Héctor Horacio Claverie, Mabel Alvarez de López
ABSTRACT
Chubut, one of the Patagonian provinces of Argentina, is developing the acquisition of its territorial information through the integration of projects of distinct provincial organisations in co-operation with third parties.
This paper describes the project for a Native Forest Inventory in the area under the jurisdiction of the Directorate General of Parks and Forests (2.000.000 hectares of which 1.000.000 hectares of forest) through an inter institutional co-operation between the Directorate of Cadaster and Territorial Information (DCeIT) and the Directorate of Forest and Parks (DGByP) of the province of Chubut.
In 1992, the province started with a Cadastral Project the development of a territorial information system with World Bank financing. This project integrates different organisations, among which the Directorate General Parks and Forests. This Directorate had also access to other external funds to realise a Forest Inventory project.
The two mentioned projects provided complementary elements in order to obtain a product suitable for forest management and cadastral purposes.
Besides the paper describes the methods to obtain necessary results for provincial development, through sustained effort in co-ordination, co-operation and communication, in order to save costs to the province and avoid duplicity and repetition of work.
RESUME
Chubut, une des provinces de la Patagonie Argentine a developpé l ´adquisition de part de son information territorial moyennant l ´integration de projects de differents organisations provinciaux et la cooperation de troisiemes parts.
Le cas que ce travail décrit se rapporte a un project pour la production d´un inventaire du bois natif dans l ´are de l ´administration de la Direction Gral. de Bois et Parcs de la Province de Chubut (2.000.000 d ´hectares de territoire qui ont 1.000.000 d ´hectares de bois ), moyennant son exécution en forme interinstitutionnelle, avec la participation de la DCeIT et la DGB et P de la Province de Chubut.
En 1992, la provinse commence le développement de son information territorial avec financiement de la Banque Mondiale. En ce sens on a élaboré le project de Développement Cadastral de Chubut. Ce project integre differents organisations, parmi lesquelles on inclut a la Direction Gral. de Bois et Parcs. Coincidement, la Direction Gral. de Bois et Parcs a acces a financiement externe pour réaliser le project d ´inventaire Forestier.
Les deux projects mencionés muniront des éléments complémentaires pour l ´obtention des produits indispensables pour le démarchement des terres avec des bois et pour les fins cadastraux.
Le project nommé dans l ´are mencioné rejaillit la methode pour obtenir des resultats nécesaires pour le développement provincial, par l ´effort soutenu pour obtenir la coordination, la cooperation et la communication a fin de diminuer les couts pour la province et eviter la répétition el duplicité de travaux.
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
Chubut, eine der provinzen die zum Argentinischen Patagonien gehören, entwickelt ihr TerritorialInformationssystem durch die integrierung verschiedener Projekte, die von mehreren Provinzbehörden in Zusammenarbeit mit Dritten ausgearbeitet werden.
Dieses Abhandlung beschreibt das Projekt einer Bestandsaufnahme des Naturwaldes in einem Gebiet, das von Provinzialbehörde für Forstwitschaf verwaltet wird. (etwa 2 Millionen Hektar von denen 1 Million auf Naturwald entfällt).Bei der Ausführung des Projektes hat das Katasteramt (DCeIT) mit dem Forstamt (DGByP) der Provinz zusammen gearbeit.
Im Jahre 1992 wurde mit dem Ausarbeitung eines Landinformationssystems seitens des Katasterramtes beggonen, das vonder Weltbank finanziert wird. Das hier beschriebene Projekt wird von verschiedenen Behörden getragen, unter ihnen das Forstamt. Dieses Amt bekommt auBerdem Kredit von der Interamerikanischen Entwicklungsbank.
Das Projekt des Landinformationssystems ergänzt sich mit dem Projekt der Bestandsaufnahme des Naturwaldes. Das Ergebnis dient sowohl für Katasterzwecke als auch zur Forstverwaltung.
AuBerdem beschreibt die Abhandlung die enforderlichen Methoden um die erwünschten Ergebnisse in Bezug auf Laufenthaltung der Daten, Vernetzung der Informationen und Koordinierung der Arbeiten zu erzielen. Auf diese Weise können Kosten gespart werden, und doppelte widersprüchliche Information vermieden werden.
1. INTRODUCTION
The Directorate General of Forest and Parks (DGByP) of Chubut is in charge of the implementation of forest policy which seeks the conservation of the native forest resources, the protection against fires and plagues and the forestation of suitable areas.
The Directorate of Cadaster and Territorial Infomation (DCeIT) of the province is in charge of all cadastral information of the province which comprises an area of approximately 225.000 km2.
The DCeIT and the DGByP are located in different cities separated by 600 km.
Until the early 90-tees, when new possibilities with international funding were created, both institutions suffered from budgetary problems, a lack of inter institutional integration due to manual procedures and a lack of appropriate new tools.
The possibilities of external funding which arose allowed for institutional as well as inter-institutional objectives under the concept that co-ordinated efforts make it possible to multiply the benefits and reduce the costs of spatial information for the participating institutions.
When the DCeIT got access to World Bank funds y the Program of Financial Reform and Economic Development of the Argentinian Provinces, it was considered vital to incorporate the DGByP in the project as administrators of an important part of the territory and of the wealth of natural forest resources.
This lead to the formulation of objectives for the DGByP which could be reached under the Cadastral Development Project and a set of objectives for a project with additional external funding for the DGByP.
The integration of both institutions in order to reach progress in the use of technology, methods, formation of human resources and better quality information with the use of external funds, has required a cultural change from a traditional isolated development towards an inter-institutional development.
2. A FIRST VISION OF A GEOSPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE.
The common development of both institutions implies a process in which continuously agreements are reached, actions are undertaken and difficulties are overcome in themes as geo referencing, data capture, hard -and software, adjustment of procedures and human resource development so that the results can be integrated and maintenance can be assured.
The integration of cadastral and forest information is required for different purposes.
The integration of the two institutions under the project is according the presumptions which are presently formulated for the development of a Local Geospatial Data Infrastructure.
3. THE REACH OF THE CADASTRAL PROJECT FOR THE DGBYP.
When the financial means for the Cadastral Project became available, an analysis was made of existing problems and priorities throughout the provincial institutions which could be solved with the execution of the project.
The integration of cadastral and forest development was considered a priority for the following reasons:
4. INVENTORY OF NATIVE FORESTS IN THE PROVINCE OF CHUBUT
The DGByP started in 1992 regional studies to characterise the provincial forest resources. Two important studies were formulated:
The objectives of the forest inventory were the following:
Both studies intended to provide information for an integrated land use planning information system. Therefore the integration of the cadastral data on land tenure, size and location of the parcels with the data from the studies was important.
Planning of the use of native forests requires a high volume and high quality information. Financial constraints, though, make this often difficult. Therefore initial data capture and data maintenance procedures have to be designed carefully.
For the Native Forest Inventory, funding from the Province, and the Inter American Development Bank were available.
Furthermore, the CIEFAP (Centre for Andean Patagonian Forest Research) contributed with human resources and transport for the field work.
To obtain the basic information, Landsat TM and MSS images were used. For the inventory, a method developed in Finland in the mid 80-tees was used. This method is a variation on the two-phased sampling whereby image data from the first phase are combined with field survey data from the second phase. As a large part of the forests in the province of Chubut are in extremely difficult accessible areas and because financial resources were limited, more emphasis was given to the image processing in order to reduce the costs of fieldwork.
Aerial photography in digital and paper format were used complementary.
The fieldwork implied a lot of heavy work for the teams. The sample sites for protection forest and commercial forest were GPS technology (using differential correction) in order to locate these with high precision in the images.
This could be done through the integration with the cadastral project which provided the hard- and software, GPS equipment and the training of the personnel.
Results:
The main results of this large study are the location, size, measurement and characteristics of the wood and the location and size of the protection and production forest. The results are available in digital format and can be operated with the image processing systems which became available through the cadastral development project.
Besides hard copy thematic maps at a scale 1:100.000 were prepared as well as tables with derived information.
The total study area amounts to approximately 1.000.000 hectares.
Another product from the co-operation between the institutions is a pilot project to produce
image maps of an area of 480.000 hectares with the help of GPS , digitised topographic maps and the infrastructure and training provided though the Cadastral Development Project.
This type of maps is extremely useful, not only for the Cadaster and the forest Department, but also for other regional agencies that work with natural resource information which is still very scarce.
5. MAIN PRODUCTS MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FOREST DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE CADASTRAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Hardware (computers, digitizer and plotter )
Software (GIS, data base and image processing).
Data ( Aerial photography, satellite images and cadastral data).
Training of personnel :
6. THE FEEDBACK BETWEEN THE ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED
The products obtained are not only important results for the DGByP but are also an input into the DCeIT to support the work in:
There arose a process of continuous feedback between the Cadaster and the Forest Department to arrange for the processes and products of the forest inventory projects as in this way benefits can increase and cost can diminish for both parties. Aspects of a geo data infrastructure can thus be consolidated.
Besides, this way of working has benefited from interactions with other agencies such as INTA ( in charge of agricultural aspects), the University of Patagonia and CIEFAP.
The geo referencing of the images is a need for the Forest Department, the Cadaster and the INTA. Therefore, the GPS equipment acquired by the Cadaster has been used intensively by all agencies which in turn contribute mutually with training and the exchange of experiences and results.
Many difficulties had to be overcome in this process of integration of different state institutes with different funding sources. But the forest inventory has been realised in a joint effort and the Cadastral Development Project, which will last for some more time, has passed through many other phases and strengthened itself for the coming phase.
A mayor result is that the groups which guide the different projects have gained a shared experience of over 5 years which enables them to contribute to the next phase, overcome difficulties and exploit future opportunities.
7 . THE ADVANTAGES OF INTER ORGANISATIONAL WORK.
The inter-organizational development adopted during the project proposal, implies greater organization during the execution period, but increase the benefits for the organisations involved.
The main shared activities between Cadaster and Forest Department can be listed as:
The advantages of a sustained inter-organisational co-operation have caused already a change in the traditional schemes whereby each organisation only planned for its own objectives.
8. CONCLUDING REMARKS
Good territorial information is essential for the Province of Chubut in its activities to promote economic development.
Geo-informatic developments are costly. Shared activities in this field make it possible to reduce costs and increase benefits.
Presently, the Forest Department disposes of the results of the inventory and a part of the products of the Cadastral Development Project. These imply a significant improvement in the quality of the information and in the services which can be provided to users of the forestry information.
Among the main benefits of the inter-institutional developments is the rise of an geo spatial data infrastructure which in the end should lead to reliable information which can be integrated from different organisations.
Elements of such infrastructure are co-ordinated action towards geo-referencing, data capture and data maintenance and the establishment of common procedures.
Co-ordinated and co-operative work allows for a permanent development of the human resources which form a basis for the sustainability of investments in geo-informatic developments.
The experience gained in this case has demonstrated the usefulness of continuation and strengthening this way of inter institutional work.
Networks between the human resources arise which stimulate mutually and allow for further exploitation of results.
When these experiences can be repeated, they will help to reduce costs further and contribute to the establishment of an infrastructure of geo spatial data in the Province which seems to become a need at global level.
REFERENCES:
Cox Z. F. ; Carabelli F. A.; Claverie H. H.. 1995. Manual de Instrucciones de Campo del Inventario del Bosque Nativo de la Provincia del Chubut. 112 p.
Dirección Gral. de Bosques y Parques de la Provincia del Chubut. 1997. Inventario del Bosque nativo de la Provincia del Chubut.
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Publicación Técnica 20. CIEFAP. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco. 35 p.
Urzúa V. J. 1991. Manejo de los lengales del Chubut como productores de materia prima.
AUTHORS ADDRESS:
Héctor Horacio Claverie, Directorate of Forests and Parks
Roca 571, 9200 Esquel, Chubut, Argentina.
Tel/Fax 0054 945 51248/51404, e-mail: dgbyp@teletel.com.ar
Director of Forests Exploitation in the Directorate of Forests
and Parks of the Chubut Province.
Responsible of the Inventory Project and the Cadastral
Development Project in the Forests and Parks Directorate.
Mabel Alvarez de López, Directorate of Cadastre and Land
Information,
Alejandro Maiz 169, 9103 Rawson, Chubut, Argentina,
Tel/fax 0054 965 81141/81450, e-mail: mablop@satlink.com
Director of the Directorate of Cadaster and Territorial
Information of the Chubut Province. Manager of the Cadastral
Development Project. Lecturer in geo informatics at University of
Patagonia.