L-R Garfield Young, Professor of Geomatics Education at the University of Technology; Dasmine Kennedy, Assistant Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education and Youth ;Authrine Scarlett, Chief Technical Director (actg) MEGJC; and Mr. Leonard Francis, Chairman of the Land Information Council of Jamaica (LICH) at the Geography Awareness Month Launch 2024 hosted by the MEGJC under the theme, “AI-Driven Geospatial Insights: Transforming Data into Action”.

MEGJC’s Geography Awareness Month 2024 aims to highlight AI-driven technologies

The Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC) launched Geography Awareness Month (GAM) yesterday (October 30, 2024) in collaboration with the Land Information Council of Jamaica, highlighting AI-driven technologies under the theme AI-Driven Geospatial Insights: Transforming Data into Action.

Acting Chief Technical Director in the Ministry, Mrs. Authrine Scarlett, who represented Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Arlene Williams at the launch, emphasised the importance of AI-driven technologies and highlighted the timeliness of the theme.

“This is a timely and relevant theme, as we recognise how cutting-edge technologies have evolved into advancements such as Artificial Intelligence that reshape how we interact with geospatial data”, she said.

Mrs. Scarlett added that “GAM provides a platform for promoting the use of geospatial technologies in problem-solving, innovation, and decision-making at various levels – from local to global”.

In his keynote address, Professor of Geomatics Education, Garfield Young, highlighted the importance of AI technologies in geography information systems.

“The technology is also being used to build a database of natural disaster vulnerability in our public schools in Jamaica and other public buildings in our country and the Eastern Caribbean. Currently, geospatial technologies are employed in the assessment of flood-prone coastal areas as a critical tool in disaster risk reduction. By coupling AI with GIS, a new frontier in data analysis has been breached, offering unprecedented opportunities for mapping, 3D modeling, and spatial data interpretation”, said Professor Young.

Geography Awareness Month 2024 activities will be held from October 30 – November 20, 2024, and will also include the GIS in Schools Education Programme (GISSEP) Forest Field Trip at the Bogue 2 Forest Reserve in St. Ann; GIS Innovate – Spatial Solutions Summit; and the 22nd National GIS Day Exposition at the UWI Assembly Hall.