The fourth issue of IJGPRM gathers 10 contributions centered on the approaches and the tools of Geomatics. The geomatics taught and practiced must be applied to address the vital problems of our society by avoiding the silos and prejudices that make it so difficult to transform the enormous expertise that this science and technology offer in the field of the environment, spatial planning and digital cartography, in terms of spatial planning and development.
Ainsi, plusieurs disciplines, notamment les mathématiques et l’informatique, jadis qualifiées de sciences exactes, s’intéressent, de plus en plus, aux informations localisées, aux données environnementales. De même, les géographes s’intéressent aux outils développés par ces spécialistes des sciences désormais connexes à la géographie pour les traitements et les analyses plus rapides et plus fiables des données géographiques. La masse de données qui doit être traitée pour résoudre les problèmes qui confrontent nos sociétés et leur environnement est devenue si vaste qu’elle ne peut plus être intégrée de façon adéquate par un être humain. Il faut :
- computerize the process so that it can be handled effectively;
- synthesize to build models;
- simulate to check hypotheses;
- comparer des scénarii pour prévoir les impacts et produire l’information nécessaire à la prise de décision.
It is these considerations that are at the basis of the connection between geography, mathematics and computer sciences carried by Akamba and al., Tatuebu Tagne and al., Muyaya and al., Hamdja Ngoniri and al. in theirs articles.
In practice, spatial planning and resource management are operational, orderly and concerted actions of the various actors, across the different territories of a country, a continent or even the world to mitigate territorial imbalances. propose the substitution of a new order better than the existing, according to a prospective vision, advocating the humanization of growth.
L’objectif, développement endogène, favorisant une meilleure répartition territoriale de la population, des activités et des équipements… pour le bon fonctionnement du système socio-économique interne, afin d’harmoniser la croissance, le bien-être et l’épanouissement de la population. Ceci devant passer par le compromis politique, la paix sociale et la légitimité de l’acteur-producteur du développement territorial sur la base des données à référence spatiale.
This is what we call exogenous development, by a good integration and a good anchoring to the local, regional, continental and global system, favoring the development of exchanges of all kinds.
This new vision of spatial planning and resource management can only succeed in a democratic, decentralized, participatory, anticipatory, transparent and good governance environment in accordance with the expectations, wishes, requirements and / or needs of the stakeholders.
C’est par les bonnes politiques d’aménagement du territoire et de bons mécanismes de gestion des ressources que les pays tropicaux peuvent corriger les déséquilibres et orienter les développements spatiaux à partir d’une appréhension d’ensemble et d’un projet global et prospectif.
The challenges of territorial development in a context of controlled governance and development reflect the rupture that is now taking place in the conception of development and well-being in tropical societies. The shift of development policies to the local field is shaking up decision-making systems. These dynamics, although of varying rhythms and magnitudes in time and space, produce new realities that transform approaches and paradigms. This is what is highlighted in their contributions by Jiagho and al., Bato and al., Ratnan et al., Mbanmey and al., Nodjignemal Goltob and al., and Kouadio.
These contributions highlight a striving for the enrichment and precision of conceptual and methodological frameworks from classical geography to geomatics, without the tools taking precedence over scientific thinking. These articles, essentially applied, do not neglect fundamental research which constitutes the bases. They combine natural and social sciences with mathematics and computer science. It could not be otherwise, because the dynamics of the territories is the consequence of a game of combinations between the physical and human parameters. In addition, the analysis of the dynamics of territories and natural risks can only be possible if the researcher is able to understand the daily behaviors of the actors.
To choose this way is to compel oneself to acquire the knowledge constantly supplemented by new experiences; it also means mastering and adapting methods and techniques that require lengthy learning. But it is at this price that IJGPRM becomes useful to decentralized local authorities, planners and decision-makers. In this way, more objective, science acquires possibilities of application for a controlled development. The majority of the data as well as some tools that were missing from African or Africanist geomaticists are self-service on the Internet. The argument of the lack of data to not do action research for development on Africa no longer holds!
This what delivers the fourth issue of IJGPRM.
By : Michel TCHOTSOUA
Editor-in-chief
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