A GIS for the Natural Resources Authority, Amman, Jordan

摘要

In recent years Geographical information Systems (GIS) have become an integral part of many UK businesses, Local Authorities and research organisations and are increasingly popular as study topics for undergraduates and postgraduates. As concern grows for the environment and Earths resources, work involving GIS is now growing in developing countries. The British Geological Survey (BGS) has co-operated with the Natural Resources Authority (NRA) in Amman, Jordan since 1984 in a variety of geoscientific and training projects. With funding from the Department for International Development (DfID), the BGS and the NRA set up a project, in April 1997, with a view to developing an Environmental Geology GIS for the greater Aqaba area in south Jordan, which could eventually be extended to other parts of the country. A range of issues had to be considered: the geological setting; what geological factors are important compared to those considered in a UK based project?; what are the environmental issues involved?; what level of training would be required to enable the user to become self-sufficient? This paper describes the various stages of the project from initial training of participating geoscientists through to the development and subsequent use of the system with particular emphasis on the level of training needed to enable the user to work unaided at the close of the project. The possible directio nof future work is also discussed.