Created in 1999, Centre for Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing (CGIS) of University of Rwanda, Rwanda, is a spatially literate society by serving as a recognized, multi-disciplinary training and research center of excellence in GIS and Remote Sensing technologies and applications. Through GIS and Remote Sensing, it addresses issues of local, national and regional importance such as societal and economic transformation and sustainable development in the domains of Land Administration, Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Urban Planning, Environment Management and Disaster Risks Management.
Open Access softwares are needed for all teaching, research, consultancy and community outreach related activities.Until now, the CGIS-UR is the leading institution in Rwanda in the field of Geo Information Technology. The centre comprises permanent and affiliated researchers and technicians. The CGIS-UR successfully completed national and international projects: Strengthening educational institutes in providing capacity building services for sustainable agricultural development in Rwanda funded by NUFFIC, 2015-2021); Spatial development framework of Rwanda in collaboration with UN, Human Settlements Program and University of Twente (funded by UN-Habitat, 2015-2016); Integrated, Flood Modelling for Flood Risk analysis in Kigali City (funded by USAID through SERVIR-Eastern and Southern Africa Project operating under RCMRD, 2014-2015); Updating of the national forest cover mapping using high resolution aerial photography (funded by MINIRENA/PAREF, 2012); Healthy, environmental change and adaptive capacity: mapping, examining and anticipating future risks of water related vector-borne diseases in Eastern Africa (funded by European Union through EU FP7-Healthy Futures, 2010-2014); Study on climate change and food security (under the Lake Victoria Research Initiative (VicRes), 2012-1015); Providing quality education, research, consultancy and services in the field of Geo-Information Science that meet labour market requirements and support the sustainable environmental and socio-economic development of Rwanda (NICHE/RWA/071, funded by NUFFIC, 2011-1015); Development of a GIS decision support system for coffee sector in Rwanda (SPREAD/USAID, funded 2007-2009); Development of GIS based information system for malaria prevention in Rwanda for National Malaria Control Program (project under the Ministry of Health, funded by Belgium Technical Cooperation and Global Fund 2007-2008).
