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Population GIS developed for Pacific Islands
A computer software tool that will be of tremendous assistance to
Pacific Island planners was launched recently by the Secretariat
of the Pacific Community (SPC), through its Demography/Population
Programme. The prototype Population Geographic Information System
is a user-friendly data and information management system which
combines population information with maps and graphics, so that
statisticians can more effectively disseminate their data and planners
can easily see where to focus their developments and set priority
activities. Aimed ultimately for use in all countries and territories
member of SPC, the tool was developed initially for the Federated
States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
“The ultimate goal of this tool is to put data and information
at the fingertips of planners and statisticians”, said Mr.
Gerald Haberkorn, head of Demography/Population Programme of SPC
in the first ever issue of PopGIS News, dated May 2005. “We
were looking at developing a multipurpose system that would meet
different demands of different users. We wanted to assist statisticians
to get data more effectively to their main users, and do so in a
format that is relevant to their work. We also wanted to provide
planners with a powerful decision-support tool that assists policy
analysis and the setting of priorities, and allows monitoring of
development activities and progress across a broad range of sectoral
applications”, he said.
The PopGIS is intended to have many different applications; policy
analysis, planning and research; monitoring progress, as well as
the manifestation of different aspects of developments at various
levels of geography; awareness raising amongst different groups
of clients and stakeholders about the importance of population processes
and their interrelationships with other facets of development; and
increasing the institutional capacity of national statistical offices
and planning agencies to engage in in-depth analysis of social and
economic data, and deliver information products in a more user-friendly
format.
The Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands and French Territory-Wallis
and Futuna Island have been identified as the next recipients of
a national PopGIS.
For more information, contact popgis@spc.int or check www.spc.int/demog/.
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