French help for information systems

The French government will provide a concessionary loan up to Euro 6.5 million for the establishment of a Spatial Information System for reconstruction monitoring in Sri Lanka.

The objective of the System is to provide large scale maps with GIS application to serve as information infrastructure base for reconstruction oriented GIS application development plans for priority township development in Sri Lanka, the Finance Ministry said. “The development of the Systems will also involve in capacity building and technology transfer to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and the Survey Department.

The data base of this System will be housed at UDA with access to other relevant agencies. This satellite imagery GIS data base identifies risk areas tend to natural disaster and existing development pattern in the areas where rehabilitation and new development projects to be taken place,” the ministry said in a press release.The agreement was signed by Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera and Michel Lummaux, Ambassador for France