Geographical information systems and natural resource management in Zambia : a dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters degree in Environmental Management at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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Date
2010
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Massey University
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Abstract
Natural resources play a critical role in the welfare of developing countries. In Zambia,
even though its vast natural resources have been important to its economy as well as its
people, their exploitation has resulted in severe land and environmental degradation in
most parts of the country. Reliable information as to the exact extent and degree of
natural resources problems is critically lacking. For effective control and management
of these natural resources problems, timely, up‐to‐date, accurate and complete spatial
data are needed.
The integrated application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote
sensing to model natural resources management data, especially at regional level, is
presented in this dissertation. Three case studies in Zambia are presented and free,
internet‐based, datasets are used to demonstrate the application of GIS to support
natural resource management decisions in Zambia.
The results of the case studies show that while data‐gathering obstacles remain in the
use of GIS in Zambia, the systems can be used successfully to fill gaps in decision‐making
in natural resources management. The results of the case studies have been used to
make recommendations as a way forward for the use of GIS and remote sensing data in
natural resource management in Zambia. Finally, selected technical issues associated
with data access, data incompatibility and data accuracy are identified as important
areas of future research.
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Keywords
Geographical information systems, Environmental management, Natural resource management, Zambia