Learning How to use Spatial Data for Disaster Risk Management
I was recently presented with a fantastic opportunity; my manager approached me and asked:
“Hey Ian, what do you think about leading a GeoNode training in the Caribbean?”
Without hesitation, or asking for details I said, “Sign me up!” Though my manager’s smirk should have tipped me off I had no idea how challenging the assignment would be. Nor did I realize that I would find the trip rewarding in ways other than what one typically thinks when that sunny, sandy, pina colada filled, cerulean-hued region of the world is mentioned.
The training was a part of the OpenDRI initiative and took place Feb 18-23 at the St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in Trinidad and Tobago. The event, co-sponsored by the World Bank, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and the University of West Indies, brought together 40 GIS specialists and developers from around the Caribbean to provide them with the skills needed to better use, integrate, and extend GeoNode as a component of their specific spatial data infrastructure.
I lead a developer workshop in which 13 participants learned to install and configure GeoNode, create a custom “project”, theme it, and add new functionality related to security. We also threw in an unexpected (read: bonus) section on virtual networking (we used a
VirtualBox appliance and ran into potential problems related to running a
server with a changing IP address). In addition to my inane jokes, I shared all of my bash shortcuts and Python programming tips.
In the evening, there were discussions and presentations on topics such as OpenStreetMap, OpenDataKit, and NASA’s Pilot DRM Program. I’ll miss all of the fantastic Trinidadian food (chokas, coconut bake, roti, buss-up-shut and saltfish to name a few), along with the great people I met. Unfortunately I didn’t allot enough time to enjoy much of island but will look back on my one free afternoon in Maracas Bay fondly.
My special thanks to the World Bank, the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), and the University of West Indies for bringing me down. If you’re interested in such a training, or just want to fly me to nice sunny places please let us know!







