By Lenah Bosibori
Nairobi, Kenya: Three African authors and alumni of the University of Nairobi have partnered virtually to launch a new practice-oriented and project-based book that simplifies application for geomatics engineers and surveyors: Project Design for Geomatics Engineers and Surveyors.
Speaking during the launch in Nairobi, Nashon Adero, a geospatial and systems modelling expert and Founder of the Impact Borderless Digital youth mentorship programme, said the project-based book is suitable and simplified for the broader fraternity of surveying, including geomatics engineers.
“The book is expected to grab headlines as a paradigm-shifting manual for geomatics engineers and surveyors, college students, professors, and industry practitioners, who can now find a reference book that is a one-stop shop for both hard and soft skills,” added Adero.
The book ‘Project Design for Geomatics Engineers and Surveyors’ was launched on 10th August 2023 before an international audience of industry experts, policymakers, researchers, and academics at the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) International Conference in Nairobi (RIC2023).
This followed the major launch that took place on 4th July 2023 in Nairobi and London simultaneously, with Prof. Washington Yotto Ochieng, EBS, FREng (Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London) as the keynote speaker.
“Researchers need geospatial data to develop models that can inform crop monitoring and harvest prediction, while engineers and contractors need geospatial precision to help minimise construction costs, and the book practically demonstrates how savings in the order of USD10,000 for a land area of a few acres can be achieved by applying geospatial models,” explained Adero, also a lecturer of engineering and GIS at Taita Taveta University (TTU).
Adero said that the book effectively addresses gaps and missing links in transitioning from school to practice.
“We carried out a survey in 2021 which revealed that in Kenya, only 23 percent of college graduates say that they are ready for the job market, as the rest say they need some retraining before they can deliver,” added Adero.
Adero stressed at the launch that the book is suitable as a reference manual for geomatics engineers and the wider surveying fraternity, given its practice-oriented and project-based approach.
Author Nashon Adero autographing a copy of the book for Prof. Onywere of Kenyatta University/ Lenah Bosibori.The book also promotes local content drawing on homegrown experience as informed by local examples on projects such as recent long tunnel projects in Kenya and the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), and on teaching and mentoring the youth.
“One of the authors is a youth whom we have mentored because we need to mentor young people in geomatics to be co-authors,” added Adero.
The book is locally available from Nuria Bookstore, Nairobi, retailing at 16,000 Kenyan shillings. It is also available from Amazon and other online outlets.
Clement Ogaja is a geodesist with NOAA (USA) and Derrick Koome is a licensed drone pilot.
Nashon Adero doubles as an Associate Director with ESIPPS International Ltd, overseeing the Nairobi Africa Office.
“The book is unique with great prospects for knowledge-led development, a must–read for anyone who wants to be a leader in geomatics engineering and land-centric disciplines. We encourage a reading culture and youth mentorship for progressive co-authorship,” added Adero.
