Scientific databases relating to the environment, natural resources, and public health on the African continent are, for various reasons, difficult to create and manage effectively. Yet the creation of these and other types of databases--and their subsequent use to produce new information and knowledge for decision-makers--is essential to advancing scientific and technical progress in that region and to its sustainable development. The U.S. National Committee for CODATA collaborated with the Senegalese National CODATA Committee to convene a "Workshop on Scientific Data for Decision-Making Toward Sustainable Development: Senegal River Basin Case Study," which was held on 11-15 March 2002, in Dakar, Senegal. The workshop examined multidisciplinary data sources and data handling in the West Africa region, using the Senegal River Basin as a case study, to determine how these data are or can be better used in decision making related to sustainable development.
