Consolidating geological and mineral information across Africa

Cape Town, South Africa, 10 June 2016 (ECA) – A coordination meeting will be hosted in Cape Town from 24 August - 4 September 2016 as a next step in the process of developing the strategy for a continent-wide Geological and Minerals Information System (GMIS) in connection with the implemtation of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV). This meeting is being convened as a side event of the International Geological Congress (ICG35).

 

Over the course of the ten days, the coordination meeting will solidify the GMIS Strategy functional structure. More specifically, the event will clarify:

-          Organizational structure of the GMIS Steering Committee;

-          Identification of strategic partners, including universities, and their roles and contributions to the implementation of the strategy; and

-          Identification of priority issues for the implementation of the strategy.

 

The purpose of the GMIS Strategy is to compile, collate, process and store existing geodata in a single repository located in Africa. In support of this, the AMV proposes a mechanism be established to obligate all private exploration companies to lodge all geo-information with their national geo-survey entity, in addition to the necessary support the Strategy requires on the part of government, universities, and other geoscience agencies.

 

With its secretariat hosted within the body of the AMDC, the GMIS Strategy will identify gaps and areas of need in members States’ capabilities to produce, manage and disseminate GMI. Equally, the GMIS Strategy will facilitate access expertise and information resources from a broad range of local and international partners.