PREFACE 
Commission VII, Photo Interpretation, of the International Society for 
Photogrammetry was allotted to the Netherlands during the Ninth Internation 
al Congress of the Society in London in 1960. It was decided on that occasion 
that a Symposium should be organized in 1962 so as to stimulate activities in 
the various fields of photo interpretation. 
The Symposium on Photo Interpretation was organized by the Steering 
Committee of Commission VII under the auspices of the Netherlands Society 
for Photogrammetry and in cooperation with UNESCO and FAO. It was 
held in the International Training Centre for Aerial Survey and adjacent 
buildings of the Technological University from August 29-September 5, 1962. 
The Symposium was the first of its kind and the great interest it aroused 
internationally proves the ever increasing importance of aerial photo inter 
pretation as a method of scientific research. It is an established practice 
in several sciences, such as geology for example, but it has only recently 
been introduced into other disciplines. The fact that 293 specialists from 46 
countries attended the Symposium and that a great number of scientific papers 
were presented in English, French or German, justifies the expectation of 
rapid further development of photo interpretation as a method of research. 
The subjects treated dealt with the application of aerial photo inter 
pretation in many different scientific fields, but special stress was laid upon its 
importance for the - especially in developing countries - urgent matter of 
natural resources inventory. This volume contains the scientific contributions 
to the Symposium and the essential discussions. The purpose of these trans 
actions is to disseminate the gathered knowledge to broader scientific circles. 
May this aim be fully achieved. 
Finally, it is my pleasant duty to express my gratitude to the members of 
the Steering Committee and all other individuals and institutions who con 
tributed to the success of this Symposium.