Sustainable development and geospatial information:a strategic framework for integrating a global policy agenda into national geospatial capabilities

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a new global policy to guide the way countries collectively manage and transform the social,economic,and environmental dimensions of people and the planet over the next 15 years.Achieving sustainable development presents all countries and the global policy community with a set of significant development challenges that are almost entirely geographic in nature.Many of the issues impacting sustainable development can be analyzed,modeled,and mapped within a geographic context,which in turn can provide the integrative framework necessary for global collaboration,consensus and evidence-based decision-making.However,and despite significant advances in geospatial information technologies,there is a lack of awareness,understanding and uptake,particular at the policy and decision-making level,of the vital and integrative role of geospatial information and related enabling architectures such as National Spatial Data Infrastructures.This paper reasons that the role of geospatial information in contributing to sustainable development has not adequately been described by either the sustainable development policy practice or by the geospatial professional community.This lack of policy and guidance,with commensurate critical gaps and connection points with national geospatial frameworks,is a visible impediment to developing countries and those most affected by the challenges and need to achieve sustainable development.The global geospatial community now has a unique opportunity to integrate and connect geospatial information into the global development agenda in a more holistic and sustainable manner,specifically in contributing their data resources toward measuring and monitoring the 17 Sustainable Development Goals,and their 169 associated targets,through the global indicator framework that anchors the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.This paper introduces and discusses a new strategic framework for linking a global policy to national geospatial capabilities.

Evaluation of a software positioning tool to support SMEs in adoption of big data analytics

Big data analytics has been widely adopted by large companies to achieve measurable benefits including increased profitability,customer demand forecasting,cheaper development of products,and improved stock control.Small and medium sized enterprises(SMEs)are the backbone of the global economy,comprising of 90%of businesses worldwide.However,only 10%SMEs have adopted big data analytics despite the competitive advantage they could achieve.Previous research has analysed the barriers to adoption and a strategic framework has been developed to help SMEs adopt big data analytics.The framework was converted into a scoring tool which has been applied to multiple case studies of SMEs in the UK.This paper documents the process of evaluating the framework based on the structured feedback from a focus group composed of experienced practitioners.The results of the evaluation are presented with a discussion on the results,and the paper concludes with recommendations to improve the scoring tool based on the proposed framework.The research demonstrates that this positioning tool is beneficial for SMEs to achieve competitive advantages by increasing the application of business intelligence and big data analytics.

Analysis of Actors Involved in the Bamboo Value Chain and Strategies for the Development of the Bamboo Sector in the Menoua Division, West Region of Cameroon

Bamboo is an important non-timber forest product owing to its multipurpose nature. In Cameroon, bamboo has always been neglected and seen as worthless by many communities. However, in recent years, bamboo has received renewed attention which has made many communities and different stakeholders to gain interest in the resource. This study which was carried out in the Menoua division, West region of Cameroon between February to July 2021 sought to identify and characterise the actors involved in the bamboo sector, and assess the different strategies that could be employed to develop the bamboo sector. Data were collected using quantitative and qualitative methods in 6 sub-divisions in Menoua division (Dschang, Santchou, Fongo Tongo, Fokoué, Penka Michel and Nkong-Ni). For the selection of study sites, the criterion used was the proximity of households to the area where the bamboo resource is found. Using the simple random sampling method, 53 households were surveyed across the Menoua division. Key informant and expert interviews were also conducted with mayors, traditional chiefs, heads of forestry posts, heads of research institutions/structures and craftsmen involved in the bamboo sector. Using SPHINX software version 5, a survey form was designed. The data collected was coded and analysed using EXCEL 2010 and SPSS. Map data was analysed using ARCGIS version 2.18. Results indicated that there were two main groups of actors: direct actors (collectors, collectors/transporters, producers/collectors, producers/collectors/transporters, collectors/traders) and indirect actors (Municipal Councils, Decentralized Services of the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife—MINFOF, Development partners like INBAR, Research Institutions like the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development—IRAD, and academic institutions like the University of Dschang). The direct actors are directly linked to the bamboo value chain while the indirect actors are those whose decisions influence the sector (e.g. MINFOF) or those who provide financial and technical support (Municipal Councils, INBAR;IRAD, the University of Dschang). The main strategies proposed by the local population for the development of the bamboo sector were regular sensitization campaigns on the benefits of bamboo (92%) and the provision of technical, material and financial support to bamboo producers (41%). Key informants/experts proposed the following in order to ensure the development of the bamboo sector in the Menoua division: raising awareness about bamboo, its different varieties and benefits;creating bamboo plantations (with varieties adapted to the agro-ecological zone i.e. the western highlands) in order to reduce the pressure on other resources;setting up support mechanisms for producers and other actors in the bamboo value chain;allocating land/agricultural areas for bamboo plantations as there is land scarcity in the Menoua division. Based on the strategic framework developed from this study, in order to ensure an adequate and effective development of the bamboo sector in the Menoua division, there should be among others: multiplication of awareness-raising and training programmes for farmers on bamboo production techniques;more support for smallholder farmers by providing them bamboo plants in quality and quantity;production of bamboo stems in quality and quantity;more awareness campaigns for young craftsmen on the advantages of the bamboo craft sector;more training campaigns for craftsmen on modern bamboo processing techniques;and the establishment of a well-developed and sustainable bamboo-based craft sector.

THE HISTORY AND STATUS OF GEOPOLITICS AND THE GEOPOLITICAL STRATEGIES OF CHINA

Taking the rising and declining in Geopolitics as the main lines, this paper reviews the history of the annihilation, revival and deveopment in geoplitics since the 1970s. The ideas and propositions about the world geopolitical structure after the end of Cold War, proposed by the Westem geopolitical strategists, have been introduced and assessed. About the geopolitical strategies of China in the world geopolotical structure in the future, the authors propose framework ideas. The aim of the paper is to join discussions and researches on the geopolitical strategies, and to promote the subject construction and development of human geography including Geopolitics and Political Geography.

Multilateral Framework on Investment and China's Strategic Interest

International investment has today replaced the role of trade and become an important means of organizing internationalized production and servicing the global market. However, compared with international trade and international finance, international investment lags behind in establishing an international coordination mechanism. The global trade and finance have had the WTO-based international trade system and the IMF-based international financial system respectively. But the global investment lacks comprehensive "rules of the game". Establishing a comprehensive multilateral framework on investment (MFI)

A Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Framework Agreement Signed Between CHALCO and Bayannur City

On May 9,a signing ceremony of a comprehensive strategic cooperation framework agreement was held at Aluminum Corporation of China headquarters with Bayannur City,marking the formal establishment of a strategic partnership between the two parties.