A joint course by Kenya Institute of Surveying and Mapping (KISM) and RCMRD with support/funding from the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) opened today.
The one-month course will focus on digital-photogrammetry and topographic mapping applications with the use of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) products. The opening ceremony was graced by the Director General, RCMRD Dr. Hussein FARAH; Minister for Lands, Kenya Hon. James ORENGO and Japan Ambassador HE Toshihisa TAKATA.
Staff from 14 National Mapping Agencies of RCMRD are in attendance.



The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has been spearheading the development of an ecosystems classification system for Africa and today, a three-day workshop opened at RCMRD focusing on completing the gap in data and information on the ecosystem types North of the Sahara. The workshop is attended by experts from: Sudan, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Niger and Chad, Nature Serve, Technical University of Berlin and USGS. This is a follow up to the success of the initial work that began in September 2009 which focused on Sub Sahara Africa.