean countries, by forging stronger ties
    among themselves and with leading regional and international
    institutions.

-   The scientific community and the general public, by facilitating the
    access to data sets that are easily located, of higher quality,
    correctly catalogued, and accessible.

-   National and regional projects producing spatial data, by the
    possibility of better integrating existing and new spatial data
    sets.

-   Other geographic regions of the world, by serving as a model for
    regional spatial data harmonization efforts.

-   MACGA partner agencies, by achieving and promoting professional
    relationships that contribute to and advance other initiatives and
    undertakings.

# MACGA: Future Plans

**This project lays the foundation for regional integration and
interoperability of geographic information in Mesoamerica and the
Caribbean**. MACGA development continues after this initial period.
Partners are already committed to continue working beyond the two-year
time frame to make the MACGA vision a reality. **Mapping agencies** will
complete the development of Global Map products and integrate them into
IMS systems facilitated by this project; **ministries of environment**
will develop spatial products in support of the MBC; the **CCAD** will
finalize a Central American digital map (eighteen thematic layers) and
host it in an IMS; **agricultural agencies** will consolidate coffee IMS
applications as part of the QCP; **NORAD and the United Nations Office
for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)** will offer follow-up
capacity-building and technical assistance to MACGA partners, to mention
just a few of the initiatives reviewed that continue under the MACGA
framework after this project ends.

To facilitate these and other future MACGA initiatives, the steering
committee will form a **task force** consisting of selected on-going
geospatial data management initiatives in the MAC region. The task force
will have a range of responsibilities:

-   Continue and reinforce data management efforts initiated by this
    project.

-   Coordinate follow-up capacity-building and the formation of a
    network of local trainers.

-   Recruit country members for SDI activities.

-   Integrate the MACGA with larger SDI initiatives such as IDEA and
    GSDI.

-   Campaign to get political and administrative support by government
    agencies.

-   Develop SDI \'marketing\' examples to demonstrate to politicians the
    benefits of incorporating GIS in planning and policy.

-   Investigate and pursue funding opportunities for national and
    regional NSDI initiatives.

-   Monitor data development in the region and help broker partnerships
    (upon request).

-   Issue technical guidelines for data production.

-   Keep abreast of and participate in international standards efforts,
    Internet connectivity and information and communication technologies
    (ICT) programs in the region, and land administration initiatives in
    the region.

-   Submit bi-monthly report/newsletter to member agencies.

-   Seek out new opportunities for collaboration.

If we are successful, the situation in the MAC region could exhibit the
following characteristics 10 years from now:

-   Spatial data is commonly used to assist decision-making.

-   Easy data access is commonplace.

-   Basic national and regional digital data sets are available for a
    nominal cost or free.

-   A wide range of map services is available on the Web.

-   Any user is able to view and analyze data without the use of
    specialized software.

-   Duplication of effort in data creation is minimal.

-   All new data is catalogued and incorporated into on-line catalogs.

-   Data development follows common standards and guidelines.

-   Governments encourage data production and use.

-   The MACGA oversees and coordinates national SDI initiatives.

# 

# MACGA: Request for USAID Assistance

Total program cost will be **US\$ 2,195,250**. Of that total, USAID is
asked to contribute **\$229,000**. Other participating alliance
partners, and the local participating organizations themselves, will
cover the remaining costs. See the overall program budget in Appendix E.

USAID specific contributions are for the following:

**Planning Phase**

-   \$59,000 for technical assistance to the two regional committees.

**Capacity-Building Phase**

-   \$20,000 for capacity-building organization.

-   \$40,000 for travel costs for the participation of key USAID
    partners.

-   \$20,000 for the fees and travel costs of two of the workshop
    trainers.

**Implementation and Technical Assistance Phase:**

-   \$65,000 for the fees and travel costs of several of two experts
    providing regional onsite and remote technical assistance.

-   \$25,000 for special assistance in the development of specific
    regional information products of particular relevance to USAID
    programs.

We are proposing an enormously complex alliance, with USAID playing a
critical and pivotal role in two ways.

First, USAID will provide financial resources for specific activities
where USAID has a keen interest and extensive experience. USAID has
experience around the world in bringing together stakeholders with
diverse interests and backgrounds to develop common frameworks for
regional cooperation and development, for example telecommunications
regulators in Southern Africa, and energy producers in Eastern Europe.
Through the particular participation of USAID's regional GCAP office,
USAID will assure that a key subset of the program's participants will
play critical roles in USAID's overall development efforts in the
region.

Second, USAID is implementing one of the most diverse portfolios of
development programs of any donor in the Caribbean and Mesoamerica.
USAID is in the unique position of being able to bring together this
diversity in ways that assure the maximum usefulness of program outputs,
most specifically by focusing on at least one regional information
product with particular relevance to USAID programs.

USAID participation is therefore vital to the success of this effort.
Although the actual financial contribution requested of USAID is only
about 10 per cent of the overall requirement, this contribution simply
cannot be replaced by another donor. Financial participation aside, it
will not be possible to achieve our ultimate vision without USAID's
institutional contribution to the overall effort.

# Appendix A: Key Technologies

The incorporation into the decision-making process of multifaceted data
sources, linked through a common spatial reference, has been greatly
facilitated by several recent and innovative developments in areas such
as geographic information systems (GIS), Internet map servers (IMS),
remote sensing, global positioning systems (GPS), aerial photography,
videography, spatial data infrastructures (SDI), and information and
communication technologies (ICT).

-   **A GIS** is a set of software tools that allow for the creation,
    printing, editing, combination, analysis, querying, and modeling of
    spatial data sets and associated tabular data. A GIS provides the
    tools needed to answer crucial development questions and has become
    invaluable for decision-makers worldwide. In recent years they have
    become more common in the MAC region, but lack of technological
    infrastructure, training, and access to spatial data greatly limit
    their present use.

-   **Internet map servers (IMS)** are GIS services available directly
    over the Web that expand the GIS reach from the single user to the
    multiple users on the Internet (users only need a browser to
    dynamically make use of and explore geographic information in an
    IMS). One of its strengths is the capacity to conduct complex
    queries on GIS spatial and tabular data. The use of IMS is a recent
    development in the MAC region. Several national agencies have
    received the software as part of software grants but don't have the
    training necessary to put them to good use.

![](media/image5.png){width="4.052777777777778in"
height="3.0395833333333333in"}\
**Figure 3**. Coffee IMS and query system
([www.dominicancoffee.com](http://www.dominicancoffee.com/))\
for the Dominican Republic developed by EDC.

-   **Satellite remote sensing** can provide beneficial information for
    applications in agriculture, urban and regional planning,
    development, biodiversity conservation, disaster preparedness, and
    other areas. It offers many advantages as a means of data collection
    including a synoptic view, consistent and quantified measurements,
    the ability to detect phenomena not visible to the naked eye, ease
    of incorporation with GIS, and possibilities for repeat
    observations.

-   **Spatial data catalogs** complement these technologies by providing
    mechanisms that facilitate information discovery and retrieval.
    Spatial data catalogs (also referred to as spatial clearinghouses or
    clearinghouses for short) contain detailed descriptions (metadata)
    of spatial data sets searchable by specialized gateways, which
    provide capabilities that conventional (non-spatial) tools such as
    Google and Yahoo cannot. Currently, close to 300 clearinghouse
    servers dot the world and significant advances have been gained in
    Mesoamerica on this approach.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```
-   A **national spatial data infrastructure** (NSDI) is a structured
    and distributed national system for managing geographic information.
    NSDI encompasses the policies, technologies, standards, laws, and
    institutional organization for facilitating the acquisition, and use
    of, and access to geo-referenced information. A good example of this
    is the U.S. NSDI
    ([www.fgdc.gov/nsdi/nsdi.html](http://www.fgdc.gov/nsdi/nsdi.html)),
    created by executive order 12906. The MACGA will foster the creation
    of, or the strengthening of, similar mechanisms in the MAC region.

# Appendix B: Capacity Building Technology Topics

+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| **Topic** | **Description**                           | **Trainer** |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| Global    | Techniques, methodologies, and tools      | ESRI        |
| Map       | needed for the development of eight       |             |
|           | national spatial data layers at           |             |
|           | 1:1.000.000 scale. Training incorporates  |             |
|           | basic GIS concepts and an overview of the |             |
|           | ArcGIS software package and ESRI line of  |             |
|           | cartography tools (PLTS).                 |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| ArcIMS    | This three day training session provides  | ESRI        |
|           | an introduction to ArcIMS. During the     |             |
|           | workshop, participants will review        |             |
|           | several examples of ArcIMS                |             |
|           | implementations by EDC, CIAT, and other   |             |
|           | agencies. It is expected that a few       |             |
|           | participating agencies implement a local  |             |
|           | IMS upon return to their countries.\      |             |
|           | \                                         |             |
|           | **Note:** Some agencies such as CCAD and  |             |
|           | the ministries of environment in El       |             |
|           | Salvador and Panama have already acquired |             |
|           | ArcIMS, and are looking for               |             |
|           | capacity-building support to develop      |             |
|           | applications.                             |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| Minnesota | This public domain IMS offers an          | EDC         |
| Map       | alternative for those agencies without    |             |
| Server    | access to commercial IMS products.        |             |
| (MMS)     | Training covers the basic steps needed to |             |
|           | set up and operate MMS.                   |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| Shuttle   | The SRTM data sets consist of global      | The U.S.    |
| Radar     | digital elevation models (DEM) at 90 m    | National    |
| To        | and 30 m resolution. Some national data   | Imagery and |
| pographic | sets will be provided during the          | Mapping     |
| Mission   | workshop. The training will cover         | Agency      |
| (SRTM)    | techniques and methodologies for use of   | (NIMA)      |
|           | these data and to integrate them with     |             |
|           | existing digital data sets.\              |             |
|           | \                                         |             |
|           | **Note**: NIMA has agreed to consider     |             |
|           | providing the 30 m classified data sets   |             |
|           | to those mapping agencies with active     |             |
|           | agreements with NIMA as part of the       |             |
|           | capacity building.                        |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| Spatial   | This session covers metadata development, | EDC         |
| data      | the FGDC and ISO metadata standards,      |             |
| ca        | selection of metadata editors,            |             |
| taloguing | clearinghouse server installation and     |             |
|           | operation, and clearinghouse node         |             |
|           | registration.                             |             |
|           |                                           |             |
|           | Participants bring their own data sets    |             |
|           | and produce metadata for them. Agencies   |             |
|           | without clearinghouse nodes can choose to |             |
|           | register their clearinghouse nodes as     |             |
|           | part of the training.                     |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| NSDI and  | This session provides an introduction to  | -EDC        |
|           | the NSDI concept and reviews the steps    |             |
| national  | needed to establish an NSDI in            | -Federal    |
| needs     | participating countries and the           | Geographic  |
| as        | challenges of doing so. On-going NSDI     | Data        |
| sessments | initiatives in Mesoamerica and the        | Committee   |
|           | Caribbean are reviewed to discuss         | (FGDC)      |
|           | achievements, benefits, and problems.     |             |
|           |                                           | -National   |
|           |                                           | agencies    |
|           |                                           |             |
|           |                                           | -Advisory   |
|           |                                           | committees  |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| Spatial   | This open session will offer a chance for | Advisory    |
| Data      | participants to discuss regional and      | committees  |
| in        | national data sets and the steps and      |             |
| tegration | challenges faced when integrating them.   |             |
|           | An emphasis is placed on the CCAD GIS     |             |
|           | initiative, the Mesoamerican Ecosystem    |             |
|           | Map and land cover/use mapping in El      |             |
|           | Salvador and the Caribbean.               |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+
| Global    | UNEP/GRID will disseminate the data sets  | UNEP/Global |
| Landsat   | in convenient forms to each country and   | Resources   |
|           | define a regional center for further      | Information |
| Data      | distribution and maintenance with the     | Database    |
| dis       | advisory committees and national          | (GRID) on   |
| tribution | representatives. Introductory             | behalf of   |
|           | applications focusing on time series      | NASA        |
|           | comparisons will be presented.            |             |
+-----------+-------------------------------------------+-------------+

# 

# Appendix C: Capacity Building Associated Presentations

During the capacity-building, participants will have the chance to learn
about real applications associated to the agenda topics reviewed above.
Daily training sessions will accommodate one or two short presentations
on topics of interest to participants, such as the following:

  --------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
  **Topic**             **Description**

  Conservation planning Country-by-country review by attendees of geospatial data
  for the MBC           development efforts to support planning of the MBC.

  CCAD-NASA-World Bank  The project is developing and integrating digital maps for
  Geographic            Central America. Participants from the region will review
  Information           current products and plans and discuss deliverables that the
  Initiative            MACGA can assist in developing.

  EDC and FGDC          Review of recent data cataloguing and clearinghouse activities
  clearinghouse         in the region, together with an overview of follow-on
  activities in the MAC activities to recent projects such as PROCIG, Atlas of the
  region                Americas (PAIGH), and Mitch Clearinghouse.

  Basin and             EDC has spearheaded global and regional efforts to utilize DEMs
  hydrological mapping  and related spatial data sets to delineate river basins and map
                        hydrology, flow, and other hydrological variables.

  Methodologies to      The analysis of multiple dates of satellite imagery offers an
  monitor land cover    unprecedented opportunity to detect and monitor changes in land
  change                use and land cover over large areas. This session will provide
                        an overview of the various benefits, issues, and techniques
                        related to this.

  Famine Early Warning  FEWS NET is a multi-disciplinary project that collects,
  System Network (FEWS  analyzes, and distributes regional, national, and sub-national
  NET) project for      information to decision-makers about potential or current
  Central America       famine or flood situations.

  IMS for the           EDC has pioneered the use of GIS, GPS, Web tools, and IMS to
  certification of      map coffee production and provide on-line access and
  quality coffee farms  interactive queries of spatial information associated with
  in MAC                coffee. EDC projects in the Dominican Republic and Dominica are
                        reviewed, as well as a recent initiative to extend this work
                        into Central America
                        ([www.dominicancoffee.com](http://www.dominicancoffee.com/)).

  Seamless data         The National Map is a major USGS initiative offering an
  distribution systems  interesting long-term model for participating agencies to
  (The National Map)    organize and disseminate spatial data. Seamless data
                        distribution offers on-line access to various themes of spatial
                        data that may be viewed or downloaded for user-defined areas
                        free of charge
                        ([http://seamless.usgs.gov](http://seamless.usgs.gov/)).

  Fire hazard mapping   Techniques developed at EDC and associated centers help monitor
                        fire hazards by combining various spatial data sets such as
                        vegetation coverage, type, and structure.

  Applications of new   In the past five years, the number and variety of space-borne
  remote sensors        remote sensors available has increased dramatically. This
  (MODIS, ASTER,        session will provide an overview of these new sensors and what
  IKONOS),              they have to offer. Most importantly, it will give participants
                        tools to better decide which instruments would be the most
                        appropriate for use in a variety of situations.
                        <http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/>\
                        <http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/default.htm>

  Applications of       Not only does the EDC archive offer recently declassified
  de-classified         intelligence satellite photography, it is among the foremost
  satellite images      users of these data for documenting changes over the past 40
  (i.e. Corona)         years. This session will describe how these data can be used
                        for historical analyses and documentation of trends in land
                        use/cover
                        (<http://edc.usgs.gov/products/satellite/corona.html>).

  Overview of NSDI      MACGA partners such as EDC, CIAT, and CCAD present latest
  activities in the MAC developments in the MAC region on the formation and activities
  region                of NSDI committees. A review of successful experiences and the
                        possibilities to replicate them in other countries is
                        undertaken.

  Hand-held devices for EDC staff present the latest developments in tools such as
  spatial data          hand-held computers and GPS that can assist spatial data
  collection in the     collection in the field.
  field                 

  Interoperability in   The FGDC presents the current status of geographic information
  standards             standards and specifications, issues, available software
                        solutions, and future developments that are necessary for
                        compatible SDI development.
  --------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------

# 

# Appendix D: Participating Alliance Partners

This section offers a brief overview of current members of the MACGA.
Partners have been directly involved in all aspects of planning and
preparation for the project and share MACGA´s goals and objectives:

**Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA):** A regional
intergovernmental agency charged with providing an immediate and
coordinated response to disastrous events. Among its functions is to
establish and maintain response and preparation capabilities within
member states (http://www.cdera.org/).

**Central America Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD in
Spanish):** Environmental arm of the Central American Integration System
(SICA in Spanish). It coordinates regional initiatives focusing on
issues such as climate change, common watershed management, and
conservation of protected areas like the Mesoamerican Reef System and
the MBC ([http://ccad.sgsica.org](http://ccad.sgsica.org/)).

**E Team, Inc**.: E Team provides enterprise-level collaborative
software to public agencies and corporations for use in emergency
response management, facility and event security, disaster preparedness
and recovery, and business continuity
([www.eteam.com](http://www.eteam.com/)).

**Environmental agencies**: These are the main agencies in each
participating country in charge of environmental matters. Most are
planning to send representatives for capacity building.

**ESRI:** Leading provider of GIS and mapping solutions
([www.esri.com](http://www.esri.com/)).

**International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT):** A Consultative
Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) member center based
in Colombia and specializing in agricultural productivity and natural
resource management. CIAT has ample experience working in the MAC region
and has offices in Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Costa Rica
([www.ciat.cgiar.org](http://www.ciat.cgiar.org/)).

**Ministries of Agriculture**: Some of these institutions ,together with
national coffee boards, will select and send representatives that can
benefit from the capacity-building to implement Coffee IMS applications
to be developed in conjunction with USAID Quality Coffee Program.

**National mapping agencies**: Each MAC country has officially tasked a
specialized agency for the production and dissemination of spatial data.
Each agency will send one representatives for the capacity building
associated with MACGA.

**National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA):** U.S. military agency in
charge of cartographic production and spatial data development
([www.nima.mil](http://www.nima.mil/)).

**Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD**): Norway's
agency in charge of international development assistance
([www.norad.no/](http://www.norad.no/)).

**Organization of American States (OAS):** Regional body working on
strengthening democracy, advancing human rights, promoting peace and
security, expanding trade, and tackling complex problems caused by
poverty, drugs, and corruption ([www.oas.org](http://www.oas.org/)).

**The Nature Conservancy (TNC):** The goal of TNC is to preserve the
plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of
life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive.
TNC has major involvement in the MAC region and ongoing collaborations
with several MACGA partners ([www.nature.org](http://www.nature.org/)).

**United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs**: A UN agency within
the UN Secretariat responsible for implementing the UN Programme on
Space Applications, focusing on helping developing countries take
advantage of the benefits of space technology. In particular UNOOSA has
been developing since 2000 a Programme on Space Technology and Disaster
Management contributing towards countries in the region to incorporate
the use of space technology for disaster management.

**UNEP GRID Sioux Falls**: UNEP GRID Sioux Falls office is a center of
remote sensing and land assessment expertise within the United Nations
Environment Programme ([www.na.unep.net](http://www.na.unep.net/)).

**USAID**: U.S. agency in charge of international development
assistance.

**U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee**: U.S. interagency committee
in charge of developing the NSDI. It promotes the coordinated use,
sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data and provides Secretariat
support for the GSDI ([www.fgdc.gov](http://www.fgdc.gov/)).

**U.S. Forest Service/International Institute for Tropical Forestry
(IITF):** Part of the U.S. Forest Service, the IITF is dedicated to
forestry on an international level. IITF has collaborated with several
other MACGA partners and has worked in many of the MAC countries
(http://www.fs.usda.gov/global/iitf/).

**U.S. Geological Survey/EROS Data Center (EDC):** The EDC is designated
as a World Data Center for Remotely Sensed Land Data and is a cooperator
in several domestic and international programs. EDC has been
contributing to projects in the MAC region for several years
([http://edc.usgs.gov](http://edc.usgs.gov/)).

**U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM):** The humanitarian assistance
program of USSOUTHCOM has a long history of serving the MAC region. It
assists states in the region with disaster preparedness and response
([www.southcom.mil](http://www.southcom.mil/)).

**University of the West Indies (UWI) Center for Geospatial Studies**:
Its mission is to foster multidisciplinary research and development in
geospatial studies and to promote the informed utilization of geographic
information systems, remote sensing, global positioning systems, and
spatial analysis techniques in the Caribbean.

**World Bank**: Leading global financial institution
([www.worldbank.org](http://www.worldbank.org/)).

# Appendix E. MACGA Global Budget

+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| **Or         | **Contribution**                          | **V      |
| ganization** |                                           | aluation |
|              |                                           | (esti    |
|              |                                           | mates)** |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| CDERA        | Airfare and per diem for up to 12         | \$36,000 |
|              | attendees from the CARICOM region (under  |          |
|              | review)                                   |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| CIAT         | Provides ESRI certified instructor for    | \$46,250 |
|              | ArcGIS and ArcIMS training at Sioux Falls |          |
|              | workshops, participates in strategic      |          |
|              | planning for the alliance, implements     |          |
|              | follow-up workshops for MBC under         |          |
|              | proposed NORAD funding.                   |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| Dot-ORG      | Pilot activity to build capacity and      | \$50,000 |
| (request to  | develop a specific integrated data        |          |
| USAID/EGAT   | product of particular relevance to a      |          |
| Information  | USAID program.                            |          |
| Technology   |                                           |          |
| Team)        |                                           |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| EDC          | Airfare and per diem for 6                | \$19,000 |
|              | representatives from Central American and |          |
| (USAID/GCAP) | Dominican Republic Ministries of          |          |
|              | Agriculture (or coffee agencies)          |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| EDC          | Training facility with 25 computers, LAN  | \$50,000 |
|              | services, technical support, Landsat 7    |          |
|              | ETM+ imagery, EDC speakers.               |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| EDC (request | Organization of advisory committees,\     | \        |
| to USAID     | general workshop organization, trainers,  | $160,000 |
| GDA)         | follow-on technical support. An           |          |
|              | additional \$25,000 is anticipated from   |          |
|              | J. Cochrane for a total of \$185,000.     |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| ESRI         | GSDI grant to approximately 25            | \$1      |
|              | participating MACGA institutions. Each    | ,250,000 |
|              | grant package includes: a copy of the     |          |
|              | ArcGIS system (ArcInfo 8.1, ArcSDE 8.1,   |          |
|              | and ArcIMS), maintenance (technical       |          |
|              | support and upgrades), free Virtual       |          |
|              | Campus training for one student for       |          |
|              | selected classes, course on building and  |          |
|              | publishing a national base map, one free  |          |
|              | pass for the annual ESRI International    |          |
|              | User Conference. (25 institutions,        |          |
|              | \$50,000/institution)                     |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| E-team       | Demonstration related to geotechnology    | \$16,000 |
|              | and emergency services (under review)     |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| National     | Participation, staff salaries, and other  | \        |
| Agencies     | support (\$5000 per institution)          | $250,000 |
|              |                                           |          |
|              | **Note**: National agencies include       |          |
|              | ministries of environment, ministries of  |          |
|              | agriculture, and mapping agencies.        |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| NIMA         | Salary, airfare and per diem for one of   | \$12,000 |
|              | their trainers to attend two workshops    |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| NORAD        | Organization of two follow-up workshops   | \        |
|              | for Mesoamerica (under review)            | $199,000 |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| UNEP/GRID    | "International Distribution of Landsat    | \$7,000  |
| and NASA     | Data sets" on hard drives or other media, |          |
|              | presentations of applications             |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| UNOOSA       | Promotion of expert meeting in 2004 on    | \$20,000 |
|              | the importance of MACGA in the area of    |          |
|              | space technology and disaster management. |          |
|              | Its regional centre would be available to |          |
|              | provide long-term training to MACGA       |          |
|              | partners (under review).                  |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| USSOUTHCOM   | Airfare and per diem for up to 10         | \$30,000 |
|              | attendees from the Eastern Caribbean      |          |
|              | (under review)                            |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| University   | Provide regional and local training,      | \$30,000 |
| of the West  | facilitate on-going technical support,    |          |
| Indies (UWI) | and coordinate related Caribbean regional |          |
| Center for   | activities.                               |          |
| Geospatial   |                                           |          |
| Studies      |                                           |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+
| World Bank,  | Airfare and per diem for 8 Mesoamerican   | \$20,000 |
| CCAD         | representatives                           |          |
+--------------+-------------------------------------------+----------+

#  Appendix F: Acronyms

ArcIMS Internet map server software developed by ESRI

CARICOM Caribbean Community

CATIE Central American Tropical Research and Training Agricultural
Center

CCAD The Central America Commission for Environment and Development

CDERA The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency

CEP Caribbean Environment Programme

CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

CIAT The International Center for Tropical Agriculture

CPACC Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change

CP-IDEA Permanent Committee for the Spatial Data infrastructure for the
Americas

DEM Digital Elevation Model

EDC USGS EROS Data Center

ESRI Environmental Systems Research Institute

ETM Enhanced Thematic Mapper

FEMICA Central American Municipal Federation

FGDC U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee

GIS Geographic Information Systems

GPS Global Positioning System

GSDI Global Spatial Data Infrastructure

IABIN Interamerican Biodiversity Information Network

ICT Information and Communication Technologies

IDEA Spatial Data infrastructure for the Americas

IITF The U.S. Forest Service/International Institute for Tropical
Forestry

IMS Internet map server

MAC Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

MACGA Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance

MBC Mesoamerican Biological Corridor

MODIS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

NIMA The U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency

NORAD The Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

NSDI National Spatial Data Infrastructure

OAS Organization of American States

PAIGH Pan American Institute of Geography and History

PROCIG Central American Geographic Information Project

QCP Quality Coffee Program (USAID)

SDI Spatial Data Infrastructure

SIAM Central American Environmental Information System

SRTM Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission

TNC The Nature Conservancy

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNEP/GRID The UNEP/Global Resources Information Database

UNOOSA United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

USSOUTHCOM U.S. Southern Command

UWI University of the West Indies

[^1]: Taken from the GDA annual program statement