Mapping in U.S. Foreign Assistance Program

Abstract

Surveying and mapping are fundamental technologies in conducting the U.S. foreign assistance program. Mapped data play a key role in policy decisions made by the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). These data also affect the well‐being and economic development of people in the 71 nations that AID assists. Management of the rapidly evolving technologies in the mapping field is made even more complex by their application in remote, often harsh environments typically found in developing countries. The mapping component of a project and its level of technical sophistication are products of the development strategy of the country and the economic sectors it hopes to address. Examples include mapping for irrigation management in the Nile delta, crop forecasting for famine in Sudan, severe storm warning and flooding in Bangladesh, and highland forest development in Peru. Surveying and mapping services are contracted by AID through the U.S. private sector. AID considers technical competence, experience, understanding of the role of natural resources in developing economies, and language skills important assets of contracted firms.