Geotechnology and People: The SPRING Project

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Geotechnology and People The SPRING Project
UN/IAF Workshop on "Operational Strategy for
Sustainable Development using Space"

• Antônio Miguel Vieira Monteiro
• Gilberto Câmara
• Image Processing Division, DPI
• National Institute for Space Research - INPE,
  Brazil
• www.dpi.inpe.br/spring

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Motivation

• Empowering Local Governments Agencies, NGOs
  and Social Movements in the Third World to
  adequately use sophisticated technology such as
  Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to better
  manage their human and natural resources oriented
  towards bettering the Quality of Life of the
  Urban Population.

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Contents

• Background - Description of the SPRING Project
• Technology in Third World - Benefits and
  Challenges
• Application Example in Local Government Focused
  on the Local People real Needs
• Conclusions - Some Lessons Learned in 20 Years of
  Technological Development Oriented to the Citzen
  at DPI/INPE

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Geotechnology Developments at INPE

• Motivation
• Provide innovative and user-friendly systems
• Strongly linked to Research and Education
• Long-term Investment
• 1st. Generation (1982-1992) DOS system
• 2nd. Generation (1992-present) SPRING
  (Windows/Linux)
• Cooperative Development
• INPE team of 40 people (RD) at DPI
• Brazilian institutions EMBRAPA, PUC/RJ, UNICAMP
• 150 man-years, 600.000 LOC in C

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INPE SPRING Technology

• Support for Environmental Projects
• Data Integration (Images, Surfaces,
  Socio-Economical Data, Thematic Maps)
• Data Modeling (Map Algebra, Spatial Statistics)
• Education
• Support for 100 graduate students in 5 years
• 700 users trained in Brazil and S. America (3
  years)
• 4 books produced (available on-line,
  www.dpi.inpe.br/geopro)

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SPRING Technology Empowering People

• SPRING - Emphasis on Innovation
• New Image Classification Algorithms
• Strong Analytical Capability
• Use of Geostatistics and Spatial Statistics
• Available on the Internet - SPRING lives on the
  WEB
• 8,000 downloads in 2 years (1500 outside Brazil)
• Mirror Sites Spain, Portugal and USA (To be
  Implemented Soon)

• Free Technology Need not Be Worse !

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Digital Terrain Models
Thematic Maps
Images
SPRING Multiple Representations of Space
Networks
Features
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SPRING Sharing Visions of Space
Space as Maps of
Attributes Human Development Index HDI
of São Paulo
Space as a continuous surface
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SPRING Application ExampleLocal Government
Spatial Data Management

• The case of São Sebastião, North Coast, São Paulo
• www.geo.funcate.br

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Local Government GIS Facility for Tributation
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Sistema de Informação Geográfico Municipal Tela
Inicial
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Zoom em Barra do UNA Seleção dos imóveis de uma
quadra por apontamento Identificação de uma
unidade
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Detalhe de unidade imobiliária e dados cadastrais
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Orto-imagem com resolução de 0,25m e erro de
posicionamento lt1,0m Medição de elementos
para cobrança piscina 74 m2
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Technology Employed

• Intensive use of a Mosaic of OrthoPhotos lt 0,25m
  and Positioning Error lt1.0m .
• Only Essential Layers Have Been Extracted
  (Reduction in around 7 times the price usually
  charged in Brazil)
• Integration between the Environmental Digital
  Base and the Urban Services
• Availability through the Internet and Quiosques
  of the Basic Urban Map - MUB and Services
• Socio-Economic Information from the census data
  Mapped and Turned Available
• Environmental Mapping Based on Sattleite Images
  and using the Economic-Ecological Zoning
  Metodology (ZEE)

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Other Issues In Urban Studies

• Mapping Social Exclusion/Inclusion
• (INPE, PUC-SP , Instituto POLIS)

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Other Issues In Urban Studies

• Mapping Social Exclusion/Inclusion
• (INPE, PUC-SP , Instituto POLIS)

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Other Issues In Urban Studies

• Health Studies
• (INPE, FIOCRUZ-MS)

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Other Issues In Urban Studies

• Health Studies
• (INPE, FIOCRUZ-MS)

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Technological Development in Third World - The
Challenges

• How to Empower People with Advanced Technology ?
• Is There a Place for Third-World Technology in a
  Global Market ?

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Empowering People with Geotechnology in Brazil

• Environment
• Largest Rain-Forest (4.000.000 km2)
• what is causing a 15,000 km2 annual deforestation
  in Amazonia ?
• Economy
• 10th in GNP, 75st in HDI
• where are the excluded citizens of Brazil ?
• Health
• What are the patterns of somer endemic diseases
  and their risks of epidemics?

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Empowering People with Geotechnology

• Geotechnology Benefits
• Information About Space (where)
• Management of Natural Resources
• Assessment of Human Impacts
• Planning for Sustainable Development
• Geotechnology Challenges
• Complex Solution
• Qualified Human Resources
• Data Collection and Data Handling
• Data Analysis and Decision Support

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Empowering People with Geotechnology

• Black-box Approach
• Buy equipment/software, not solutions
• Technology does not Match Local Qualifications
• High Risk - Lots of Failures in the Third World
• Alternatives to the Black-box
• Technology Choice Should Match User Capability
• Develop Qualified People Before Buying Complex
  Systems

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Empowering People with Geotechnology the
White-Box

• results people methods software
• People
• Learning by Doing x Learning by Using
• Methods
• Translate Concepts into Working Procedures
• Software
• Provide Adequate Support for Data Analysis and
  Integration

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Third-World technology in a global market The
Challenges

• Competitive IT Solutions
• Requires Qualified Personnel
• Long-term Investment (10 years)
• Lots of Qualified IT Personnel in Third World
• Dispersed in Many Institutions (no critical mass)
• How to Share Resources and Knowledge ?
• Act locally, think globally
• Local Solutions can be Applied Elsewhere
• Sucessful IT Products Should Have a Global
  Perspective

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Third-World Technology in a Global Market
Towards an Alternative

• Building an Alternative to Technological
  Domination
• Internet supporting a network of co-operation
• Co-operative IT solutions
• requires re-thinking of how IT works
• Open Source Linux as a paradigm
• SPRING is an example of what can be achieved
• Towards a new utopia
• turning globalization upside down

IT should bring solutions, not Software
Monopolies
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Third-World Technology in a Global Market The
Barrages

• Local
• Local users mistrust their own institutions
• Cultural domination is self-reinforceble

• Global

International Agencies Finance Technology Sales,
But not Knowledge Acquisition
World Bank and IMF Consultants (in most cases)
Do Not Accept Local Technology and Expertise
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Some Lessons Learned in 20 years of
GeoTechnologies Developments

• The Build-up of Skilled Local Experts is a
  Fundamental and Necessary Step for Effective use
  of Geotechnologies

UN, World Bank and Related Financing
Organizations Should Give Priority to Actions
Where Local Research and Development Work is
Involved