FREE/Libre AND OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE FOR GEOINFORMATICS

Geoinformatics technologies help us to manage, assess and present spatial information on natural resources, environment and habitat. They provide valuable tools for national development planning, resource management and disaster mitigation.  Many Geoinformatics techniques now provide vital support for sustainable development. Over the last few decades, Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has grown tremendously in scope and popularity.

FOSS has gained the attention of the Geoinformatics community and created new opportunities for developing local capabilities. Attractive licensing terms, free availability, high quality, low management costs, and opportunities for anyone to join cooperative software development teams make FOSS systems highly desirable for capacity building, especially in regions with growing IT skills and manufacturing base such as Asia. FOSS4G also helps stimulate academic research, as well as international cooperation in developing and adaptation of such software for specific national/local needs.