Geographic Information System for Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Developing countries: cases studies in Mauritania, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Morocco.
Résumé
Despite leadership of developed country in GIS field and ICZM field, ICZM and GIS together have been compared to a puzzle. This involves questioning on capacity to put together such ICZM and GIS in developing country. We focus on four of such developing countries to highlight difficulties to understand and to manage costal area with the use og GIS. Sustainable management of coastal areas is critical to the long-term health, safety and welfare of many african comunities of these (and other) countries. Despite their importance, coastal zones are being modified or reclaimed, often driven by economic and financial motives. Coastal management offers the opportunity to illustrate the use of GIS and related spatial information technologies not only on coastal issues but in the broader arena of land use planning. The aim of this contribution is to review, synthesize and analyse experiences on coastal management along coasts of Mauritania, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Morocco. This allows us to rank these countries from country with a huge lack of geographical information to country with a lead in GIS technology coupled with a good approach of ICZM. The place of developed countries in this rank is also taken into account.