Skills development for measurements with LIDAR systems in Latin America

Abstract

This document has the purpose to expose the opportunities for capacity-building in the use of LIDAR in the measurements of natural and artificial environments with accuracy, precision and flexibility. In recent years the application of Latin America Lidars has been increasing, also the academic areas to improve researchers skills through scientific workshops. Nowadays the LALINET, Latin America Lidar Network presence is a reality, which is allowing to achieve several initially proposed objectives. Since 2001, the workshops have been developing in the Latin American context, their first two editions were in Camaguey in 2001 and 2003; the third workshop was in Popayán 2005; the fourth in Ilhabella Island 2007, Sao Paulo. Buenos Aires hosted the fifth edition in 2009; the sixth workshop was in La Paz 2011; the seventh was in Pucon 2013; and the eighth was in Cayo Coco – Cuba 2015 between the 6th and 10th April with the participation of 41 attendees and the exposure of 45 oral presentations and posters. Workshops about Lidar generate an appropriate framework for skills development that allow the application of these systems in various knowledge areas, also to allow a approchement between Latin American scientists and technologists and their counterparts from other continents representing government agencies, universities and other organizations.