Kathryn Arnold, a senior researcher in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Urban and Regional Dynamics research group, has been appointed to represent the CSIR on the National Committee for Spatial Information (CSI) for a three-year term.

The CSI was established under the Spatial Data Infrastructure Act, 2003 (Act 54 of 2003) and is tasked with advising the Minister of Land Reform and Rural Development, as well as organs of state, on the capture, management, maintenance, integration, distribution and use of geospatial information.

Commenting on her appointment, Kathryn says, “I look forward to my tenure on the committee and to contributing to the development of the country's spatial competency. Spatial data supports local development and the availability and accessibility of geospatial information are therefore cornerstones of achieving national goals such as sustainable development, economic growth and social well-being.”

The committee is also responsible for strategically guiding the development and implementation of the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure and ensuring that government investments in spatial information deliver maximum value. Previous CSIR representatives on the committee include Dr Antony K. Cooper and André Breytenbach, both  from the CSIR Smart Places cluster.