Patrick and I just returned from a week in Tunisia at the GCT 2014 Conference, where we met regional GIS organizations. We also connected with mapping companies from across Africa, discussing advancements in geospatial technology and industry applications. Throughout the event, we spoke with professionals specializing in aerial imagery, remote sensing, surveying, and field-based incident reporting. Many industries showed strong interest, including electric, gas, and water utilities, as well as rail and transportation. Law enforcement, tax assessment, and several other sectors were also heavily represented in discussions on geospatial solutions.
With the Arab Spring reshaping government and civil society, interest in surveying and mapping has grown across Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Alongside this renewed focus, new challenges have emerged in building or revamping systems for census, cadastral mapping, and land surveys. Many attendees seemed excited about adopting technologies that were uncommon in pre-revolution Tunisia or Libya. Tools like laser LIDAR scanners for 3D modeling, UAVs for aerial sensing, and digital GIS platforms are helping transition from paper and CAD to proper geospatial formats. I also spoke with several Tunisians actively contributing to OpenStreetMap.
Scanning the temple
On day three of the event, I gave a presentation on field data collection techniques, focusing on efficient digital methodologies. For regional government ministries facing high operational costs and low budgets, speed and efficiency are crucial for adoption. As they transition, they must quickly understand ROI to drive progress and maximize their investments.
We even had a chance to take an excursion about 130km south of Tunis to the towns of Zaghouan and El Fahs. In Zaghouan we saw Le Temple Des Eaux, a Roman water temple, and the source of the famed aqueduct that once delivered water northward to ancient Carthage. One of the conference surveyors even brought his laser scanner to image the water temple for historic preservation purposes (he’s a contributor to the Zamani Project, a mission to map and preserve African cultural heritage sites). After that we also visited the Roman ruins of Thuburbo Majus, a fascinating and well-preserved ruin. Here we took some photos and collected tons of data with Fulcrum.
All in all, the event provided a great opportunity to learn where the region is heading with spatial tools. It was exciting to see such positivity about adopting new technologies to improve governance, decision-making, and data sharing. Thank you to our friends at the German Geoconsultants Group for inviting us and allowing us to showcase Fulcrum’s innovations in fieldwork management.