Information – The foundation of sustainable development

This paper proposes the development of an information framework for sustainable development in South Africa and discusses the country's ability to provide the information required to address actions stipulated in Agenda 21, a foundational document of sustainable development, and sets out a global action plan.

Craig Schwabe is the Director of the GIS Centre in the Human Sciences Research Council. He has a passion for the development of spatial information and its effective application in decision-making. The GIS Centre provides specialist and up-to-date information, knowledge and skills especially in the socio-economic and development fields of GIS. Recent client projects include the development of a pension pay point database for the Department of Social Development, a Minimum Data Set on ageing for the Department of Health and a cultural GIS and placename database for the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST). Craig is currently project leader of a DACST-funded regional science and technology project focusing on implementing an integrated development GIS for SADC countries with collaborators from all 14 SADC countries.