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ISSN 2277 - 3134

SEPTEMBER 2012 VOL 03 ISSUE 02

www.geospatialworld.netYOUR GEOSPATIAL INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

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Geospatial World I September 2012

Geospatial WorldGeospatial Media and Communications Pvt. Ltd.(formerly GIS Development Pvt. Ltd.)A - 145, Sector - 63, Noida, India Tel + 91-120-4612500 Fax +91-120-4612555 / 666

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07 Editorial 08 News 58 Events

ARTICLES

Vietnam:

Re-inventing itself

Kapil Chaudhery and Manoj Pant

Surveying technology:

Blending measurement and management

Bryn Fosburgh

Spatial enablement:

Offering new possibilities

Dr. Daniel Steudler and Prof. Abbas Rajabifard

CASE STUDIES

China:

Tour against the current

India:

Cost effective water management

United States:

No details left behind

France:

Testing the waters

Greece:

Mapping for growth

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Abbas Rajabifard President,GSDI Association

Jack DangermondPresident, Esri

Shailesh Nayak SecretaryMinistry of Earth SciencesGovernment of India

Mark ReichardtPresident and CEOOpen Geospatial Consortium, Inc.

Aida Opoku Mensah Director - ICT DivisionUN Economic Commission for Africa

Josef StroblDirector, Centre for Geoinformatics,University of Salzburg, Austria

Vanessa Lawrence CBDirector General and CEO,Ordnance Survey, UK

Matthew M O'ConnellPresident and CEO GeoEye

Bryn FosburghVice PresidentTrimble

Juergen DoldPresident, Hexagon Geosystems

Preetha PulusaniChief Strategy Officer,Rolta Group

Derek Clarke Chief Director-Survey and Mapping & National Geospatial InformationDepartment of Rural Development & Land Reform, South Africa

Kamal K SinghChairman and CEORolta Group

Greg BentleyCEO, Benltey Systems

Prof Ian DowmanFirst Vice PresidentISPRS

COVER IMAGE COURTESY Severn Partnership

DISCLAIMER

Geospatial World does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in the publication. All views expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. GeospatialWorld is not responsible for any loss to anyone due to the information provided.

OWNER, PUBLISHER & PRINTER Sanjay Kumar PRINTED AT M. P. Printers B - 220,

Phase-II, Noida - 201 301, Gautam Budh Nagar (UP) INDIA PUBLICATION ADDRESS A - 92,

Sector - 52, Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, India

CORRIGENDOM: The credits for the images used on Pg. 27 in the story on "Volunteered Geographic Information" in the July 2012 edition have inadvertently been missed out. The left and centre images of the composition arecourtesy Giacomo Rambaldi, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA); and the image on theright is courtesy Cybertracker.

CHAIRMAN M P Narayanan

PUBLISHER Sanjay Kumar

PUBLICATIONS TEAMManaging Editor Prof. Arup DasguptaEditor - Latin America (Honorary) Tania Maria SausenSr. Associate Editor (Honorary) Dr. Hrishikesh SamantExecutive Editor Bhanu RekhaProduct Manager Shivani LalAssistant Editors Deepali Roy, Aditi Bhan, Vaibhav Arora,

Anand Kashyap

DESIGN TEAMSr. Creative Designer Deepak Kumar Graphic Designer Manoj Kumar Singh

CIRCULATION TEAMCirculation Manager Vijay Kumar Singh

Ad

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Jerry Johnston

Geospatial Information Officer,

Dept. of Interior, United States

22INTERVIEWS

Swarna Subba Rao

Surveyor General of India

42

Measuring up to the promiseDeepali Roy

Surveying market

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You can’t stop objects from moving, but you can stay informed when they do. Trimble – keeping you and your structure safe. For more information, visit www.trimble.com/monitoring.

©2012, Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. Trimble and the Globe & Triangle logo are trademarks of Trimble Navigation Limitedregistered in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. INF-002 (6/12)

urveying is the oldest geospatial technology and it is surveying thathas undergone some of the most radical changes in terms of tech-nology. It has gained from digital imaging, computation, GNSS andlaser technologies, to name a few. Adoption of new technologies

has enabled more accurate as well as faster data acquisition and in termsof applications, the range has extended beyond land administration andsite survey to large scale mapping and structural photogrammetry.

While the traditional image of a surveyor is that of being very precision-driven, technology-savvy professional who has the last word in any legaldispute relating to land and water boundaries, a newbreed of surveyors is emerging. The same technolog-ical advances that have transformed surveying havealso put unique capabilities in the hands of a commonperson, enabling them to contribute to survey infor-mation.

Meanwhile, spatial systems, which include spatialdata infrastructure, are gaining stakeholders beyondthe traditional government regulation-orientedbureaucracy. The recently concluded Rio+20 hassquarely put the citizen on the centrestage. It hasbeen recognised that any growth story must addressthe needs of the economically challenged, else thegrowth will not be sustainable.

Much depends on the direction surveying will take.While precise information shall remain the guidingprinciple, some concession will have to be made toencompass the somewhat imprecise but timely infor-mation that is emanating from technology-enabledcitizens. It is heartening to see that NMOs (nationalmapping organisations) are actively considering the integration of suchdata into the mainstream survey data.

All this data must get integrated in the SDI and interactive access to citizens must be enabled. The technology exists but the data policies andaccess controls will need to move with the technological advances in dataacquisition. The challenges are tricky but I believe they can be overcome.After all, which other technology has been around since 3000 B.C. andhas thrived?

7Geospatial World I September 2012

Prof. Arup Dasgupta

Managing [email protected]

SSurveying: A radical shift

EditorSpeak


SOUTH AFRICA

GIS-based propertydata management The city of Cape Town unveiled Inte-grated Spatial Information System(ISIS), a property data managementsystem. The system automates bothspatial and financial businessprocesses, some of which were previously done manually. Throughthe integration of the transactionsystem with GIS, all the city's trans-actions related to properties are also geographically displayed,making spatial analysis of transac-tions possible.

SENEGAL

RS to resolve foodcrisisResearchers at Senegal's Centre forEcological Monitoring (CSE) and Pak-istan’s Inter-Islamic Network onSpace Sciences and Technology

(ISNET) will collaborate on spacetechnologies to boost food productionin Senegal. Aziz Toure, DG, CSE saidthat in addition to government poli-cies such as increasing food imports,space technology - particularlyremote sensing - could help solve thecountry's food problems. AhmadBilal, President, ISNET, said, "Suchtechnologies constitute a preciouscontribution in the field of accurateagriculture, crop control and meteo-rological forecasting".

CAMEROON

Advanced forestmonitoring soonA new regional initiative by the UnitedNations (UN) will help ten centralAfrican countries in the Congo basinto set up advanced national forestmonitoring systems. Food and Agri-culture Organisation (FAO) will pro-vide technical support to the coun-tries, enabling them to use remotesensing technology to estimate cur-rent forest cover and forest coverchanges as well as to estimate theamount of carbon stocks contained inthe forests in the region. The projectwill be managed jointly by the Central

Africa Forests Commission and FAOin collaboration with the BrazilianNational Institute for Space Research.

NAMIBIA

Geospatial datasets toenhance land adminThe Ministry of Lands and Resettle-ment launched a NAD (Namibian dollar) 19 million project to gatheraerial and orthophoto images of the country for a better land administration system. The projectwill help the country in resolvingissues related to mapping, planning,land registration, resettlement andagricultural development. The projectwill deliver coloured digital imageryincluding panchromatic and infra-red, with applications such as maprevision, land-use planning andarchaeology.

NEWS

8

Mapping tool analyses climate vulnerability Using detailed regional climate models and GIS, researchers of theClimate Change and African Political Stability (CCAPS) programmedeveloped an online mapping tool that analyses how climate and otherforces interact to threaten the security of African communities. Themap will help vulnerable populations in adapting to climate changeand political instability. The CCAPS climate security vulnerability model identifies four main sources of vulnerability, including climate-related hazard exposure, population density, household communityresilience and governance and political violence.

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VIETNAM

First indigenous EOsatellite launchedThe first indigenously developedsatellite in Vietnam, the F-1 Satellite,manufactured by the Space ResearchDivision of the FPT Technology Uni-versity, was successfully launchedinto orbit from Japan's TanegashimaSpace Center. F-1 satellite can takepictures of 640x480 resolution andtransmit them to earth at a speed of1,200b/s. The satellite will be used tomonitor maritime transport and for-est fire prevention efforts.

UAE

Geographic namesdivision established The Department of Municipal Affairs(DMA) in Abu Dhabi recentlyannounced the formation of a newdivision under the Land and PropertyManagement Department. Known asthe Addressing and GeographicNames Division, the initiative aims tohave a unified street addressing system and also to standardise streetnames and signages in the Emirateof Abu Dhabi.

Map to promotefitness culture

The Dubai Sports Council (DSC) haslaunched a map of sporting venues inthe emirate to promote fitness cul-

ture among residents. The SportsDestinations Map lists the venues ofboth indoor and outdoor sports facili-ties available across the emirate.“People looking for venues accordingto their sporting interests like golf,shooting, camel racing, etc, can nowfind these easily,” said, Nasser AmanAl Rahma, Director of cultures andsocial activities affairs, DSC. With thehelp of this map, DSC aims toimprove the percentage of peoplewho lead an active lifestyle.

INDIA

DRDO receivesminiature GNSS moduleThe Defence Research and Develop-ment Organisation (DRDO) received ahighly miniaturised device, G3oM,with all the available features fromGPS and GNSS. The G3oM moduleweighs 17 grams. The module can beused in winged aircrafts, helicopters,vehicles, small boats and can assistin several survey applications.According to a DRDO statement,G3oM integrates both GPS and IndianSBAS GAGAN and GLONASS sys-tems.

Airborne surveys tomap aquifers

The World Bank has funded 'AquiferIndia Mapping Project' (AQUIM),which aims to map both deep andshallow aquifers in five Indian states.Mrinal K. Sen, Director, NationalGeophysical Research Institute(NGRI) said that advanced technologywould be used to map subsurfacestructures to know various aspectssuch as the properties of the rock

layers. Beginning mid-October, thesurveys would be conducted througha helicopter fitted with electro-mag-netic equipment in six sites in TamilNadu, Rajasthan, Bihar, UttarPradesh and Maharashtra.

Polaris targets 60pcLBS market

California-based Location Based Ser-vices (LBS) solution provider Polaris


Satellite datapredicts drought A satellite survey by the NationalRemote Sensing Centre (NRSC)predicted drought-like situationin many Indian states. NationalAgricultural Drought Assessmentand Monitoring System(NADAMS) provided near real-time information of drought situ-

ation of 13 Indian states. Thereport by NRSC stated, "Satellitedata and ground data reveals thatcrop sowing activity has not com-menced in many parts of thecountry as a result of widespreadmeteorological drought over largeproportion of agricultural area.

9

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OReduced greeness over agricultural areas isan indicator of lower vigour in 2012

Wireless aims to capture 60 percentof India's location-based solutionsmarket. The company claims to havecompleted field trials with a tier-1Indian wireless operator's 3G net-work to prove compliance withDepartment of Telecommunications."I believe the total revenue opportu-nity for the LBS solutions would beUSD 500 million. But that is just theestimate. We hope to capture the 60percent of whatever is the number,"said Srinivas Varadarajan, VP, Salesand Business Development, Asia,Polaris Wireless.

CHINA

Policies to supportgeoinfo industryChina is expected to introduce poli-cies that will give preferential treat-ment to the geoinformation industry,which is expected to produce CNY 1trillion (USD 157 billion) worth ofgoods and services by 2020, said anindustry source. The polices areaimed at making geoinformationindustry - which offers a range ofproducts and services related to sur-veying, mapping and navigation - oneof China's strategic industries, Wang

Chunfeng, deputy director-general ofthe National Administration of Sur-veying, Mapping and Geoinformationsaid.

RS satellite Ziyuan IIIoperational

China's first high-resolution, remote-sensing satellite for civilian use,Ziyuan III, is now operational. Thesatellite has been delivered to its pri-mary subscriber, the NationalAdministration of Surveying, Mappingand Geoinformation. Unlike theZiyuan I and II satellites, which pro-duce only two-dimensional images,

the new satellite can produce three-dimensional imagery. "The images'resolution is 2.1 metres, better thanthe previous resolution of 3 metres,"said Cao Hailing, Ziyuan III's designerwith China Aerospace Science andTechnology Corp.

SRI LANKA

Hazard maps fordisaster managementThe Sri Lankan Disaster Manage-ment Centre (DMC) will release hazard maps of the entire island by December, said Srimal Samansiri,Assistant Director (R&D), DMC.UNDP is funding hazard mappingactivities for coastal hazards, land-slides, cyclones, droughts and floods.About 80 percent of cyclone hazardmapping has been completed.

AZERBAIJAN

Committee onstandardisation formedThe State Committee on Standardisa-tion, Metrology and Patents in Azer-baijan formed a technical committeeon the standardisation of the evalua-tion of land and geographic informa-tion and geomatics. Functions of thecommittee includes evaluation ofland cadastre, cartography, prepara-tion of plans for standardisation inthe field of national data infrastruc-ture space and amendments andchanges in the existing standards.


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Image courtesy: CASTC

RUSSIA

First geological map of CIS unveiled The Russian Geological Research Institute (VSEGEI) unveiled the first geologi-cal map of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the neighbour-ing countries. The CIS geological data will be invaluable to mining and oil andgas companies, environmental agencies, researchers and governments. Thedata represents the results of a national programme of geological mapping ofthe former Soviet Union between 1964 and 1990. CIS map data has been gen-erated from over one hundred 1:1,000,000 scale geological maps.

GERMANY

USD 2 bn support forEO missionsGerman Government has indicatedthat it will be able to contribute justas much to Europe's space pro-gramme as it did in 2008, and per-haps a bit more. Germany's de factospace minister has told the EuropeanSpace Agency (ESA) that Germany isfully behind a planned USD 2 billion,4-year investment in earth observa-tion missions. Johann DietrichWoerner, head of the German Aerospace Center, DLR, said thatGermany intends no reduction in itsESA engagement this year.

UK

First BIM academylaunchedCrossrail and Bentley Systemslaunched an information academy toprovide hands-on training to theCrossrail supply chain on the latest

technology and software being usedto design and build the new railwayincluding Building Information Mod-elling (BIM). Greg Bentley, ChiefExecutive, Bentley Systems, said,"The UK's particularly advantageousinnovation strategy is collaborativeBIM. Beyond technology, what's mostexciting for us about the academy'spotential contribution is what we canall learn from 'working smartertogether' with the Crossrail construc-tion supply chain - collaborating toyield BIM benefits during construc-tion, while also improving lifecycleinformation quality."

FINLAND

Alliance for indoorpositioning services Twenty-two companies have formedan ‘In-Location Alliance’ to drive inno-vation and market adoption of highaccuracy indoor positioning and relat-ed services. An Alliance spokesper-son said, "The aim of the in-locationalliance is to open up new businessstreams for indoor environments.Indoor positioning is the next frontierof mobile services, offering greatopportunities to enhance consumer

experiences. For the benefit of enterprises, the Alliance will drive aworld-wide indoor positioning systemfor use in major venues.”

BELGIUM

GPS data available viaInternetGPS data can now be obtained via theinternet in addition to the existingsatellite signal. European Commis-sion (EC) Vice President AntonioTajani launched the European DataAccess Service (EDAS) - a new commercial service of the EuropeanGeostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) – designed to makesatellite navigation in Europe morereliable. Users can now accessEGNOS information even if theEGNOS satellite signal is unavailabledue to signal obstruction.

Ordnance Survey International soonOrdnance Survey (OS) will soon launch a new international service,Ordnance Survey International, to help countries around the worldtap the potential of accurate geographic information (GI).

It will harness the vast range of skills and expertise within OS to pri-marily support other national mapping agencies and countries. Thenew organisation will be headed by Steven Ramage, former ExecutiveDirector at the OGC.


OS Mastermap imagery layer

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14 Geospatial World I September 2012

World's first continent-scale mineral mapsThe world's first continent-wide suite of mineral maps has been developedby CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)scientists. The mineral maps show information about rock and soilmineral components and provide a Google-like zoom, to view images fromthousands of kilometres wide to just a few kilometres. The maps weregenerated from a ten-year archive of raw Advanced Spaceborne ThermalEmission and Reflection (ASTER) data collected by the US NationalAeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japanesegovernment's Space Systems.

AUSTRALIA

Gaming tech integratedwith g-techErgon Energy, a Queensland utilitycompany, is experimenting with opensource gaming engines and physics

models in an effort to capitalise on amassive geospatial data set from itsongoing laser-mapping project.Ergon hopes to create a comprehen-sive map that would function like theclassic game SimCity, in which play-ers built cityscapes and microman-

age a range of factors to change out-comes. Matthew Coleman, researchdirector, ROAMES said through this,"Utilities will be able to play out sce-narios – for example, 'what if Ideferred maintenance of all poles forthe next five years' – and the systemshould be able to show us the effectof those changes."

FIJ I

GIS for sugarcane farms

The Sugar Research Institute willsoon introduce GIS at all sugar canefarms for easy access of information.Sugar research technical officer Jas-neel Singh said the new project hasbeen funded by the governments ofFiji and Belgium. The Institute aimsto systematise information like vari-ety of the cane, the ratoon age andthe area of the plots with the help ofGIS technology.

NEW ZEALAND

'Ease immigration ofGIS experts'Citing shortage of GIS experts, thegeospatial industry association of the

country wants the government to getskills in GIS recognised by immigra-tion authorities and include them inthe long-term skill shortage list.Experienced geospatial specialistswill then find it easier to enter NewZealand and gain residency. ScottCampbell, the capability specialist onthe SIBA executive said, "A lot of jobshave been cut in traditionally strongGIS areas. So one of the reasonsbehind us trying to lower the barriersto immigration is that there's a poolof skilled resources in the UK specifi-cally, whom we could be recruiting."

Mapping project forNorthland

A mapping project to distinguishbetween coastal and non-coastalland has been rolled out for theNorthland region. Northland Region-al Council is working in partnershipwith the three district councils and iscontacting nearly 4400 affected FarNorth landowners to help refine thedraft maps. Regional councillor IanWalker said, "Regionally consistentmaps of these areas will create morecertainty in the long-run - forlandowners, communities, develop-ers and council decision-makers -and prevent potentially costly battlesat the consents stage."

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BUSINESS

MDA to increaseRADARSAT provision MacDonald, Dettwiler and AssociatesLimited (MDA) signed a contract forCAD (Canadian dollar) 11.9 million toincrease its provision of RADARSAT-2satellite imagery to Europe's GlobalMonitoring for Environment and

Security (GMES) programme. Theadditional RADARSAT-2 imageryaddresses the gap in data availabilitycreated by the recent loss of theEuropean Space Agency's (ESA)ENVISAT satellite and fulfils ESA'smaritime monitoring needs until thefull operational capacity of the Sen-

tinel-1A satellite is available, which isexpected around mid-2014.

BAE to providetechnical services toNGABAE Systems bagged an indefinitedelivery indefinite quantity contract toprovide Enterprise Support to Man-agement and Resources for TechnicalServices (ESMARTS) to the NationalGeospatial-Intelligence Agency(NGA).The ESMARTS programme isdesigned to provide access to a large quantity of qualified clearedpersonnel with skills in managementand technical services support, whichwill allow NGA to more efficiently ful-fill its mission of providing timely,relevant and accurate geospatialintelligence in support of nationalsecurity.

DigitalGlobe reports23 pc revenue increase

DigitalGlobe reported a 23 percentincrease in revenue during the second quarter ended on June 30.The satellite imagery company said ithad USD 101.8 million in revenue inthe second quarter, compared withUSD 82.5 million during the second

quarter of 2011. Second quarterEBITDA was USD 47.9 million, delivering an EBITDA margin of 47pc. This margin expansion occurreddespite incurring USD 2 million ofnon-recurring costs in connectionwith the recently announced combination with GeoEye.

MISCELLANEOUS

OGC forms energy andutilities groupThe Open Geospatial Consortium(OGC) formed OGC Energy and Utilities Domain Working Group (E&U DWG) to address geospatialinteroperability challenges in theinternational energy and utilitydomains. "Digital technology plays an increasing role in the manage-ment of all utility networks.

The group's efforts will focus not only on data sharing in traditional grid operations, but also standards to communicate inreal time the status of vast numbersof highly variable supply assets thatnow fall within the increasingly complex generation umbrella,"explained Renee Bogle Hughes, chair of the E&U DWG.

'Spoofed GPS signals can be countered’Researchers from Cornell University are testing a system that can pre-vent GPS spoofing. Cornell researcher Mark Psiaki and senior engineerSteve Powell tested a receiver modification that can differentiatespoofed GPS signals from real ones. Psiaki said their latest counter-measure correctly detected spoofing in three cases. "This is strong con-firmation that our system can successfully detect spoofing in anautonomous mode using short segments of GPS receiver data. It is thefirst known detection of this type of attack from a live, on-air spoofer,"he added.


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'Drones can conductmapping quicker'Researchers at Vanderbilt University,Tennesse, have developed an SUAVe(semi-autonomous unmanned aerialvehicle) that can reduce the time tomap archaeological sites. "The

SUAVe system will provide muchhigher resolution imagery than eventhe best satellite imagery can provideand it will produce a detailed 3Dmodel," said Steven Wernke, Vander-bilt archaeologist. "When it com-pletes capturing the images, it landsand the images are downloaded andtransformed into a map," he said.

BRAZIL

National agency forcartography soonUS Congressman Arnaldo Jardim )proposed creation of a National Car-tographic Code (NCC) and NationalAgency of Cartography (Ancar) forBrazil. According to Luiz AntônioSanches Ugeda, president of theInstitute Geodireito, the proposals

were based on the assumption thatmapping in Brazil is increasinglybecoming complex. Nowadays, deci-sion-making in any public or privatecompany depends upon reliableinformation. It is estimated that atleast 85 percent of the world haslocation data attributes. Thus, mapssupport decision-making in mostnations, said Luiz.

PARAGUAY

National geoportalsoonThe Itaipu Technological Park (PTI),in collaboration with the Ministry ofPlanning (STP), Paraguay, is develop-ing the National Geoportal Paraguay(GPN-PY). The geoportal will provideinformation regarding politicalboundaries, educational institutions,hospitals etc, throughout the country.The portal will contain digital mapdata and associated data of Paraguay.

JAMAICA

NSDI to enhancedevelopmentThe Government of Jamaica is work-ing to build a national spatial datainfrastructure (NSDI). "This is neces-sary to facilitate sectoral growth, andfor us to keep up with technologicaladvancements and of course, provide

for the geospatial data needs of thegovernment and our people," saidRobert Pickersgill, Minister of Water,Land, Environment and ClimateChange.

MEXICO

Disaster risk atlasdevelopedResearchers at the Institute ofGeology (IGL) of the UNAM, Mexi-co, developed "Risk Atlas Town-ship Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca,"for disaster management. The

atlas contains GIS data and willbe a useful tool for Oaxaca civilagencies. "The atlas will not onlyhelp in planning prevention andevacuation designs, but it willalso help in locating the vulnera-ble population," said Elena Cen-teno, director of IGL. The atlascontains information about boththe natural environment and theelements that impact economicand demographic conditions.


COUNTRY FOCUS

As Vietnam takes centrestagein South East Asia, it embod-ies the spirit of a strong and

growing nation. This small countrymay be an enigma to most of theworld, but it is a growing economyand a country that is rapidly rein-venting itself. Rapid urban expansionis taking place around Hanoi as theadministrative capital in the northand Ho Chi Min City (HCMC) as theeconomic hub in the south. Otherurban centres are also growingunder a relatively well coordinatedeffort for distributed urbanisationacross the country. Complementing

this urban growth story is the flurryof economic activities in agricultureand aquaculture, with fertile ricegrowing lands and rich harvest fromthe seas. A long and beautiful coast-line forms a haven for tourism aswell as serves as a platform forextensive port development to sup-port the growing industrial produc-tion of a nation on the move. Forestsand rich ecosystems add depth tothe rich palette of land managementwithin this increasingly complexcountry. All these multi-faceteddimensions of existence and growth,combined with environmental aware-

ness and concerns for climatechange, are representative of thediverse portfolio that awaits theextensive and intrinsic use ofgeospatial technologies.

Exploring GIS in Vietnam

Back in 2006, it appeared that therewas nothing much to work with. Fur-ther probing and questioningrevealed that Vietnam has a fantasticdata resource base - the availabilityof which is obscured by languagelimitations for an outsider and thetendency of the GIS community tohold data very close to itself as data

A rising economy in South East Asia, Vietnam is blessed with abundant natural resources and isinvessting significantly towards nation building, offering immense opportunities for the geospatialindusttry. Here's an insight into the geospatial ecosystem of the country

Vietnam: Re-inventing itself

represents business opportunity. Thetopographic data, satellite imagery,updated information on administra-tive boundaries (that continue tochange shape like amoebae), demo-graphic and statistical information,agricultural productivity, forest coverand even climate change scenariomapping available in the country canput other countries in the region toshame.

Human resource capacity

Vietnam has a cluster of very capa-ble, experienced and eminent indi-viduals and organisations that havecontributed to the growth of the useof GIS in Vietnam. Industry stalwartslike TECOS, VidaGIS, and GeoViet,among others, have contributedmuch to the growth of the practice ofGIS in Vietnam, with the active pres-ence of Esri, promoting knowledgeand capacity through its user forumsand seminar series.

More extensive development ofGIS in Vietnam is supported by theacademia. Frontrunners in thisendeavour are academic institutionslike the University of Mining andGeology and the University of Sci-ence - Vietnam National University,Water Resources University, UrbanArchitecture Institute within theHanoi Civil Engineering Universitythat are integrating GIS into theircurricula.

Government organisations

As the governmental arm that pro-

vides the base data, the Ministry ofNatural Resources and Environment(MoNRE) has the directive control onfacilitating the use of this technology.It is also a key user of this technolo-gy while supporting the national ini-tiatives and modelling efforts on cli-mate change.

The Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development (MARD) is anoth-er key user of GIS with its potentialto address agricultural productivityand food security and water resourcemanagement. Natural disaster riskmanagement in the face of climatechange impacts is another key use ofGIS under MARD. Use of GIS forrural development and resettlementis undertaken through NIAPP(National Institute of AgriculturePlanning and Design) and forforestry management through FIPI

(Forest Inventory and Planning Insti-tute).

With growing urbanisation, theMinistry of Construction is emergingas a significant potential user ofgeospatial technologies. Under theguidance of the Ministry, VIAP (Viet-nam Institute of Architecture andPlanning) and UDA (Urban Develop-ment Agency) are working towardsdeveloping more responsive urbandevelopment strategies.

GIS and NGOs

An increasing awareness of GIS andthe benefits of data visualisationhave brought GIS into the domain oflocal and international NGOs. Theseorganisations are applying GIS forbetter field based information cap-ture, participatory mapping, informa-tion analysis, visualisation of areas ofoperation and impact, better moni-toring and evaluation and in manyinstances, for better coordinationamongst the NGOs themselves.

Sourcing GIS Data

A key source of data in Vietnam isMoNRE for its topographic maps. Arange of very good cartographic

Vietnam has a clusterof very capable, experiencedand eminent individuals and

organisations who haavecontributed to the growth ofthe use of GIS in the country

A GIS trainee hard at work

products such as thematic atlases,provincial maps and special mapssuch as those for the GreaterMekong Subregion (GMS) are alsoavailable. However it would be usefulfor the new entrant into the field ofGIS in Vietnam to understand thatavailability is a rather subjectiveterm here. While maps can be offi-cially procured from MoNRE, a flour-ishing grey market operates thatspecialises in making such mapsavailable more expediently, oftenwith value addition such as regionalor local updates. For a suitable"data creation cost", a variety ofmaps, even restricted area maps ofsome of the border areas, northernprovinces and maps at higher levelsof detail, can almost magicallyappear. And while this may not beofficial, it isn't necessarily a badthing as most of the GIS profession-als clamour for more openness indata availability and more readilyavailable data.

While the topographic maps formthe general basis for GIS mappingactivities, satellite imagery is alsoincreasingly available for profession-als. The SPOT satellite data is mostreadily available in Vietnam througha dedicated ground receiving station.Private sector suppliers like Singa-pore-based DES provide access to avariety of imagery products, not onlyfor Vietnam but for the region. Morecost effective and a wide array of

imagery is also available from theprogressive Indian Remote Sensing(IRS) range of products.

Potential verticals

Vietnam, as a nation, holds tremen-dous potential for the geospatialindustry. Some of the key areas areoutlined below. Beyond this, we arebound only by our imagination,resource constraints and deeperunderstanding of application ofgeospatial technologies.

Environment managementClimate change is one of the biggestissues facing Vietnam. MoNRE,through the Institute of Meteorology,Hydrology and Environment (IMHEM),has been at the forefront of workingon multiple scenarios addressingsea level rise and coastal stormsurge. Along the same lines, pio-neering work in the REDD+ pro-gramme appears to be an interestinguse of the geospatial technology. Giv-en the large number of coastal cities,the role of GIS in planning and man-aging the impacts of climate change

is becoming increasingly essential

AgricultureFor an economy that is still largelyagricultural, Vietnam is investingheavily in enhancing agriculturalproductivity and food security. Thequality and quantity of the main croprice has significant implications onthe regional export pricing and onthe well-being of its own population.The ability to pre-anticipate the mar-ket value of the produce drives eco-nomic decisions and influencesstrategies for food procurement andmanagement. In this aspect, as wellas in other agricultural output, therole of GIS applications is quite vast.Improved models for crop yield pre-diction, studies of climate changeimpacts, better data, and better dataanalysis are areas with tremendousopportunities in the times ahead.

Urban planningGrowing urban centres are drivingdemand for transportation infra-structure, electricity and energymanagement, industrial growth and


While the topographicmaps form the general basisfor GIS mapping activities,

satellite imagery is aalsoincreasingly available for

professionals

KEY SECTORS USING GIS IN VIETNAM

• Utility asset management: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusam-menarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation) is supportingprovincial city waste water management companies to use GIS for creating anasset management system within an asset documentation unit.

• Biodiversity mapping: International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)is working in the North Vietnam for mapping land use and cover to under-stand the viability of UNESCO world heritage site at Babe, Nahang in Backanand Tuyen quang.

• Disaster risk management: Red Cross is using GIS for mapping and evaluating mangrove planted for countering storm surges.

• Climate changge: UN-REDD along with Stichting Nederlandse Vrijwilligers(Netherlands Development Organization), WWF and International Centre forResearch in Agroforestry (ICRAF) are using geospatial products created byFIPI in better understanding scope of REDD in Vietnam

• Public health: Family Health International (FHI360's) pioneering working withmapping nutrition status in Vietnam is gathering world's attention.

overall economic expansion. GISholds the potential to support,enhance and stimulate decisionmaking activities in these inter-relat-ed and massive sectoral domains.The interest and use of GIS in urbanplanning is growing incrementallyamong organisations such as theVietnam Institute of Architecture,Urban and Rural Planning (VIAP) andthe Urban Development Agency(UDA), under the Ministry of Con-struction. Beyond the national levelwhere macro-level analytical GISholds much potential, the technologyis poised to make inroads into theprovincial and urban centres underthe respective government depart-ments.

Constraints

Success stories and examples ofapplication of GIS in various sectorsare encouraging; however the veryfertile field of opportunities for GIS isconstrained in part due to theabsence of a wider range of playerswho can bring in their experienceand lessons learned from failures.

A significant focus of the geospatialindustry remains the business ofdata creation and sale of value-added data products.

Adding to the constraints are thelimited experience and technicalexpertise on the part of the clientsrequiring such services. For themost part, there may be limited orincomplete understanding of thebenefits of the technology, as well asthe lack of relevant experience in theuse of GIS to adequately frame proj-ects, programmes and procure-ments. The problem of successfuldelivery is further dependent on thepresence of technically competentand mature GIS professionals whocan manage the expectations of theclient and the output of the technicalconsultants to achieve incrementallygood standards of delivery.

There is perhaps an opportunityfor growth and participation of morenational and international players,shifting away from the productionbusiness of data to the intellectualspace that brings domain expertiseto marketplace in Vietnam.

Conclusion

With a diverse landscape, variedecosystems, rich reserves of mineraland natural resources and valuablepotential in the coal, petroleum, andhydropower sectors, Vietnam holdstremendous opportunities for theuse of geospatial technologies. Thistechnological expertise is also poisedfor growth with major universitiesintroducing curricula in moderngeospatial techniques. While there isgreat potential and more adventure-loving geospatial enthusiasts arewelcome, they should not ignore theexpertise already present; ratheracquaint themselves with that andwork collaboratively to expand theopportunity to create higher valuegeospatial solutions in this fascinat-ing country.

Kapil Chaudhery

Director, Spatial Decisions,

[email protected]

Manoj PantResident Representative, Spatial Decisions,Vietnam [email protected]

Cadastral mapping and surveys are a key GIS activity transforming landownership records

Infrastructure management is a rapidly growing area for the use of GIS

Can you give us a national perspective with regardsto the geospatial information strategy of the USSgovernment? Which institutions are involved infulfilling that strategy?

We have a strong history of coordination among vari-ous departments of the US government that use andcreate geospatial information. The Federal GeographicData Committee (FGDC), which promotes the coordi-nated development, use, sharing and dissemination ofgeospatial data, comprises of a number of agenciesthat work together through a formal governancestructure to advance the state of the National SpatialData Infrastructure (NSDI) in the country. Over thetwenty years of its existence, the organisation hasaccomplished a lot in terms of having metadata stan-dards and providing a lot of our data to the public.Apart from being a big player in open standards com-munity, we have been working with our private sectorand NGO partners to advance the state of standardsand interoperability in the geospatial domain. Over thelast couple of years, we have made a big shift in ourstrategy, towards applying more focus on formulating,building and managing an operational IT programme.

What are the objectives of the GeospatialPlatform and its modus operandi to achieve thoseobjectivves?

The initiative, known as the Geospatial Platform in theUnited States, was called for a couple of years ago bythe White House. We have been working hard acrossagencies since that time to better define the structureof this platform. It should be noted that the platform isnot intended to be just a website and that www.geo-platform.gov is just one part of the overall initiative.Some of the Platform's major objectives are:

• The Platform is about facilitating the use of geospatialinformation. While we have a long history of making our

INTERVIEW


Geospatial Platform will facilitate

use of geoinformation

“

”

JERRY JOHNSTONGeospatial Information Officer

Department of Interior, United States

data available through catalogues, ithas been more for discovery of dataand not necessarily giving people datathat is instantly usable.

• The second objective is to drivegreater IT efficiency across the govern-ment through the use of shared host-ing, shared computer infrastructureand shared application development.

• The third objective is to facilitategreater collaboration around geospa-tial information. We look at the Plat-form as a way to build communitieswhere people share their informationin focused domains.

Geospatial Platform is morefocused on the operational levelof service delivery rather than pol-iccy. Do you perceive this as a stepof maturity by the government?

While I do not want to downplay theimportance of having policies andstandards in place, it is a step for-ward towards building the opera-tional IT infrastructure necessary torealise the ideas that are in thosepolicies. The NSDI concepts in theUS have focused around the ideathat when you put standards out inthe community and put policies inplace regarding the use of thosestandards, the result will be com-pleteness in terms of all the datathat people need.

What are the services andapplications enabled through thePlatform? What applications areon your priority at the moment?

US government has always promot-ed the use of geospatial informationthrough initiatives like Geospatial

One-Stop and data.gov. The intenthas been to make metadata avail-able for everything. The result ofthat is millions of metadata recordsfrom which the user needs to findwhat they require. In the GeospatialPlatform initiative, this parallels ourwork withimplementingsupplementalguidance to anexisting Office ofManagementand Budget(OMB) directivein the UnitedStates, which isthe White Houseorganisation that gives the agenciestheir resources. OMB had promul-gated guidance to an existing policydirective regarding creation of theNSDI. As part of that, they taskedthe US government agencies withdefining the core themes and thenationally significant data assetsthat fall under each of thosethemes. So, instead of looking atthis universe of datasets, we wantthe Geospatial Platform to focus onthe few hundred 'critical' datasets.As per the focus of the platform, weare filling out the datasets in thenew themes. Leveraging their work,I foresee a number of applicationsthat will be focussed on doing betterbusiness and making better publicpolicy within those themes. We havemany different Web maps across USgovernment Web domains and each

uses its own designing, style andtechnology. Constraining the num-ber of different Web map designsand viewer applications that areused for public communicationacross government websites is ahuge opportunity, not just in terms

of cost savingsbut in terms of communicatingbetter with thepublic.

You talkedabout theobjective ofgreater collab-oration. Do

you have any kind of a policyframeworrk to make it mandatoryfor the agencies to collaborate oris it voluntary?

While there are established require-ments in place for agencies to col-laborate in some business lines ofthe government, in most cases it isbased on the drivers of workingtogether. Citizens do not care aboutwhich part of the government isresponsible for which function, allthey want is to get information froma single place. An excellent exampleof the impetus for Geospatial Plat-form initiative is the inter-agencyresponse during the oil spill in theGulf of Mexico. Various agencies likethe Environmental ProtectionAgency, National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration andCoast Guard started publishing data

An excellent example of theimpetus for Geospatial

Platform initiative is the oilspill in the Gullf of Mexico whenneed was felt at the practitioner

level for a single place wherethe citizens couldd be directed

in such a situation

on their own websites. Many of us atthe practitioner level and ultimatelythe White House felt the need forhaving a single place where the citi-zens should be directed in such asituation. While collaboration is notnecessarily a written policy directive,it is a general consensus in govern-ment to work together more effec-tively to break down organisationalboundaries.

Is quality control a major chal-lenge when creating somethinglike the Geospatial Platform? Howdo you deal with quality issues?

I talked about the increasing focuson nationally significant datasets,which is a lot different from the pastwhere metadata was the toolthrough which the user of geospa-tial data became aware of qualityissues. The focus of the GeospatialPlatform will be on the nationallysignificant datasets. Once somedata is defined as nationally signifi-cant, the onus will be on its produc-er to document the data quality andthe data lifecycle in their entirety.So, although the data could be fromdifferent sources, but the federal

government will play an active rolein certifying that data.

Do you foresee a challenge as faras funding is concerned to carryout several initiatives?

Clearly, the budgets in the US gov-ernment are declining. However, wehave been lucky to have an interagency funding mechanism forshared geospatial work in the USgovernment forseveral years.The OMB hasdirected theagencies to con-tribute someresources to ashared centralpool and we areleveraging thatfunding stream to build the Plat-form. There are other ways toarrange funding such as public pri-vate partnership. Our commercialpartners can engage using a modelwhere they provide data to users atno cost, with no license and norestrictions, which also gives theman opportunity to sell value addedproducts.

Do you believe that the Geospa-tial Platform would be able tohelp the government undertakeits funnctions and use geospatialtechnology in the most cost effec-tive and optimum way?While we have done a lot of geospa-tial work across the US governmentfor the last twenty years, most of itis not very well understood by ourpolitical and executive leadership.The Platform presents an opportu-nity to correct that situation. We areworking to create a dashboard ontop of the Platform, which repre-sents a way for our senior mostleadership to not only see Web

maps but also ask for new Webmaps. As government, we havefocused more on tools for practi-tioners and professionals. Thedefence and intelligence communityhas done some great work at bridg-ing the gap between practitionersand executive leadership.

We have written a documentcalled the Geospatial Platform ValueProposition, which talks about how

the Platform canbe used to drivebetter public policy.To make this initia-tive successful willrequire developingexamples that oth-er people can referto.

Are you working towards facilitat-ing 'geospatial apps' through thisPlatform for use on smartphoneesand tablets so that theutility/application and acceptabil-ity of geospatial data is increasedmaanifold?

I recognise that my personal use ofdesktop computing has gone signifi-cantly down and more than half of


NOAA CCAP Wetland cover change 1996-2006, shown on geoplatform.gov

We have written a documentcalled the Geospatial

Platform Value Proposition,which talks about how the

Platform can be used todrive better public policy

my work on the Web is throughmobile devices. Thus, it becomescrucial for us to make sure that themaps and application templates thatwe are making available are mobileenabled and are viewable on bothstandard Web clients and mobileclients.

Do you think there is a role forpublic-private partnership, notjust for data input but also tocommmercialise the value proposi-tion of the Geospatial Platform?

Absolutely. Some of the best examples of success in the federalIT domain have happened when thegovernment has made an invest-ment in something and the privatesector has leveraged that by build-ing markets on top of that. GPS isthe biggest example where the pri-vate sector investment led to a hugechange. The availability of more datawill lead to innovative applicationsbeing developed on top of that by the private sector, which is a primary goal of what we are tryingto accomplish.

Is there any initiative that you

have already taken to engage theindustry and show the way tomake use of this platform forcommercialisation?

While there is nothing specific tothat in the platform yet, there hasbeen some work done in data.govwith regards to contests. A majorarea of the focus of US governmentlast year was to spur innovation byoffering some kind of prize, be itrecognition or in the form of fundingfor novel uses of government data.We have learnt a lot through thoseinitiatives and would like to extendthat to the Platform.

Creating something like theGeospatial Platform, whichinvolves several stakeholders,would have beeen very challeng-ing. What kind of challenges didyou face?

We have been lucky from a policyperspective in the US. For a longtime, we have had the policy that ifthe US government creates geospa-tial data then it shall make it avail-able. What we intend to improve withthe platform is the access path. Theinitiative has had to face several

challenges such as: • To create a shared infrastructure thatthe agencies can use to put their data.

• To improve the distribution channels,with the goal of creating access to any-thing that we determine as nationallysignificant and which needs to beavailable as highly performing, inter-operable web services.

• Another challenge is of perception.When you talk about having sharedinfrastructure in any government, thegeneral perception is that it is a man-date. However, in this case, it is anoption that will help serve citizens anddrive down costs by making availableshared infrastructure.

Do you think that data initiativesby the private sector like GoogleEarth, which make it available tothe people almost free of cost,is creating a spatial culture?

What Google and others have donein the consumer IT space has creat-ed a new culture where peopleinteract with geographic informationevery day. Nowadays, people do notask for directions, but use theirphones for navigation. Governmenthas a long way to go in terms of cre-ating a similar user experience.Building API is leveraging some ofthe work that has been going on inthe commercial space and helps usbetter serve citizens and meet theexpectations of this kind of place-based culture. Over time, we haveseen a real shift from the FederalGovernment in the US being thepredominant producer of geospatialinformation towards the local gov-ernments being the primary produc-ers. The role of the private sector isgrowing markedly and it is lookingat the federal government as one ofmany partners in this area. Our roleneeds to change as time goes on toembrace this shift and understandhow we can work together.


US Soil survey as seen on geoplatform.gov

ADVERTORIAL

Geospatial World I September 2012 27

oday, even the mostdeveloped countries -with a sophisticatedunderstanding of

geospatial content and nationalprograms to support cartography -are finding gaps in national map-ping programs.

These needs can be even greaterwithin the developing world,where rapid growth, modernizinginfrastructure, and a growing pop-ulation create more demands foraccurate base mapping.

Elevation data, in the form of bothdigital surface models (DSMs) anddigital terrain models (DTMs), is afoundational layer that supportsnational mapping initiatives and

can be used in a variety of ways.

>> DSMs are an accurate repre-sentation of the earth thatretains buildings, trees and veg-etation, and other cultural fea-tures.

>> DTMs are bare-earth modelsthat exclude all building and vegetation features.

Each are valuable forms of contentwhen mapping large areas. Theybecome vital components whenused to extract planimetric data,used for effective routing of railand road transportation corridors,assessing and managing geologicresources, planning for homelandsecurity initiatives, and more.

In the United States, a multi-juris-diction partnership of federal,state, and local governmentscalled NDEP (National Digital Elevation Program) was recentlyestablished to address the overwhelming need to updatetheir national elevation model.

Similarly, other countries includ-ing Germany, the United Kingdom,and Singapore are creating andpublishing national-level topo-graphic products. And multi-national organizations such as the United Nations have groupsdedicated to wide-area mappingprograms that are developingnational contour layers, digitalshore lines, and other national-level geospatial products.

ENABLING NATIONAL

Mapping With DigitalGlobe's

Advanced Elevation Series

ENABLING NATIONAL

Mapping With DigitalGlobe's

Advanced Elevation Series

T


Elevation information becomesextremely important when con-sidering impacts to property, pop-ulation safety, and economies. Forexample, damage from hurricaneKatrina in the U.S. cost in excessof $80 billion and resulted in theloss of over 1,800 lives. Thailand,the number two exporter of harddrives and a major manufacturerof automobile parts, saw floodingdisrupt the global supply for com-

puter manufactures and automakers. And in 2010, the Missis-sippi River crested its banks,resulting in $1 billion in clean-upcosts in Nashville, Tennesseealone. When conducting planningfor emergency management andmitigation, the value of on-handelevation data is clear.

Elevation models and nationalmapping initiatives are key to

directly supporting theseefforts and yield benefits inthe form of safe populationsand prosperousnations. Thesefactorsdrove thedevelopmentand release ofDigitalGlobe'sAdvanced Eleva-tion Series (AES) in2011. AES providesusers access to DSMsand DTMs at multiple res-olutions and accuracies toaddress requirements atproject or national levels.

Mapping level products are cap-tured and processed for largeareas and urban zones, while highpriority or high risk zones can betargeted with Precision or VeryHigh Precision level products inorder to affordably gain insight.Data is delivered in industry-stan-dard formats for easy integrationwith off-the-shelf commercialsoftware packages and includerich metadata to describe collec-tion and processing details.

The results of a study performedto support the NDEP programshow that investments in national mappping and elevationinitiatives return up to 5:1 incost savings when using conservative benefit estiimates.In the U.S., this equated topotential benefits exceeding $1 billion annually with significcant value in flood riskmanagement, infrastructure,geologic resource management,and hazard mitigattion.

Figure 1: Digital Surface Model (DSM) Figure 2: Digital Terrain Model (DTM)

Figure 3: TarapacáRegion, Chile


Planning, collecting, and process-ing of the source data required fornational mapping and largeregions is not a trivial undertak-ing. National mapping initiativesrequire broad-area coverage inmost circumstances. Capturingthis data with aircraft can presentchallenges in temporal consisten-cy and requires mobilizing a large

and expensive fleet eitherthrough contracting or

purchase.

There are ongoing expenses asso-ciated with keeping flight crewsready and available, even whenweather conditions ground theplanes. Aircraft must undergoroutine maintenance duringthese large missions, and flightplans and permitting can be cum-bersome and time-consuming. Processing these raw materials

into meaningful data and deliver-ing it in a timely manner presenteven greater challenges. Manyorganizations are unable to makethe significantinvestments inhardware,software, andstaffingexpertise thatis required toprocess stereoimagery intoelevation data.While thereare vast num-bers of GISusers in theranks ofdomainexperts - hydrologists, geologists,transportation engineers, andother scientists and analysts -that are eager to integrate a con-

sistent source of elevation andnational mapping data into theirdaily workflow, they don't havethe time or knowledge to profi-

ciently process the data. Deliver-ing AES in a GIS ready formataccelerates how quickly expertscan utilize the data.

Figure 4: Oberstdorf, Germany - WorldView-2 ortho image draped over 2 m DTM

Figure 5: Thai flooding

Today's satellite imagery isuniquely suitable to meet thesechallenges. DigitalGlobe's constel-lation collects over 2.4 millionsquare kilometers on a daily basis.The global reach of the constella-tion has enabled DigitalGlobe todeliver Advanced Elevation Seriesproducts on every continent,including Antarctica. Because

WorldView-1 and WorldView-2satellites are able to slew 200 kmin 10 seconds, they are a preferredplatform for capturing stereo data- the raw materials needed fordevelopment of AES elevationproducts. And with expertise inplanning and collecting imagery,DigitalGlobe has a team of pro-cessing experts to quickly deliver

large expanses of elevation andorthorectified imagery.

It is expected that large area ele-vation data will be an engine ofinnovation. Use of high-qualitymapping content will encouragenew activities and markets suchas mapping solar potential, defin-ing better drilling programs formining and energy exploration,and the adoption of Visual QualityObjectives - leading to safer andmore livable communities everywhere. Many challengesremain in finding solutions thatcan scale to large-area and nation-al mapping initiatives. Users willfind DigitalGlobe’s Advanced Elevation Series an indispensablesource of information to meetthese challenges.

Stuart Schwartz is a product manager withDigitalGlobe and hasrecently focused ondevelopment andrelease of AdvancedElevation Series. Theseproducts are the founda-tion for providing cus-

tomers with new sources to measure theearth and new ways to visualize geospatialdata, and are now being applied to nationalmapping initiatives. Prior to joining Digital-Globe, Mr. Schwartz spent over 10 years inroles directing and implementing enterprisegeospatial systems and solutions in both public sector and private organizations. He isa graduate of Colorado State University.


Figure 6: Viewshed analysis using SRTM

Figure 7: Viewshed analysis using DigitalGlobe AES DSM

Resolution(post spacing)

8 m 4 m 2 m

Rel Vert LE901 5 m 2 m 1 m

Abs Vert LE901 8 m 4 m 2 m

Rel Hor CE90 8 m 4 m 2 m

Abs Hor CE90 10 m 5 m 3 m

1Values are scaled by 1.5x when slope >30%


COVER STORY : SURVEYING MARKET

MEASURING UP

to the promise

31

GROWTH AREAS

Surveying is required whenever an object's position andcondition are part of an information set used to plan, cre-ate or maintain a socioeconomic asset, observes ChrisGibson, Vice President, Trimble. The need for surveyingbegins with simple property lines and land ownership.

Supported by viable cadastres, land titling is a primaryfoundation of financial value. With titling in place, the fun-damental economic components of agriculture, businessdevelopment and public infrastructure can supportgrowth in population and economic stability. Becausethese fundamentals are based (and built) on real

Throughout much of recorded history, surveying techniques have been used to determine the exact

physical dimensions of a piece of land, create high accuracy maps, establish land ownership and

political boundaries and to erect buildings. Surveying techniques continue to perform most of these

tasks today and much more. This article examines the prospects for the surveying market in detail.

property, the surveyor's expertise in measurement anddocumentation places him or her at the core of a soci-ety's economy. Surveying therefore continues to be a keypillar of modern economy and society.

While land surveying has traditionally been the main-stay of surveying, the application domains for the survey-

ing component are increasing. The evolving businessdynamics of survey solution providers indicate that whilea decade or more ago, their key customers had been sur-veyors and construction contractors, the customer basehas widened significantly to include cities and govern-ment agencies, cadastral agencies, utilities, oil & gascompanies, railways and mining companies. The growthregistered by the surveying businesses of leadinggeospatial companies over the last few years is an indica-tor of the growing demand for surveying from not just thetraditional land surveying but also the emerging applica-tions, especially considered in the light of the growth inthese application verticals. The projected growth in theseverticals is further poised to propel surveying demand.

Infrastructure and cadastre: The relevance and need forsurveying is on-going: wherever something is built, oneneeds a base to work on (i.e. a plan) and to position,align, and level correctly what has been designed on site,says Agnes Zeiner, Director Corporate Messaging, LeicaGeosystems AG, adding that surveying will continue togrow as the world's population and demands for infra-structure continue to grow.

To help sustain economic growth, many Asian coun-tries need to upgrade their basic infrastructure, road net-works, port facilities, housing and city planning. Accord-ing to the Asian Development Bank, Asia will require USD8.2 trillion on infrastructure investment in 2010-2020,meaning an annual average demand of USD 820 billion.At the other end of the spectrum, Ernst & Young recentlyconcluded that the U.S. needs to invest USD 2 trillion to


Major application sectors addressed by leading surveying solutionscompanies in addition to land suurveying (An indicative list)

Construction in emerging markets is expectedto become a USD 6.7 trillion business by 2020

Improved drinking water facilities are requiredfor over 780 million people worldwide

Global investmentsof USD 20 trillion arerequired over the next 20-25 years in oil andgas supply infrastructure

The global metals and mining forecast to reach USD 5,579.from USD 2,319.3 billion in 2

Infrastructure and cadastre Utilities Oil and gas Mining

Key drivers for surveying business >>>


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and mining industry is USD 5,579.3 billion by 20153 billion in 2010

Global demand for passenger and freight rail-related services is projected to grow toUSD 214 billion by 2016

70 percent of the earth's surface is water and much of it is unmapped

More than 50 percent of population lives inurban areas today

Mining Railways Seabed mapping Urban mapping

re-build bridges, water lines, sewage systems, and dams- in addition to roads - that are reaching the end of theirlife cycles. These are the indicators of the kind of invest-ments in infrastructure in both the developing and devel-oped parts of the world.

The key activity in infrastructure development is con-struction. Reports observe that the global constructionindustry is expected to grow over the next decade-espe-cially in the rapidly emerging economies of Asia, LatinAmerica, the Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe.Construction in emerging markets is expected to doublewithin a decade and will become a USD 6.7 trillion busi-ness by 2020, accounting for some 55 percent of globalconstruction output, observed the "Global Construction2020" report published by Global Construction Perspec-tives and Oxford Economics.

Secure rights to own and use property are the corner-stone of wealth in developed nations. Research hasshown that developing nations can obtain positive resultsby implementing land information and titling systems. A large number of emerging economies across the globeare embarking on the process of developing/enhancingtheir cadastral system, opening doors for extensive sur-veying requirements.

Utilities: In utilities, rapidly changing regulations are driv-ing the need to accurately survey existing rights-of-wayand structures, many of which are below the ground anddifficult to locate, Chris observes. Increased building inexisting utility corridors is creating demand for moreaccurate as-built data on all projects. Geospatial data is

essential in all phases of the utility lifecycle, includingfeasibility mapping and design, construction, operationsand maintenance. As efficient utilities are at the core ofsocial development and modern economy, emergingeconomies are pushing toward a developed-world stan-dard of living, even as the developed world looks atupgrading its aging utility infrastructure. There is a needto provide access to improved sources of drinking waterfor over 780 million people and improved sanitation to 2.5billion people across the world, according to UNICEF.With water supply and sanitation being key components ofMillenium Development Goals, much activities can beanticipated in this segment.

Oil & gas: In the oil & gas sector where much surveying isinvolved especially in the exploration stage, there areplanned investments of USD 600 billion in 2012. Globalinvestments in oil and gas supply infrastructure of USD20 trillion are required over the next 20-25 years,observes leading offshore surveying player Fugro in its2011 Annual Report.

Mining: Worldwide needs for mined resources combinedwith many nations' desire for resource independence aredriving an increase in mining activity. The global metalsand mining industry was valued at USD 2,319.3 billion in2010 and is forecast to reach USD 5,579.3 billion by 2015,according to Datamonitor. The mining market is readilyadopting solutions that increase efficiency and safetywhile reducing operating costs, says Chris. Pricewater-houseCoopers observes that over the past 20 years,


growth in places as diverse as China, India, South EastAsia, Africa and Latin America has far outpaced growth inthe West. According to PwC, these economies are grow-ing and they need cities and infrastructure to be built tocater for their growing needs.

Railways: Increasing fuel prices are driving the need forcost-effective ways to move goods. Thanks to railways'inherent fuel efficiency, it enjoys financial advantage overother ways of surface transportation. Geospatial and sur-veying technology can address every aspect of the railwaylife cycle, including route selection, design and construc-tion, maintenance and safety, observes Chris. The signifi-cance of this mode of transportation can be gauged bythe investments in the sector. The report Global Competi-tiveness in the Rail & Transit Industry, by Michael Rennerand Gary Gardner notes that global demand for passen-ger and freight rail equipment, infrastructure, and relatedservices in 2007 was USD 169 billion and is projected togrow to USD 214 billion by 2016. Urban light rail systemsand subways are expanding in many regions, and there isgrowing investment in intercity high-speed rail lines.

Urban mapping: According to United Nations statistics,more population of the world lives in urban areas todaythan in rural areas (urban population having overtakenrural population in 2010 for the first time in history).Much urban mapping is therefore required for effectiveurban development.

Seabed mapping: With 70 percent of the earth's surfacebeing water and much of it unmapped, seabed mappingoffers significant opportunities in hydrographic surveying.In an instance of investments in this area, the EuropeanCommission has recently proposed to create a digitalseabed map of European waters by 2020, observing thatthe European economy can benefit from a more struc-tured approach to marine knowledge. Given the vastwater surface of the earth, prospects in this area aretremendous considering that mankind is looking at theoceans as its next resource destination.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS

Surveying technologies have undergone a sea change inthe last half a century. (Refer to Bryn Fosburgh's detailed article on Page 36 on technological innovations.)

These innovations complement traditional surveying per-fectly to enable faster and more accurate results, costand labour efficiency and very importantly, widen thescope of surveying.

Take the example of laser scanning. While a tradition-al survey would probably net about 20,000 points, laserscanning gives close to a billion in any particular survey.Revisiting a site is common in traditional surveying.Revisiting can be costly, not only in monetary value butalso in lost project time. Laser scanning can help get itright the first time, as found in an industrial surveyingproject in Seattle, US (refer to the detailed case study onPage 46). The benefits can also include significant costsavings in areas like mining. In a quarry test conductedby Spatial Resources, there was a six percent differencebetween the volumes calculated by standard methodsversus laser scanning, with laser scanning reporting thelesser amount. Conventional practices overestimated thetotal stockpile volume by almost 500,000 cubic feet,equating to 26,000 tons of product. The overestimate ofmaterial by conventional practices corresponded to a val-ue of USD 1.5 million.

High definition surveying using laser scanning allowssurveyors to target markets that were not accessible withconventional methods before. With the growing impor-tance of 3D data, high definition surveying is also a quickroute to 3D deliverables.

LiDAR technology in surveying can help reduce con-

Benefits of various complementing technologies

struction change orders in earth-work quantities by providing amore accurate existingground model. Convention-al aerial mapping is stillthe most cost-effectiveway to collect mappingfeatures, but LiDAR canprovide potential costsavings by providingadditional informationcontent that may reducefield visits, observes theMissouri Department ofTransportation, US.

Fast making inroad into thesurveying arena is the use ofunmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). UAVs offerdramatic improvements in cost and flexibility to gatheraerial images. In addition to productivity gains, advancedairborne systems are opening new geographic areas toaccurate mapping and modeling, says Chris. The small,lightweight systems enable operators to use smaller air-craft and fly farther than previously possible.

Another innovation is SmartStation, a surveying system that combines total station and GPS in one instrument, reducing the time required for setup and orientation by up to 80% and thereby increasing theusers' productivity. Swiss survey company Swissphotoused the SmartStation in surveying for cadastre project inKyrgyzstan and found that owning a SmartStation is likehaving two instruments but without having to pay any-where near the cost of two instruments. For the company,it meant that the payback period was much shorter thanthey anticipated.

GNSS, an increasingly integral technology in survey-ing, offers a number of cost benefits. In its analysis ofbenefits of precision GNSS in land surveying, Allen Con-sulting Group highlights cost savings both in terms oftime and labour. It estimated that time savings of up to 75percent for large projects and 60 percent for small proj-ects are possible. On the labour side, it estimated that theuse of precision GNSS can reduce the number of survey-ors required for a project - from 50 to about 10 for largeprojects. In site survey tasks in construction projects,consultations undertaken by the Group found that fees

charged by field surveying compa-nies were approximately 50 per

cent lower for large projectsand 20 per cent lower for

smaller (2-3 day) projectswhen precision GNSStechnology is used.

As the acceptance ofvalue proposition of thetechnological advance-

ments grows, more andmore avenues would open

up for surveying.

WAY FORWARD

Whenever work starts on a locationand accuracy is top priority, there will

always be a practicing land surveyor whocarries the legal credentials, maintains the expertise andexperience and will assure the public that the boundariesand infrastructure assets are measured and placed wherethey are supposed to be. Anyone can buy a high precisionGPS device but it has not been proven to the public theyfully understand the local boundary laws nor have theexperience to measure with such devices competently. Asurveyor's license guarantees this, remarks Donny Sosa,Surveying Industry Specialist, Esri, underlining the impor-tance of surveying in a world where crowdsourced geo-graphic information is a fast becoming a phenomenon.

With surveying addressing some of the most immediate concerns of the modern economy and society- infrastructure, urbanisation, real estate, transportation,to name a few, it is one of the most forward looking segments of the geospatial industry. While opportunitiesabound, the segment is also partially impacted by theclouds of the economic recession, with a sentiment ofcaution in investments that can impact projects with significant surveying component. Despite the caution,there are significant growth prospects as enumeratedabove. "While worldwide economic challenges continue,the surveying (along with engineering) segment is showing steady, albeit not spectacular, growth. Localisedeconomic growth and investments in infrastructure areplaying key roles," signs off Chris.

Deepali Roy, Sr. Assistant Editor, [email protected]


Cost benefits of various complementing technologies


Blending measurement

and management

SURVEYING TECHNOLOGY

New technologies and changing

demands are driving a paradigm

shift in modern surveying. Rapid

technoological development extends

beyond measurement to include

computing, communications and

geospatial ddata mapping.

For millennia, surveyors have fulfilled the need to markproperty boundaries, conduct reconnaissance and makemaps for planning. As economies and populations grew,surveyors kept up with the increased demands for

broader knowledge and higher accuracy. Today, we arewitnessing technical advances that affect surveyors inunanticipated ways. The rapid technological advancesextend beyond measurement to include computing, com-munications and geospatial data mapping. Thesechanges have made geographic information more acces-sible. As a result, society has placed increased impor-tance on accurate, timely and user-friendly geospatialinformation. To meet the demands, the role of a surveyoris changing rapidly. Far beyond the time-honoured prac-tices of property and construction measurement, survey-ing has grown to include managing, interpreting,analysing and portraying spatial information. The survey-or must guide geospatial data consumers working in avariety of related disciplines. Through it all, the surveyormust maintain a high level of data integrity.

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FROM SUNDIALS TO QUANTUM MECHANICS

Beginning with the gnomon (a simple stick in theground), wood and string, surveying instruments evolvedto include metal parts for compasses, chains and rods.Telescopes, which required clear glass, came into survey-ing in the 18th century. Instruments made of these basicmaterials were used in the great early surveys of themodern era and remained the dominant instrument tech-nologies through the 19th and 20th centuries. Surveyingtechnology witnessed a rapid change in the 1950s, begin-ning with electronic distance measurement(EDM) based on light and microwaves. By theend of the 20th century, GPS (global posi-tioning system) and GNSS (global naviga-tion satellite system) emerged to play majorroles in surveying measurement. Today, GNSSand EDM (with its high-speed offspring LiDARand laser scanning) are standard equipment forsurvey positioning. Recent new technologiesincluding digital levels, airborne scanning, digi-tal photogrammetry and remote sensing havealso added to the mix.

In spite of the revolutionary advances inmeasurement and positioning, the most importantchange has been a surveyor's ability to capture,manage and utilise spatial information. Fieldcomputers have become small, rugged and pow-erful and can be connected to the office by wire-less communications. Tools for management,analysis and visualisation have become faster,more flexible and easier to use. These improve-ments in hardware and software have combinedto deliver significant benefits for surveyorsand their clients.

Advances in computing technologieshave enabled the collection of morecomplete data, speedier field campaignsand nearly instantaneous data analysis.Software is continuously evolving to fur-nish more solutions to niche applica-tions. With a focus on acquiring andmanaging position data, the systemsare supplemented by an array of tech-nologies. For example, surveying systemscan be coupled with mobile phone and Internetaccess, cloud computing and Web-based geo-data-

bases. The new data include control data and informa-tion, visible, infrared and multi-spectrum imaging,obliquely sensed aerial data, cadastral information andregional mapping products.

The growth of technology has been the catalyst thatenabled a surveyor to evolve as well, changing frommeasurer/interpreter to geo-data manager. In thisexpanded role, a surveyor can select, gather and combineinformation and techniques to meet the needs of theentire project while retaining the ability to drill into tiny

details. Let's look at some examples.

MODERNISING CADASTRES AND

CONSTRUCTION

In the West African country of Burkina Faso,lack of adequate land titling and record systems

is a serious problem. With funding from interna-tional agencies, Burkina Faso is setting up the geo-detic and computing capability needed to developand support its cadastral information. The countryhas installed nine permanent GNSS stations to pro-

vide the framework for positioning and geospatialdata. In neighbouring Benin, field crews use a similarGNSS system to capture cadastral information. Inrural areas, handheld GPS receivers measure proper-ty and ownership boundaries to an accuracy of 20-30cm (0.6 to 1.0 ft). For property in higher-value urbanareas, survey-grade GNSS receivers collect data tocentimeter precision. After checking and analysing bynational authorities, the results are loaded into landinformation systems running under Esri ArcGIS.

In contrast, the cadastral system in Germany ismature and richly populated. Surveyors working atcentimetre level collect positions and attributesaccording to tightly written specifications. Ger-many's nationwide network of active GNSS stations

provides the framework for precise, real-time measurement. The information isprocessed and delivered to cadastraldatabases using formats specified bylocal and regional authorities. To meetthese requirements, field software directs

surveyors through the workflows needed

Integrated surveying combines robotic total station with RTKGNSS. Results are immediately available in the appropriate coordinate system.


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to ensure that the necessary infor-mation is collected with precision inthe field.

On the construction site, a sur-veyor's traditional role consisted oflayout and checking for the heavyequipment operators. But with theadvent of machine control, a survey-or's function has radically changed.Today, a surveyor's value lies in sup-porting construction through plan-ning processes used by constructionorganisations. In his or her role asgeo-data manager, the constructionsite surveyor creates or verifies thedigital terrain and design modelsused by the heavy machines. Addi-tional activities include work toensure that machines accurately cre-ate the desired design, managing on-site communications, monitoring indi-vidual machine performance, andproviding input into the project'sbuilding information model (BIM).

THE PERFECT STORM OF TECHNOLOGY AND

CULTURE

The construction activities described above illustrate thebreadth of surveying technology and how effectively dif-ferent systems can interact to share and utilise informa-tion. Long before construction begins, surveyors collectinformation on numerous aspects of the proposed proj-ect. Aerial images, ground surveys, cadastral data andinformation on existing infrastructure are combined into adatabase along with environmental and other backgrounddata. This information is shared with design and decisionteams to provide a comprehensive view of the project andits challenges.

For the early project stages, 3D modeling is becomingan important part of the process. It enables quick designand visualisation of the project and its components andreacts rapidly to the changes that commonly occur. 3Dmodels are developed using information from aerial orvehicular mobile mapping systems or from stationarysensors such as total stations and 3D laser scanners.New total stations incorporate digital cameras which

streamline the data collection work-flow and provide geo-tagged imagesof job sites and features. When com-bined with 3D point clouds, theimages help produce photorealistic3D models.

As the project moves to the engi-neering phase, GNSS, robotic totalstations and 3D scanning are used tocollect detailed information on exist-ing conditions. In many locations, aconstruction project will install anactive GNSS network to provide aconsistent project reference framefor real-time positioning at the cen-timetre level. These technologies stayon the site through the constructionand inspection process and the GNSSnetwork provides benefits to the surrounding community long afterconstruction has ended.

On a large construction project,the most important surveying

component is the communications and information management network. Wireless communications con-necting workers in the field and office ensures up-to-dateinformation.

TIGHTENING THE LINK BETWEEN SURVEYING

AND MAPPING

GIS is a dynamic management tool that provides a geo-graphic framework to manage and utilise data from ahost of sources. A surveyor's involvement in GIS is notlimited to just collecting measurements. Surveyors alsocollect and manage attributes about the elements theygeo-locate, using sensors and data collection technolo-gies that extend beyond the normal surveying instrumen-tation. This is a paradigm shift for many surveyors, whonecessarily regard position and spatial relationships asprimary data. But GIS presents abundant opportunitiesfor a surveyor who understands that future successrequires them to be a geospatial data professional. A GIScan contain data management, precision and visualisa-tion functionality needed to support traditional surveyingneeds. For a surveyor, GIS presents business opportuni-ties that include creating, populating and maintaining a

38

A GNSS reference station in Benin. Standard designs reduced construction timeand costs.

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GIS and using it to manage cadastral data and informa-tion on the natural and built environment. As the cadas-tral and survey layers expand and densify, they infusenew levels of accuracy and precisioninto the GIS depiction of the physicalworld.

Given the close relationshipbetween surveying and GIS, it comesas no surprise that the tools andtechniques are on the convergingpath. GIS positioning using GNSS -once the realm of post-processed,metre-level precision - now producesdecimetre results in real time. Con-versely, surveying data collectioncommonly includes photographs, multiple attributes andties to external sensors. The convergence of GIS and sur-veying is moving to include field workflow and individualtasks. Surveying data collectors include built-in cameras,GNSS receivers and other sensors to acquire informationused to populate the GIS database. Survey data can alsobe readily exchanged with mapping systems using SHP orother file formats that have their roots in GIS.

NEW SENSORS, NEW SOLUTIONS

Mobile mapping systems utilise video andLiDAR imaging combined with position

data from GNSS and inertial systems.Airborne systems continue to

improve as well, with aerial cam-eras and scanners supported

by positioning systems fornavigation, flight manage-ment and georeferencing.The data from these high-speed, multi-sensor sys-

tems are fused and made

available to GIS, design and other applications.In addition to traditional photogrammetry and terrain

modeling, information from the mobile systems can beused for feature extraction, assetmanagement and maintenance oper-ations. For example, a railway canuse mobile mapping to collect infor-mation on the condition of its track,signals and other assets. This infor-mation can be used in planningrepairs or schedule maintenance.Airborne imaging has taken animportant step forward with theemergence of small, unmanned aeri-al vehicles (UAV) for aerial photogra-

phy. Using very small, lightweight aircraft flying at lowaltitudes, the UAV captures high-quality images oversmall and medium areas. GNSS provides navigation andgeoreferencing. The images are processed with tradition-al photogrammetry techniques to produce orthophotosand digital terrain models.

CONCLUSION

The integration of surveying technologies will continue.Integrated survey rovers, which combine GNSS and totalstation target on a single pole, are already available. Totalstations with integrated video technology enable survey-ors to see exactly what the instrument sees and to cap-ture georeferenced images for use in photogrammetryand "in-office surveys." Airborne and mobile mappingsystems - still early in their technology life cycle - havesignificant prospects for improvement in hardware andsoftware that will increase integration, functionality andthroughput.

In the end, it's a win-win situation for the surveyorand client. As clients become increasingly sophisticated,they drive the surveyor to deliver higher levels of information and analysis. At the same time, the technological advances in acquiring and applying measurements enable surveyors to perform as the geodata managers that their clients and communitiesrequire. By selecting and blending sensing and data management technologies, the surveyor can structure an

optimal geospatial solution.

Bryn Fosburgh, Vice President, Trimble

As the cadastral andsurvey layers expand

and densify, they infusenew levels of accuracyand precission into the

GIS depiction of thephysical world

Unmanned aerial systems provide timely, low-costimagery. Flight plans are pre-programmed and loadedinto the autonomous aircraft.


CHINA

Tour against the current

Nu River GrandCanyon is locat-ed in north-west

of Nu River State, YunnanProvince, China. This 300km-long canyon has anelevation of 3000 metresand the fall from moun-tain top to river surfaceof most section is over2000 metres, deeperthan the famous Col-orado Grand Canyon.This depth makes NuRiver Grand Canyon sel-dom visited and it is titled"Eastern Grand Canyon".

The local governmentis making investments tobuild water infrastructurein the Canyon. But in thepreliminary, pre-construc-tion measurement stage,they faced a number ofchallenges. These includ-ed high humidity levels,significant temperaturechanges and low tempera-tures over long periods.These challenges made itimpossible to use conven-tional survey instruments,necessitating the use ofefficient GNSS equipment.

The governmentselected Kolida K9T RTK

GNSS receivers. K9T canreceive signals from GPSand GLONASS systemsand acquire positioninginformation in real timewith accuracy that canreach 8mm+1ppm. Theutility software for topog-raphy measurement andwater path grid design oncontroller enabled survey-ors to do office work the infield.

After basic operationtraining, the surveyorsbegan the tour against thecurrent of Nu River. Theactual environment turnedout to be more complicat-ed than expected: cliffsbesides the narrow muddypath, heavily covered skyand sudden cold rain, theminimum temperaturedipping to fifteen degreeCelsius below zero. The

surveyors' team set thebase station on the moun-tainside and mountaintopas well, extending the poleof rover up to over 2.5metres to ensure that itcould receive the correc-tion signal from the basestation. The work teammoved between the moun-taintop and the foot of themountain to seek a controlpoint.

During the day-longmeasurement process, thegovernment realised thatit was a wise decision touse GNSS receivers asthey delivered the desiredresults. Satellite signalscould be received just after switching the poweron; within 20 seconds thefloat data became fixed.Under the guarantee oftwo units 2500mAh batteries, the instrumentsworked continually fromnoon to 9 p.m. RTK GNSSreceivers also offered benefits like several roverstations working togetherat the same time after the base station is set,with rapid initialisationand getting fixed dataimmediately.

RTKGNSS receivers turned out to be the ideal surveying equipment while building water

infrastructure in the hostile Nu River Grand Canyon in China

Case Study

Nu River Grand Canyon

Surveying besides the stream

SOI is the oldest scientific depart-ment in India, set up in 1767. Howhas the organisation evolvedd overthese years? What is the guidingvision for SOI?When SOI was established by theEast India Company and controlled bythe British Empire, it was meant tohelp British Empire to expand its ter-ritory and acquire new areas. Afterthe independence of India, Survey ofIndia (SOI) became the national sur-vey and mapping agency and man-dated to create the mapping infra-structure required to take up devel-opmental activities in the country. Inrecent times, with the penetration ofinformation technology and geospa-tial technologies like GIS in variouswalks of governance, SOI has donnedthe role of producer and supplier ofgeospatial data. Its primary duty andresponsibility is to support the Gov-ernment of India in its geospatialneeds, advice about the future trendsand also monitor various develop-ments and activities in the field ofsurveying, mapping and geospatialtechnologies on behalf of the Govern-ment of India.

Surveying has witnessed lot oftechnological advancements in thelast few decades and a shift fromanalogue to digital mapping. Howis SOI using these technologies?

INTERVIEW


In sync with the timesIn sync with the times

Swarna Subba RaoSurveyor General of India

How far has SOI digitised itsdata?

SOI, since its inception, hasembraced and adopted new tech-nologies. When photogrammetrycame in, SOI adopted it in 1970s andextensively used this technology inits work. In recent times, it hasadopted digital technology and con-verted all its mapping data into digi-tal form. We now have all our dataincluding the complete 1:50,000mapping data in digital form. Thiswas updated between 2005 and2007. In its upcoming major initia-tive, 1:10,000 mapping, SOI is com-mitted to produce all this data indigital, GIS-ready format so thatboth the government and industrycan put this data to use immediately.

One of the missions of SOI is topromote the use of geospatialknowledge and intelligence by allsecctions of the society. What areyour activities and initiatives inthis direction?

SOI has converted all its data intodigital form and a major portion ofthe database is in the form of openseries maps which are available forall sections of the society.

SOI is organising various pro-grammes to increase awarenessand use of geospatial technology byall sections of the society in generaland the student community in par-ticular. Students, mainly from engi-

neering discipline, are being allowedto do training in geospatial technol-ogy in various offices of SOI as partof their course and as requested bytheir institutions. This is greatlyhelping in building their intelligenceand knowledge ofgeospatial tech-nology which theycan use in thefuture in theirrespective fields.

SOI is alsoinvolved inresearch. Can youshed light onsome of theresearch activitiesof SOI?

The Geodetic & Research Branch ofSOI is dedicated towards theresearch work in various fields ofsurveying and mapping. Variousresearch projects in the field of geo-desy, geomagnetism and otherareas of mapping are currentlybeing undertaken by this office.

SOI is engaged in surveying for anumber of developmental proj-ects in India. What are the keyproojects you are involved in?

SOI is presently engaged in execut-ing the Integrated Coastal ZoneManagement project of Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests, mappingof coal mines for Central Mine Plan-

ning & Design Institute Limited(CMPDI), mapping of cities on1:10,000 scale with mapping coreareas on 1:2000 scale under Nation-al Urban Information System (NUIS)project for Ministry of Urban Devel-

opment, andsome moreworks. Somemore importantprojects are alsobeing negotiatedand these will beintegrated withthe 1:10,000project. NationalGIS is also beingintegrated insimilar lines.

What is the progress on the1:10,000 mapping project?

Mapping of India on 1:10,000 scale isprobably the biggest survey andmapping event in the history of thecountry. As everyone knows, SOI,with the present manpowerstrength, cannot handle it alone. Inview of this, the Department ofSpace has been requested to partic-ipate in this for which the Depart-ment has consented. As the task isgigantic, involving various govern-ment agencies, IT industry and out-sourcing of a number of services toother agencies, it calls for detailedplanning. A team of officers of SOIand the Department of Space havebeen working on identifying various


Mapping of India on 1:10,000 scale is probably the biggestsurvey and mapping event in the history of the country“

”

SOI has converted allits data into digitalform and a major

portion of the databaseis in the forrm of open

series maps whichare available for all

sections of the society

technical procedures to be adopted,areas where expertise is to be bor-rowed, services to be outsourcedand systems to be put in place forsupervising and monitoring the proj-ect. Soon after this team submits itsreport, the project will start in thereal earnest.

As the implementing authority ofNational Map Policy 2005, is SOIlooking at upgrading the Map Pol-iicy to make it more enabling forthe fast growth of the geospatialindustry?

National Map Policy 2005 is beingupdated as National Map Policy2012. SOI has already submitted its

proposals to the Department of Sci-ence and Technology. Everyone willfind this to be more liberal and itwill meet the requirements of theindustry.

Are there any initiatives by SOI tofacilitate cross-border geospatialdata sharing, since several ssitua-tions requiring timely geospatialdata, like disasters or climatechange, are not limited toggeographic borders?

SOI is a member of United Nationsinitiative on Global Geospatial Infor-mation Management (UNGGIM). Inview of the disasters that run acrossgeographic boundaries, SOI is shar-

ing necessary data with UN agen-cies and working with internationalgroups on these issues.

Is SOI meeting the demand forgeospatial applications onmobile platform that requiredetailed geosppatial informationwith an extensive coverage?

As on date, SOI is providing data toa few vendors and service providerswho will do some value addition andput them to use in mobile applica-tions. But 1:50,000 mapping hasseveral limitations in this direction.However, I am sure that the1:10,000 map will meet all therequirements of mobile mapping.

Increasing location awarenessamongst the public, both globallyand in India, is generating newmarkkets that NMOs must respondto, How is SOI responding tothis? Can partnership withindustry play a role here?

Recognising the awareness amonggeneral public about the geospatialdata, SOI is committed to generateGIS-ready spatial data with limitedGIS data content. In the 1:10,000project, we are expecting a goodpartnership from the industry.

National mapping projectsare capital intensive. Is SOIlooking at evolving a model ofprofitabiliity?

The contribution of SOI towards thenation by way of providing accurateand timely geospatial data yieldsgreater returns on the nationalexchequer than what can berealised by commercialising thisdata or SOI services. In view of this,SOI is not looking at any profit-ori-ented model now.


Subba Rao addressing a forum on NMOs


INDIA

Cost effective water

management

Narmada Valley Develop-ment Authority, under theGovernment of Madhya

Pradesh State, initiated a project toensure integrated water utilisationfor an area of 12,769 sq km of Nar-mada River sub-basins involving 10watersheds. The project was val-ued at USD 800 million.

In any water resource project,preparing a very accurate base mapand digital terrain model (DTM) pro-viding details of 3D terrain, networkof hydro features, contours, roadnetwork, villages and other humanhabitat locations are prerequisites tosuccessful implementation of theproject. SECON, the surveying com-

pany involved in the proj-ect, used a hybrid

method combininghigh resolution

stereo satelliteimagery(HRSI) withconvention-

al surveyand opti-mised

groundcontrol forplanningand

design of

medium and minor-sized dams and tanks. This was one of the first attempts in India of using HRSI for identification, planning and design of irrigation projects covering an area as large as about12,769 sq. km.

The task was divided into the following components:

• Preparation and data collection

• Ground survey - horizontal and verti-cal control provision

• Photogrammetric compilation usinghigh resolution stereo satellite imagesto generate DEM and 0.5m contourmap

• Site validation and field checking ofphotogrammetric output

• Generation of updated base map with0.5 m contours

• Planning of medium and minor proj-ects (micro watersheds) in the 10 subbasins which included the design ofdams, canals and irrigation structures

• Creation of colour orthophotos thatwere further analysed for purposessuch as planning, environmentalimpact assessment (EIA) etc.

With accurate ground survey andwell-planned GCP locations, SECONachieved sub-pixel accuracy. Thesoftware-derived XY accuracy was ashigh as 0.4m. It is practically notpossible to measure sub-pixel accu-racy in XY but the advanced aerialtriangulation tools provided reliable

statistics. As an add-on from HRSI,EIA analysis was done from the multispectral image.

This method achieved accurateresults in a faster and cheaper man-ner compared to purely conventionalsurveying or aerial photographymethods. The accuracy derived fromthis method of mapping was abenchmark even for the satelliteimagery provider. This approach notonly saved time, money and otherresources but also helped in smoothexecution of the project without compromising on accuracy.

A watershed management project in India, spread over nearly 13,000 sq km, combined high resolution

satellite imagery with conventional survey and optimised ground control to prepare high accuracy datasets

Digital terrain model using HRSI

Contours

Case Study

For engineering firms, one ofthe biggest drawbacks totraditional surveying tech-

niques has long been the need torevisit a project because some fea-ture, some measurement, someelement of the initial survey hadeither been missed or now needsto be expanded upon. Revisitingthe site to resolve these issues canbe costly, not only in budget dollarsbut, more importantly, in lost proj-

ect time. So when BarghausenConsulting Engineers undertook aproject to do ALTA (American Landand Title Association) surveys on ahuge industrial site near Seattle,they opted to supplant the stan-dard surveying approach with theuse of a laser scanner.

The project was a 90-acre indus-trial site at which Barghausen wascontracted to conduct a full ALTAsurvey as part of a new construction-related boundary-line adjustment.

The site contains about 50 structuresof different use, including manufac-turing, office and storage, and itincludes everything from a 100' plustall buildings to underground tun-nels. The demand of the project wasto find an efficient and economicalway to conduct the surveys while, atthe same time, gathering sufficientdata to eliminate having to repeated-ly re-visit the site as new demandsarose.

Over the course of six weeks, theBarghausen team set up in 88 scanpositions and shot a total of 110scans. While a traditional surveywould probably have netted about20,000 points, the Topcon GLS-1500laser scanner has given them close abillion. "The laser scanner gathersdata at a rate of about 30,000 pointsper second," informs Trevor Lanktree,one of the company's project survey-ors. The overriding benefit derivedfrom an instrument like the laser

scanner in this application, is its abili-ty to gather information which can becalled up, examined, manipulated andmeasured at any time in the project.Lanktree says that it's inevitable thatthe design team will soon start askingfor additional data regarding onsitefeatures and when they do, that'swhen the savings on this project willjust erupt. Had they done that projectwith a traditional instrument, theywould have needed to go back out

twice to reshoot it. That means incurring the cost of a crew, traveltime there and back, setup time, andso on. Being able to expand the scopeof the project by just manipulatingdata is an invaluable advantage. Andit is an advantage that is quantifiable,he adds.

Based on work done at the industrial park to date, Lanktree estimates that the survey portion ofthe project has already come in 25%under budget.


US

On a massive industrial park project, the laser scanning technology helps get it right the first time

No detail left behind

Case Study

Having massive amounts of data available means any feature, such as the pipingshown in this scan off the complex’s mechanical plant, is immediately available.

A scan of the courtyard adjacent to one oof the buildings onsite yields data oneverything from the structure itself to trees, signs, sidewalkks, etc.

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FRANCE

Testing the waters

In February 2012, the General Council of Finistèreand Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côtesd'Azur in France commissioned an airborne LiDAR

bathymetry (ALB) survey project for precise under-standing of the coasts. The area of interest includedmore than 2,000 sq. km. of complex rocky coastlines,beaches, islands and reefs along the French coast-lines of Finistère on the Atlantic and the Provence,Alpes and Cotes d'Azur in the Mediterranean. The sur-veys were also supervised by France's Service Hydro-graphique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM)as part of the Litto3D programme.

The survey supported a wide range of stakeholdersinvolved in:

• Risk prevention including flood inundation and tsunamimapping

• Shoreline management including erosion and sand nourish-ment to get a better understanding of the erosion process

• Economic development for ports, tourism and marine energy

• Habitat mapping for biodiversity

The survey was conducted using the Fugro LADS Mk3 ALB system that has been integrated with the recentlydeveloped Riegl VQ-820-G shallow water ALB system.Both ALB systems utilise sophisticated 532nm lasers tosafely and efficiently measure water depth and collectdata over the marine and coastal zone environments.

During the survey, the two systems operated simulta-neously from a single fixed wing aircraft and comple-

mented each other by providing coverage on the coastand offshore to deep water. The combination of the twosensors provide a seamless and high resolution descrip-tion of the land-sea interface, while still achieving cover-age in the depths >20m offshore.

An additional benefit of ALB technology as a surveytool is that it offers the operational flexibility of an aircraftbeing able to freely move within and between surveyareas to avoid unsuitable environmental conditions. Thesurvey planning for this project took into account theenvironmental conditions of Finistère where spring kelpgrowth curtails acquisition by airborne LiDAR systemsand the Atlantic Coast weather is not always suitable.PACA also presented survey challenges with commercialand tourism activities in the summer months, limitingsurvey operations. Alternative areas were assigned wherepossible to minimise the impact of adverse environmen-tal conditions. Unfortunately for this survey, aircraftmaintenance restrictions also impacted the operationsand reduced the flexibility of moving between the Fin-istère and PACA areas.

The task of combining the two sensors for this survey was certainly challenging and pushed the limits of the standard tools and methods used. Itrequired adaptations to the data collection and process-ing strategies, along with enhancements to both systems'software architecture and algorithms that ensured aseamless integrated dataset from both systems. Fugrowas able to provide complementary survey and engineer-ing expertise to provide an efficient low-risk survey

approach to these environmentally challenging but economically important regions.

Airborne LiDAR bathymetry helped understand the coastal zone and enhanced the economic

and environmental activities in the zone


Case Study


Case Study

GREECE

Mapping for growth

Since the mid 19th

century, Greecehas used the Reg-

istrations and Mortgagessystem, an archive of allthe registered transac-tions of a particular per-son regarding real prop-erties, for real propertytransactions. Some ofthe deeds regarding realproperty transactionsreferred to topographicplans which, however,were not registered withthe Mortgage Office.Thus, there was no con-sistent spatial represen-tation of all the regis-tered land parcels of thecountry.

In the mid 1990s,

Greece initiated a projectof developing cadastre asa unified system that com-bines all legal informationabout ownership and otherregistrable rights on realproperty with their geo-graphic representation asland parcels on a cadas-tral map.

The procedure that isused to develop the cadas-tre in Greece, involves thebeneficiaries a) to declaretheir real property rightsbased on the deedsthrough which they haveacquired their rights andb) to point out their per-ception of the extents oftheir real property.

Thus, the contractor of

the cadastral survey has tocombine the followinginformation:

• The description of the realproperty on the deed,

• The spatial representationof the real property on thetopographic plan if oneexists,

• The perception of the ben-eficiary of the extents of hisreal property,

• The spatial representation ofexisting boundaries betweenland parcels in the form offences, walls, roads etc.

It is evident from theabove, that a simple topo-graphic representation ofexisting boundaries doesnot provide a sound spatialrepresentation of the legalland parcel boundaries.

In areas where admin-istrative acts exist (landconsolidations, land redis-tributions etc), then thecorresponding map of theact is followed as close aspossible. On the contrary,in areas where there areno deeds and the land isowned and transferredwithout any legal evidenceby word of mouth, thenother information that maybe available can beemployed, such as infor-mation in the land parcel

identification system(LPIS). In order for theState to protect its realproperty rights, officialforest maps and coastalzone delineation are pro-duced and the correspon-ding information is alsoincorporated on thecadastral maps.

This is a quitedemanding procedure thatmust combine legal andsurveying expertise to pro-vide a reliable cadastralrepresentation of the landparcels. The cadastralmap that is then producedcan become the basis toencourage investments,development and soundtaxation. Also, through thisprocedure, the State landis registered for the firsttime systematically, which,upon the completion of thecadastre, is estimated toamount to about 50% ofthe total area of the coun-try, say Dr. Dimitris Rokos,Director of Planning andInvestments, KtimatologioS.A. (Hellenic Cadastre )and Prof. Apostolis Arvani-tis, President and Manag-ing Director, KtimatologioS.A. (Hellenic Cadastre).

Greece is combining legal and surveying expertise to establish a reliable cadastral representa-

tion of the land parcels and encourage investments

Applying administrative acts in thecontext of developing cadastre in Greece

SPATIAL ENABLEMENT

Spatial enablement, that is, the ability to add loca-tion to almost all existing information, unlocks thewealth of existing knowledge about social, eco-

nomic and environmental matters, playing a vital role inunderstanding and addressing the many challenges weface in an increasingly complex and interconnectedworld. Spatial enablement requires information to be col-lected, updated, analysed, represented and communicat-ed, together with information on land ownership and cus-todianship, in a consistent manner to underpin good gov-ernance of land and its natural resources, efficiency in

activities of the government, public safety and securitytowards the well-being of society, the environment andthe economy.

To achieve this objective, societies need to focus lesson spatial data and more on "managing all informationspatially". This is a new paradigm that needs to beexplored, deliberated and understood in the context of aspatially-enabled society.

Challenges faced by societies

International media reports present several examples


Spatial enablement - the ability to add location to almost all existing information - unlocks a wealth of existing knowledge about social, economic and environmental

matters, playing a vital role in understanding and addressing the many challenges faced in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Here is an analysis of the key

components in realising spatially-enabled societies and the role of surveyors

Offering new possibilities

demonstrating a strong need for sound landinformation and good land administration andmanagement systems. Phenomena such asurban sprawl, overpopulation, pollution, trafficcongestion, inefficient transport systems, disas-ter management, land grabbing and environ-mental sustainability need our full attention. Inorder to manage and handle those issues, basicinformation including land ownership is requiredabout the land, and the location of occurance ofthese events. Spatial information and technologyis proving to be an effective tool in addressingsuch complex and multi-scale challenges.

Role of land administration and

land management

A spatially-enabled society needs well organisedand efficient land administration and land managementsystems. By bringing together the various strands - landadministration, land management and land governance -we can create a strong framework by which land and nat-ural resources can be effectively managed to fulfill politi-cal, economic and social objectives, that is, to helprealise sustainable development objectives.

Key elements for a spatially-enabled

society

In order to support this concept, the Task Force of FIG(International Federation of Surveyors) looking into theissue of "spatially-enabled societies" identified six ele-ments, which are critical to its implementation. Withoutthose six elements, the spatial enablement of a society orgovernment would seriously be held back in its progress.They are:

Legal framework: To provide a stable basis for the acquisition,management and distribution of spatial data and information;

Common data integration concept: To facilitate that existingspatial data - from government as well as other sources -respect a common standard in order to ensure interoperabili-ty and linkage of data for the benefit of all;

Positioning infrastructure: To provide a common geodetic ref-erence framework in order to enable the integration of spatialdata and information;

Spatial data infrastructure: To provide the physical and techni-cal infrastructure for spatial data and information to be sharedand distributed;

Land ownership information: To provide the updated and cor-rect documentation on the ownership and tenure of the land,

fisheries, and forests, without which spatial planning, moni-toring and sound land development and management cannottake place;

Data and information concepts: To respect and accommodatethe different developments in the acquisition and use of spa-tial data and information.

Legal framework

The ability of spatial data sharing and interoperability byreconciling often competing legislative policies poses asignificant challenge. This is of particular significance forspatially-enabled datasets as they often have multipleuses that were not anticipated in the original licensingconditions or in its creation, which could increase the riskof litigation should injury result from the inappropriateuse of data.

Common data integration concept

Common data integration concept has high political andinstitutional relevance, as depending on the concept,valuable information is either locked into data silos or itcan satisfy the aspects of true interoperability and datasets can be shared and linked between different stake-holders. Only then can a society benefit as a whole.

Positioning infrastructure

The geodetic datum is widely recognised as the most fun-damental layer of any spatial data infrastructure. Theimplementation of higher quality infrastructures, such asCORS, providing even higher accuracy can only be justi-


Spatial enablement in action (from Bennett et al., 2012).

fied in densely populated areas, while the extension intorural and remote areas makes sense only when the busi-ness case is broadened beyond surveying and spatialdata, for example for machine guidance in agriculture,construction or mining.

Spatial data infrastructure (SDIs)

A growing demand for access to timely and precise spa-tial information in real time about realworld objects to support more effectivecross-jurisdictional and inter-agencydecision-making in priority areas hasresulted in SDIs becoming a key infra-structure in realising a spatially-enabledsociety.

Land ownership information

Depending on the jurisdiction, a piece ofland can have various spatial dimensions,from a single point value to an accuraterepresentation of its boundaries. The usual representa-tion, however, is the 'cadastral parcel', which is uniquelydefined to also make it suitable to serve as the key dataelement for the spatial reference.

Data and information concepts

With the digital revolution, geodata and location data arenowadays managed and consumed in digital form. Elec-tronic mapping, smartphones, Google Maps, Bing Maps,location-based services, meeting friends and finding localrestaurants are all mainstream applications in the 'loca-tion revolution.' The fusion of different sources of geo-information will be transforming the geospatial informa-tion landscape as society has access to an ever increas-ing set of geospatial information and associated location-based information.

Discussion and examples

When a society has attained full spatial enablement,decision-making procedures may become feasible whichwere not possible before. The following two examplesillustrate this. The first example shows how the cadastralland ownership layer can be complemented with mort-gage and foreclosure information. Such information canthen be aggregated at a state or national level, whichallows detecting patterns or clustering phenomena. The

spatial representation of such phenomena can serveimportant political decision-making processes.

Another example is a project in Switzerland, where aWeb-based portal is being developed for farmers todeclare their annual cultivation areas online. Farmersreceive subsidies on the basis of the crops and areas theycultivate. Based on the cadastral land ownership and anorthophoto layer, the portal offers tools such as easy-to-

use snapping functions and standardforms to be filled out. This will allow amuch more direct and efficient notifica-tion process for farmers to provide theirdata and receive their subsidies. Such asolution would not be possible without acomplete documentation of land owner-ship and the interoperability of the infor-mation, both of which are in place inSwitzerland.

The future of spatial enablement andthe realisation of a spatially-enabled

society lie in a holistic endeavour where spatial (and landdata) and non-spatial data are integrated according toevolving standards and with the SDI providing theenabling platform. The concept of SES needs to movebeyond the current tendency to put the responsibilitysolely on the government to achieve SES. SES will bemore readily achieved by increasing involvement from theprivate sector and in the same vein, if the surveying andspatial industries start to look towards other industriesfor best practices in service delivery. It is imperative forsurveyors, land and spatial information specialists tounderstand the technological changes, developments andpossibilities so that they can convey these messages and requirements to their partners, to political decision-makers and to society.

(In 2009, the FIG established a Task Force to look into the issue of "spatially-enabled societies". A three-year effort together with representatives from GSDIand PCGIAP led to a publication compiled and edited by Dr. Daniel Steudler,Chair of the FIG Task Force on Spatially Enabled Society, and Prof. Dr. AbbasRajabifard, President of the GSDI Association.)

Dr. Daniel Steudler

Licensed Cadastral Land Surveyor, Swiss Federal Office of Topography

Federal Directorate for Cadastral Surveying

[email protected]

Prof. Abbas Rajabifard

Head - Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Director - Centre for

SDIs and Land Administration, University of Melbourne, Australia

[email protected]


The fusion ofdifferent sources of

geo-information will betransforming the

geospatial informationlandscape as societyhas access to an ever

increasing set ofgeospatial information

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Mark your calendar

September 17-19Asia Geospatial Forum 2012Hanoi, Vietnam

www.asiageospatialforum.org

September 13PPP- a small revolution inthe area of GPSRapperswil SG, Switzerlandhttp://tinyurl.com/ppp-event-hsr-2012

September 13-14Euroconsult'sSymposium on EOParis, Francewww.satellite-business.com

September 24-27SPIE Remote Sensing 2012Edinburgh, UKhttp://tinyurl.com/c4x33ap

September 24-2712th International Scientificand Technical ConfAlgarve, Portugalwww.racurs.ru

September 24-28Use of GIS & RS in ClimateChange AnalysisNairobi, Kenyawww.indepthresearch.org

September 25-2611th Int. Symposium onGeoinformationKuala Lumpur, Malaysiawww.isg.org.my

October 2-4GISSA Ukubuzana 2012Gauteng, South Africahttp://tinyurl.com/bqtdwjn

October 3-4Africa Geospatial Forum 2012Accra, Ghanawww.africageospatialforum.org

October 8-11GEOINT 2012 SymposiumOrlando, Floridawww.geoint2012.com

October 16-20GIS-IDEAS 2012Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamhttp://tinyurl.com/dyah9kj

November 5-7Trimble Dimensions 2012Las Vegas, USwww.trimbledimensions.com

November 12-16URISA's Caribbean GIS ConferenceMontego Bay, Jamaicahttp://tinyurl.com/ctduwbq

November 26-30Asian Conference on Remote SensingPattaya, Thailandhttp://acrs2012.gistda.or.th/

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