Training of Experts for Sustainable Use of Land

Abstract

A key objective of spatial planning is the sustainable management of the resource ’land’, which requires balancing competing interests such as housing, infrastructure, wildlife protection, food production, and industry. In regions with no or limited spatial planning traditions, land is often underutilized or inefficiently managed. Addressing this challenge requires specialist in spatial planning, but also experts for the acquition of geodata needed for decision-making. Therefore, training people in data acquisition is essential for many countries. This paper shares experiences from two capacity building initiatives in Ethiopia. Both projects aim to provide materials for (in attendance, online, and hybrid) teaching with the thematic focus on geomatics. This includes the purchase of equipment such as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) equipped with RTK/GNSS (Real time Kinematic/Global Navigation Satellite System), a GNSS base station, a CORS (Continously Operating Reference Station), and multi-media equipment for producing educational videos and online-teaching. Teachers at four Ethiopian universities are trained in the usage of these instruments to gain competences and skills to subsequently educate their students and national professionals. In addition, joint courses were also offered. Both initiatives emphasize capacity development through hands-on field exercises, competency-based teaching approaches, and institutional collaboration. This approach ensures the long-term integration of modern geospatial tools in academic and professional practice.