Project Goal
One of mankind's greatest challenges is to achieve an appropriate balance between developing natural resources and maintaining an optimal natural environment. To meet this challenge, we need detailed and reliable geo-information and geo-information management tools. At the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (better known as ITC), knowledge of geo-information management is readily available and is continually being developed and extended. By means of education, research and project services, we contribute to capacity building in less developed countries and countries in transition.Business Problem Solved
At ITC, considerable attention is paid to the development and application of geographical information systems (GIS), in the wider sense of the word, for solving problems. Such problems can range from determining the risks of landslides, mapping forest fires, planning urban infrastructure, and implementing land administration systems, to designing a good wildlife management system or detecting environmental pollution.
Our students, upon receiving their degree, return to their home country and organization, and start to help solve all sorts of decision-making problems, using geo-information techniques and methods.
Technology Implemented
We concentrate on earth observation, the generation of spatial information, the derivation of spatial data products, and their exploitation in decision making. The development of data integration methods and best practices is fundamental. Furthermore, we provide tools and methods that in support of processes of planning and decision making for sustainable development and the alleviation of poverty in developing countries and countries in transition.
Development Team Biography
ITC is managed by a Directorate headed by a rector and a director for external affairs. Three bureaus manage education, research and project services, which are executed by staff of our scientific departments:
- Earth Observation Science
- Earth Systems Analysis
- Geo-Information Processing
- Natural Resources
- Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management
- Water Resources
Departments operate in an interlinked research program under a number of themes:
- Biodiversity in fragmenting landscapes
- Carbon cycle & climate change
- Disaster management
- Earth systems science
- Food security & environmental sustainability
- Informed multilevel governance of urban regions
- Land administration for informed governance
- Managing water scarcity
- Spatial data infrastructure technology
- Spatiotemporal data integration & visualization
- Stochastic methods for image mining & data quality
- Sustainable urban-regional dynamics
- Topographic mapping
- Water cycl
