ISPRS
2000
WG VI/3 Terms of Reference
- Development of matrices of joint activities with ISPRS
Regional Members and other international organisations
- Development of activities to foster relationships between
Regional Member organisations and the relevant WG
- Development of connections with international organisa-
tions to urge the wider promotion and use of photogram-
metry, remote sensing, GIS and related disciplines
- Further development of international co-operation and
public relations for ISPRS professions and stimulation of
young professionals for co-operation in ISPRS activities
- Identification of channels for international co-operation in
education and stimulation of international and regional
organisations to support and fund activities promoted by
ISPRS (in co-operation with the Council)
- Identification and use of support mechanism addressing
needs for technology transfer, i.e. knowledge transfer
and improvement of the infrastructure, especially in
developing countries
- Establish links and liaise with ISU
WG VI/4 Internet Resources and Distance Learning
Chair: Sanjay Kumar (India)
Co-Chair: Carlos G. Patillo (Chile)
WG VI/4 Terms of Reference
- Development of Education Forum through Internet
about remote sensing, SIS and photogrammetry in co-
operation with WG VI/1
- Identification and provide links to sources of geospatial
data and accessibility through Internet Map Server
Applications
- Development and maintenance Web Directory about
Tutorials on Remote Sensing, SIS and Photogrammetry
- Development of Technical Guides for Distance Learn-
ing implementation through Internet
- Maintenance of ISPRS Internet guidelines
- Identification and dissemination of RS, SIS and pho-
togrammetry applications provided in Internet
- Collaboration with WG IV/8, WGII/3 and WGII/6
Plans for Commission VI
A number of workshops and seminars are planned:
- WG VI/4 is organising a session at the 4th Annual Inter-
national Conference and Exhibition on Geographic Infor-
mation Science in New Delhi, India, 7-9th February 2001.
- Seminar: "Education and technology transfer in Pho-
togrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information
Sciences in Latin America", Porto Allegre, Brazil, 9-10
October, 2001 (in co-operation with WG VI/3).
- Workshop "Photogrammetry, RS and SIS technologies
for human settlements", Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, March,
2002 (in co-operation with WG VI/3 and a local host).
- Workshop within the frame of an Asian Conference on
Remote Sensing possibly on RS, GIS and GPS tech-
nologies for environmental monitoring, agriculture and
disaster management. Date and place have not been
fixed yet.
ISPRS Technical Commission VII
Resource and Environmental Monitoring
Incoming President:
Incoming Secretary:
Rangnath Navalgund (India)
Shailesh Nayak (India)
Outlook by Incoming President
In a relatively short span of three decades since the launch of
LANDSAT-I in 1972, space borne remote sensing has proved
itself to be an indispensable tool for resource inventory and
environmental monitoring at global, regional and local scales.
Integrated use of RS and GIS techniques coupled with
advancements in communication and information technolo-
gies are providing solutions to facilitate sustainable develop-
ment of natural resources, environmental protection and dis-
aster management. Launch of space missions carrying
advanced sensors operating in very high spatial, spectral and
temporal resolution mode both in optical and microwave
regions provide additional dimensions to earth observation
and demand better calibration, data analysis, fusion and inte-
gration techniques. While applications-oriented research in
some of the countries has lead to operational and commer-
cial use of this technology in many fields, many countries par-
ticularly in the developing world are yet to harness the bene-
fit of technology fully. Major effort is required in development
of international co-operation for promoting the use of RS &
GIS in meeting challenges in the field of food security, envi-
ronmental monitoring, urban sustainability, disaster mitiga-
tion, development of integrated monitoring systems for opti-
mal management of resources, etc. Effective use of global
data sets to understand geosphere -biosphere interaction
and development of techniques to assimilate satellite derived
parameters in models to understand global change need
attention. The nine resolutions passed for Commission VII by
the General Assembly in Amsterdam reflect these develop-
ments and provide directions to further work. Trends and
challenges in some of these areas are briefly summarised.
Understanding and modelling spectral response of targets
at different wavelengths and under different viewing geom-
etry is basic to remote sensing. Development of methods for
inverting spectral measurements to derive geophysical and
biophysical parameters for their further use in process
based models is needed. Some of the parameters are emis-
sivity, aerosol optical depth profile, LAI, FAPAR, ocean
colour etc. In view of the launch of many large swath sen-
sors such as IRS-WiFS, SPOT-Vegetation, understanding
effect of viewing geometry on spectral signatures will be
important. Hyperspectral imaging data will contain the
inherent problem of mixed classes because of low spatial
resolution. Hence, extraction of end members from spectral
mixtures using various methods like principal component
analysis, fuzzy algorithms or parallel co-ordinate represen-
tation techniques will need attention. Increasing availability
of multi-dimensional (multi-frequency, multi-polarised,
multi-date, multi-look angles) digital radar data opens up
many areas of research to understand microwave signa-
tures. Availability of very high spatial resolution, hyper-spec-
tral, multi-temporal optical data along with thermal and
microwave data is opening up new field of data fusion and
integration techniques. Standardisation of various proce-
dures for data fusion needs to be developed.
Sustainable agricultural production is of utmost importance
in ensuring food security to the increasing population. It
calls for identification of problems and optimal land use
planning at watershed level, and adoption of proper soil and
water conservation measures. RS and GIS have a major role
to play in developing methods for ensuring sustainable
development of renewable land and water resources. Study
International Archives of Photogrammerty and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXIII, Part A. Amsterdam 2000.
