A $7.3-million project that will help Brazil to develop
a national geospatial framework was officially launched
at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton on Tuesday,
Jan. 18. Among other benefits, this network will assist
with land reform in Brazil.
Andy Scott, MP for Fredericton and Regional Minister
for New Brunswick, on behalf of Aileen Carroll, Minister
of International Co-operation, announced that the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA) will provide $2.6
million to UNBF over four years in support of the framework
project in Brazil. UNB’s contribution is $191,174, other
Canadian partners are contributing $387,538 and the Brazilian
partners are contributing $4,161,020.
“At the core of this project is geospatial information,”
said Marcelo Santos, a professor of geodesy and geomatics
engineering at UNBF, who heads the project team. “Geospatial
information is any type of information that has a position
associated with it.
“Obtained via satellite technology, geospatial information
enables you to precisely identify the location of any
natural or artificial physical characteristic on Earth.”
The four-year project will make geospatial information
— which is important for mapping, natural resource management,
and safety — widely available in Brazil to all levels
of government, industry, business, and private citizens.
“In Brazil, land reform is a very important issue,” said
Dr. Santos. “The country’s current land registry is irregular.
Moving to a land registry based on geospatial information
will help to solve conflict in a place where land conflict
becomes real conflict.”
A national geospatial framework, based on satellite technology,
will unify the co-ordinate systems in Brazil and provide
the foundation for a system which can clearly and accurately
identify and demarcate land holdings.
“The framework is an essential element to support the
long-term needs of land reform and resource development,”
explained Dr. Santos. “Physical security — including the
physical demarcation of property boundaries — legal recognition,
and public registration are all elements of land ownership
that provide citizens with the tools to actively participate
in Brazil’s social and economic development.”
