Impact of map literacy on development planning in South Africa

Most of the less developed countries are engaging in development projects to address the development needs of their citizens.Yet the record of success of these projects is not high.The 'crisis in development planning' has been under scrutiny for some time so that ways may be found of improving the development planning process.Development planning requires reliable quantities of information of an acceptable quality.In particular geo-spatial information should be used in development planning.However, there is evidence of poor usage of geo-spatial information in development planning.There is a need to review the development planning process, in particular the decision-making process, particularly where information and knowledge are used.A proposed new development planning process is presented, emphasizing the role of information and knowledge, as well as capacity and capacity-building in a community participative process.From evidence presented in this research it is concluded that there is a significant relationship between geo-spatial information and development planning.A Geo-spatial Information Decision-making Model is developed, emphasizing the relationship between geo-spatial information, spatial knowledge and the decision-making process within the environment of the development planning process.This is an information / knowledgecentric model, with the objective of optimizing rationality in the decision-making process.Clarke DG "Impact of map literacy on development planning in South Africa" Clarke DG "Impact of map literacy on development planning in South Africa" vi of nooit gebruik is nie, gebrekkig wees.Enkele scenarios van hierdie implikasies word geskets.Dit is bevind dat die funksionele kaartgeletterdheidsvlakke in Suid Afrika onvoldoende vir effektiewe ontwikkelings beplanning is.Voorstelle om ontwikkelings beplanning te verbeter, gebaseer op die verbeterde gebruik van ruimtelike informasie, word angebied.Dit sluit in opleiding in kaartgebruik.Dit is bewys dat kaartgeletterdheid aan geleer kan word.In die besonder is bevind dat die kaartbewustheid / kaartgeletterdheid projek van die Hoofdirektoraat van Opmetings en Kartering effektief om die vlakke van funksionele kaartgeletterdheid onder die deelnemers by werkswinkels te verhoog.Die kaartgeletterdheidsvlakke van deelnemers by hierdie werkswinkels is deur die gebruik van 'n voor-en 'n na-toets ontleed.Nuwe voorstellings van ruimtelike informasie moet oorweeg word om begrip van die kartografiese (kaart) taal te verbeter.Clarke DG "Impact of map literacy on development planning in South Africa" vii The capacity of the human mind for formulating and solving complex problems is very small compared with the size of the problems whose solution is required for objectively rational behaviour in the real world -or even for a reasonable approximation to such objective rationality.Simon, 1957.Models of Man : Social and Rational Show me a geographer who does not need them [map] constantly and want them about him, and I shall have my doubts as to whether he has made the right choice of life ….Maps break down our inhibitions, stimulate our glands, stir our imagination, loosen our tongues.The map speaks across the barriers of language; it is sometimes claimed as the language of geography.