emphasising that free data requires a mix of government leadership, policies and technology. The OGC also sees interoperability as a big issue. In Brazil, INPE provides free satellite images of Sino-Brazilian Satellites (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) CBERS 1 and CBERS 2, in a friendly tool display on its portal. But in Mexico, enterprises identify the availability and cost of satellite images as one of the barriers to the development of the geospatial industry in the country. The creation of the Mexico Reception Station Constellation Spot in 2003 reduced costs but the sector is still missing the vital push. “There are two challenges: reducing the cost of satellite images and educating the decisionmakers about the use of geo-technologies,” says Esteban Garcia Dobarganes Bueno, Director of Geotecx, a Mexican consulting group. Lack of trained manpower is another grave concern and IBAMA’s Ferreira feels the onus is on the geospoatial industry, free software com-
munity and universities to focus on capacity building. “Geoinformation is becoming part of our everyday life. We need more human resources for the sector’s growth,” he says. There is a clear need for greater investments in training, quality programmes and the dissemination of good practices to implement successful projects and thereby generate a virtuous circle that ensures that this technology is used not only by the top strata of the powers that be, but also the masses. But the good news is that in the private sector, geotechnology is migrating from being under ‘spending’ header to ‘investment’ header of companies and government departments. “This is very good and it means that there is great growth potential,” signs off Machado e Silva, from AMSKepler. Renata Dias Rodrigues, Asst Regional Product Manager, Latin America, Geospatial Media & Communications, renata@geospatialmedia.net
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Curitiba - Paraná - Brazil Geospatial World | September 2013
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