We imagine that some sort of chaotic presentation (certainly a slanted one), considering the use of GIS and Remote Sensing in Brazil as embedded in the country’s social panorama as a whole, can generate some adequate ideas about how to avoid the annoying persistence of problems associated with GIS technology/methodology, and possibly pave the ground to the creation of efficient procedures to promote a real development of the use of GIS in Higher Education in underdeveloped countries. One of these problems, quite bluntly, is the overselling of GIS technology, which is made available to non-prepared personnel, with the costly result of sub-utilization and, in some cases, discredit for the technology. Another problem is how to convey, to young students and not so young professionals (cartographers, biologists, civil engineers, among others), the basic concepts of geoprocessing. As we see them, these concepts compose a picture drawn under a new and not entirely built semiotic framework which needs to be properly investigated and also adequately disseminated. To our modest capability to perform this investigation, it is extremely attractive the possibility of discussing it, particularly in the context of Internet and under the purpose of exchange of ideas declined by the planned meeting at Amsterdam. (387 words)
Website: Laboratório de Geoprocessamento
Many terminologies intercross at the field of environmental research. They are generated in specific branches of "pure" science, such as Biology, Geography, Physics, and also in applied research, such as Remote Sensing and Geoprocessing. One perverse and important consequence of this intercrossing of terms is the excessive value given to the strictly technical knowledge, i. e., the direct command of procedures already tested and aimed to obtain efficient results from the usage of a technology. Unfortunately, this over-evaluation tends to cast a relevant penumbra upon the mastering of concepts and methods associated to environmental research (it is possible that the above statement applies only to countries like Brazil, but eventually the contention remains to be tested elsewhere). Under this penumbra, a researcher may become extremely apt to maneuver hardware and software, but may have serious difficulties to propose innovative solutions to environmental problems. The proposition of solutions that really respect peculiarities of the physical and social environment where they should apply may become scarce. The chances of failure may increase dramatically. This is not a desirable situation, either ethically or pragmatically.
Another contributing factor leading to this almost irrational situation of absence of favorable conditions to the generation of new solutions is, paradoxically, the high quality of the presentation of the commercial products associated to Remote Sensing and GIS. As a consequence of masterful presentations of these products, usually performed for an audience of administrative personnel (decision makers), the potentialities of the software and equipment are brought into light, often using carefully selected examples. The problems related to the generation of adequate databases of difficult and expensive data capture, the changes in procedures of data acquisition and storage, which clearly relates to the administrative functioning of the institutions where the GIS and SR technologies are to be implanted, among many other operational problems, quite often are conveniently placed in a hazy background, or, in some cases, are completely ignored. In Brazil, the decision makers tend, as a consequence, to consider that the problem of using the mentioned technologies is only one of having skilled technicians in their staff. Asking allowance for the colloquial expression: "when the chips are down", when are requested meaningful and useful results from the investment - and frequently only then - do appear the harmful effects of this preference for the hiring of technicians at the expenses of the acquisition of real environmental researchers.
We are aware that the sentences above may be considered, somehow cynically, a call for past methods, or one more attempt to expand and preserve the job market solely to our professional environmentalists. Actually, we are trying to visualize a compromising solution able to bring to the daily research reality, without loss of quality, the benefits of recent technological advances. This goal has to be pursued on the basis of the interpretation of alleged facts, and the overselling of Remote Sensing and GIS technologies, without the due attention to the adequate insertion of these advances in the social picture it is destined to portray, certainly is not beneficial. If the environmental researchers have impoverished their ability to propose idiosyncratic solutions, they tend to become mere denouncers of critical environmental situations. The excessive repetition of these denounces rapidly brings tiredness to the listeners and also to the denouncers themselves. A social deafening effect easily crops in from this unfortunate situation. The discredit shows up, both in regard to environmental research and to the administration. Obviously this discredit is extended, frequently by the frustrated administrators, to the technology itself. In the long run, every interested party looses: the applied researchers with the impoverishment of their creative power; the researchers involved with technological development witnessing somewhat meager results; the administrators with their failure to cope with their problems; the vendors seeing their product under discredit; and the social body having to continue suffering from the effects ofavoidable problems.
An approach to reduce the undesired effects of the somewhat apocalyptic picture above delineated would be to promote directly the intervenience of the University in the relations between the GIS and Remote Sensing advances turned available and the institutions where these technological resources would be used. In Brazil, this can be done through the participation of the University in the elaboration of public bids, specifically in the writing of the so-called "bid calls" or "edits for buying with public funds" ("Editais de licitação ou concorrência pública", in Portuguese). More adequate specifications of equipment and software may be expected from a cooperative effort carried by the University and the buying institutions, specially if the specifications of equipments, software, data, etc., are aimed at the peculiarities of the social environment, of which both the University and the buying institutions do participate.
Another cooperation of the University can be obtained through its contracting as a quality control agent. In regard to the generation of expensive (extensive in area and taxonomically) databases, the knowledge of the University personnel can be of extreme value, allowing the University to act as an independent analyzer of the adequacy of initial products such as Remote Sensing imagery and geocodifiable environmental data, as well as to perform quality investigation of the final products of environmental analyses.
The above delineated interveniences of the University would turn easier the selection and integration of qualified environmental researchers by public and private institutions, thus allowing the minimization of the previously indicated problem of misuse of the technologies of Remote Sensing and GIS. More contact between the researchers and technicians would be expected from this closer relationship between the University and public and private institutions. Exchange of experiences are bound to occur, with mutual benefits. The grasping of new concepts, together with the direct contact with real problems, are examples of those benefits. In more than one sense, this can be seen as a reasonable contribution to overcome the gap between knowledge and action, so common in many countries. From these amplified relations, in synthesis, may eventually appear a better understanding of the capabilities, specific requirements and social needs related to the correct use of new technologies. (1155 words)
2.Teaching and advising for graduates:
- Department of Geography - UFRJ - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
- Space Research Institute (INPE) - São José dos Campos
- São Paulo - Brasil
- Military Engineering Institute (IME) - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
- Department of Environmental Studies - Forestry Institute - Rural
University - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil
- Polytechnic School - Universidade de S. Paulo (USP) - S. Paulo -
Brasil
3.Invitations to some dozens of examining commitees ("bancas")
in many brazilian higher education institutions (COPPE/UFRJ, IME, INPE,
USP, UERJ, UFV/MG, among others)
4.Some distinctions:
- Prize "Christiani-Nielsen"- Club of Engineering of Rio de Janeiro
- 1967
- Member of the Commission on Shorelines of INQUA - 1971-1977
- Member of Phi Kappa Phi - USA - 1972
- Member of the Comission on Geographical Data Sensing and Processing
of UGI - 1983 - 1985
- Medal for relevant services - Brazilian Cartography Society and INPE
- 1988
- Member of the National Research Council’s Committee on Geology and
Physical Geography (Committee Coordinator for three successive mandates)
1986-1989
- Member of the Post Graduate Programs Evalution of the CAPES - Brasil
- 1988
- Member of the editorial board of some periodicals (Revista Brasileira
de Geografia, Revista Brasileira de Ecologia, among others)
- Member of Conselho Universitário (main deliberative forum)
of the UFRJ - 1991-1995
- Elected Secretary of the Brazilian Association of Post Graduate Programs
in Geography - 1995 - 1997
- Elected Secretary of the Brazilian Commission of the International
Geographical Union - 1995 - 1998
5.Relevant Contributions:
- to the start of research activities in Physical Geography at the
Department of Geography of the UFRJ (first grant obtained at the Department)
- 1965
- to the creation of the Cartographic Engineering Department of the
UERJ - 1968
- to the creation of the Institute of Geoscience at UFRJ (first Subdirector
for Undergraduate Affairs - 1968)
- to the creation of Post Graduate at the Department of Geography of
the UFRJ - 1972
- to the creation of the National System of Environmental Monitoring
- SEMA - Brasilia - 1975
- to the creation of the Division of Informatics of the Projeto Radambrasil
- (first director and organizer) 1978
- to the creation of a System for Geo-Environmental Analysis (SAGA/UFRJ)
- 1984
- to the creation of the Research Group in Geoprocessing (presently
the Laboratory of Geoprocessing) of the Department of Geography of UFRJ
- 1987
- to the creation of the Professional Geographers Association of Rio
de Janeiro (first elected President) - 1987
- Author of some dozens of publications on Geomorphology, Environmental
Analysis, Remote Sensing, Geoprocessing and GIS (details in the full curriculum).
6. References:
Xavier-da-Silva,J. Metodologia de geoprocessamento. REVISTA DE POS- GRADUACAO EM GEOGRAFIA, Rio de Janeiro. vol.1, ano 1,pp.25-34,1997
Xavier-da-Silva,J. Geoprocessamento e Analise Ambiental. R.BRAS.GEOGR., Rio de Janeiro, 5(3):47-61,jul/set.1992
Xavier-da-Silva,J. A pesquisa Ambiental no Brasil: uma visao critica. GEOGRAFIA E MEIO AMBIENTE NO BRASIL. Hucitec, Sao Paulo,pp.346- 369,1995