National spatial data infrastructure for integrated coastal and marine spatial planning in Zanzibar (ZAN-SDI) is a Finnish Government funded ICI project coordinated by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) with the Zanzibar Commission for Lands and National Land Survey of Finland (NLS). UTU partners in the project and is responsible for geospatial training and capacity building at GoZ.

The overall objective of the project is to improve utilisation of geospatial information in spatial planning and management in Zanzibar. This is done by improving the capacities in Zanzibar to use National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) effectively in integrated coastal and marine spatial planning. UTU is working in close collaboration with State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) in strengthening the development of GIS capacities of the individuals and institutions involved in this project. The training will be targeted to selection of staff members of the partner Departments, which form the network of geospatial experts of the participating Government organisations. The practical “training-of-trainers” is designed to strengthen GIS experts’ skills in the daily routine work and GIS related work execution and supervision, with the thematic focus on the project (NDSI and coastal and marine spatial planning).

The training modalities and materials are transferred during and after the project to the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), who will be the key geospatial competence support for the government institutions in the long run. The training will be designed and coordinated in relation to other ongoing GIS capacity development projects, such as the ZanSea, and it will practically be a continuation of the already successful QGIS training executed as part of SMOLE II project in Zanzibar.