"Biomass Energy Modelling with GIS and Remote Sensing in conjunction with AfricaGIS 2009

October 29 - 30, 2009

The workshop is organized within the framework of the European-Union funded research project ENERGEO, a major contribution to the Energy tasks of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO, www.earthobservations.org) workplan. In a cooperation between the Department of Surveying, Makerere University, and the Center for Geoinformatics, Salzburg University, Austria, the event acts on the recommendations of the African Academy of Sciences hosted TWAS/ROSSA Young Scientists’ Conference “Alternative Sources of Energy and Potential for Renewable Energy and Biofuels in Africa” in Nairobi, December 2008, by promoting the use of renewable energy resources.

Objectives

In order to reduce the increasingly problematic dependence on fossil fuels, regions need to take the initiative for securing their energy supplies. Among the renewable energy sources of the future, the sustainable use of local biomass for energy production will be an important element next to solar, wind and others. Biomass related energy production requires large areas, is transportation-critical but can be stored to a certain degree and therefore compensates daily and seasonal dependencies of other renewable energy carriers. Regional planning will have to explicitly consider and account for renewable energy generation in the future.

The overall objective of the workshop is to provide an insight into developments of GIS-based modelling of regional and local potentials for renewable energy generation from biomass production. Based on the experiences of three EU-sponsored summer schools on GIS and renewable energy, the planned workshop will provide an overview of approaches for modelling and managing spatial resources for sustainable energy generation. During the Lab sessions, spatial patterns of demand as well as regional potentials of biomass resources will be modelled. The participants require a working knowledge of GIS and remote sensing. CD-ROM based material will be provided to the participants in a “teach the teacher” approach.

The number of places available for the workshop is 25 and preference is given to applications from young researchers from Africa.

This workshop is supported by the European Commission Framework Programme 7 (FP 7) and Group on Earth Observations (GEO).