Spatial information for resource management in Asia: a review of institutional issues

Abstract

Although a number of Asian nations have acquired spatial information technology, limited use is made of this technology for promoting human welfare or resource management objectives. This technology is constrained not by technical but by social, economic and political issues. These include censorship, autonomy, rigid bureaucracies, sensitivity of land ownership data, shortage of appropriate training, cost and lack of public participation in resource decisions. Ideas suggested For overcoming these problems include valuing spatial information as an important resource, reforming the structure of government organizations, assessing and developing implementation tools, fitting the technology to the organization, encouraging incremental and user-driven development, and supporting new research and training programmes.