The USAID-funded Supporting Activities that Value the Environment (SAVE) program organized the fifth in a series of interactive meetings of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Users Group on February 27, 2008. Over twenty interested professionals, engineers, technicians and experts from different disciplines participated in the session where guest speaker Dr. Francois Smith discussed land-cover classifications of satellite data, GIS remote sensing, classification schemes for land covers and land-cover layers. Land-cover layers allow users to identify different land uses, distinguishing for example between agricultural lands, wetlands, forests and urban areas.

Following Dr. Smith’s presentation, SAVE’s GIS experts James Price and Can Kara discussed ArcGIS software applications, ongoing GIS-related activities and upcoming training opportunities. The presentations were followed by a lively question and answer session.

This training opportunity was part of SAVE’s overall work to build local capacity to better protect and manage Cyprus’ valuable natural and cultural resources. SAVE combines work on environmental protection, especially water management, with cultural heritage conservation, preservation, and restoration. Like all U.S.-funded programs in Cyprus, SAVE is aimed at facilitating reunification of the island, including through encouraging responsible economic development and sound environmental management.