Land use and environmental change have been the norm in the Caribbean and Latin America during the last 30 years. In many cases, these changes have occurred without adequate planning or responses aimed at maintaining the delicate balance between human development needs and the preservation of the environment that provides essential services for the welfare of people and other living things. These changes potentially affect not only surrounding areas, but distant areas as well. In addition, global climate change has the potential to create major challenges for many countries, not least the island states of the Caribbean.

One of the biggest limitations to appropriate responses to challenges posed by environmental and economic change is the deficiency in necessary information to evaluate problems. We may also lack the tools with which to scientifically analyze all the important variables. The technologies of Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) offer the tools to cost-efficiently and rapidly evaluate the spatial and temporal change and can assist in organizing information to determine the best course of action. The availability of technologies is not the only constraint however; there is a strong need to build the capacity of agencies to use information and technology.

GEODEC (Geospatial Data for Environmental Conservation) is a consulting service specializing in geospatial analysis, specifically directed towards practical science -based approaches to environmental conservation issues. GEODEC works with customers, assessing their needs and providing a tailored product based on these needs and our comprehensive knowledge and experience.