The Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA) is a project implemented by the U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center in cooperation with several partner organizations (edcintl.cr.usgs.gov/macga). MACGA strives, as a broadly-based alliance of organizations with shared interests, to facilitate the development of spatial data with appropriate standards, datums, and descriptions; and to assist and support efficient data management, access, and dissemination, and implement applications to meet national and regional needs in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. The project promotes the establishment or improvement of spatial data infrastructures; assists in the establishment of better communication channels among agencies and initiatives developing spatial data; and helps build a framework for improved spatial data generation, management, sharing, and dissemination in these two regions.

Esri is supporting MACGA and providing GIS training, documentation, and software grants to assist the alliance.

The impetus for MACGA was the recognition following Hurricane Mitch in 1998 that access to compatible geospatial data was essential for effective disaster response and that essential data sets often extended across international boundaries.

MACGA is currently involved in a capacity building program for remote sensing and GIS. The program is broadly based and includes disaster preparation, land use planning, tourism, conservation, climate change, agriculture, and forestry development.

Esri provided the core technology training in GIS for MACGA. Two trainers from the company recently taught a specialized course at the University of the West Indies-St. Augustine, Trinidad campus that introduced the participants to ArcGIS, PLTS, ArcSDE, and ArcIMS software. In addition, Esri is supporting the MACGA participants with relevant Esri Press books, grants of Esri software through the Global Map/Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Grant program (www.esri.com/gsdigrant) for the region's national mapping agencies, and applications specific to the mission of disaster response and environmental agency needs.

For further information, contact Larry Tieszen, deputy manager, International Program, U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center (e-mail: tieszen@usgs.gov, tel.: 605-594-6114) or visit MACGA on the Web (edcintl.cr.usgs.gov/macga).