ABSTRACT
Geographic Information Systems, in conjunction with the related geomatic technologies of Remote Sensing, Global Positioning Systems, telecommunication or internet-intranet for telegeoprocessing and information sharing, have operational applications that can streamline Soil Conservation and Watershed Development (SCWD) planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). By the late 1990s, these technologies developed to a point that they can provide a valuable and cost-effective contribution to SCWD project engineering. Their potential is even greater for M&E activities focusing on project achievements and impact. In the present era 280with its extraordinary progress and innovation in computer technology, the current developments in geomatics are no longer technology-driven. It is rather the limitation of awareness and technology transfer that should be overcome in the field of SCWD, mostly in developing countries. The purpose of this chapter is to briefly review the recent developments in geomatics applications in SCWD projects with focus on the M&E environment. While the examples chosen relate mainly to Morocco, taken herein as a typical developing country with major SCWD problems and programmes, most applications and suggestions apply more generally.
