Sharing and cooperation in geo-information technology

Aziz, T. Lukman

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Persistent identifier:: 856479470

Author:: Aziz, T. Lukman

Title:: Sharing and cooperation in geo-information technology

Sub title:: ISPRS Commission VI Symposium, April 15 - 17, 1999, Bandung, Indonesia

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (130 Seiten)

Year of publication:: 1999

Place of publication:: London

Publisher of the original:: RICS Books

Identifier (digital):: 856479470

Illustration:: Illustrationen, Diagramme

Language:: English

Usage licence:: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Publisher of the digital copy:: Technische Informationsbibliothek Hannover

Place of publication of the digital copy:: Hannover

Year of publication of the original:: 2016

Document type:: Monograph

Collection:: Earth sciences

Chapter

Title:: WG VI/1: EDUCATION

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Chapter

Title:: EDUCATION IN REMOTE SENSING APPLICATION. Prof. Dr. Jan J. Nossin

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

This has an extremely important consequence. So far, in several countries, notably developing countries, digital image processing facilities, if at all available, are or were in a central place, usually in the capital. Access is difficult for a number of reasons, but one is that those around these facilities have become a class of knowledgeables, who guard their exclusive status. "Knowledge = power" and therefore they are not very eager to impart their knowledge onto others who might become competitors. The very high price of large image processing systems and spare parts was a safeguard to their exclusive status. It meant that (semi) (government) agencies and private consultants and other enterprises were dependent on the central facility. This is now changing: Image processing facilities of stand-alone capability based on PC's are now within the budgetary reach of institutes like the soil survey, the bureau of agriculture, the geological survey, but also the national mapping agency, the national planning bureau, and also the offices of local authorities. They can become independent of the central facility. Hard-and software developments are such that many of the functions are routine and hardware-based operations, more or less fool-proof, and do not require a special operator. The interpreter or the user can now do his own processing. It may be taken for granted that the industry will take care of market penetration, but that market is not the market of image processing and GIS. It is the market of the Personal Computer in general usage, complete with its collection of easy-selling software (games !, bookkeeping, spreadsheets, textprocessing). Only through their massive production and marketing these PC's have become affordable and increasingly powerful. Adaptation of these systems to digital image processing and GIS has resulted in an ample choice of systems available for the user today. ■ 8.2 Base map updating Another interesting aspect is that topographic maps are often years out of date. If available, they are mostly the base on which interpretation data and other pertinent information is plotted. It becomes now possible - with the high resolution SPOT and IRS 1C and D data- to do rapid map updating, and the national mapping agency is no longer the only one who can do that! It can be done right at the resource agency (soils, geological, forestry services, regional and local planning offices etc.) It means that resource managing agencies at the local and regional (district, province) level, can do their own rapid map updating and produce reliable field maps as well as base maps for plotting the results of their surveys. 8.3 Data supply RS data is now available on an operational basis, in the sense that the supplier guarantees continuity of the data stream for a given period. That means that for the first time now, it becomes a sensible proposition for mapping agencies, to use RS data (SPOT or Landsat) as an data source. So far, there was no question of it, as we were still in experimental and proof-of-concept phases. Still, the situation is rather uncertain as to the real operational continuity in data supply, especially from the Landsat series. 8.4 Monitoring changes A new aspect, and a problem, is our inexperience in handling changes in situations or configurations at the earth's surface. We are used to the mapping of an existing situation, -which, by the way, is shown on a map that appears months if not years after the survey-, but not to the "mapping" (monitoring) of changes. Remote sensing, certainly in combination with scanned air photos and GIS, is capable of monitoring changes by the repetitivity of observations, and of showing them. 8.5 Commercialisation Along with operationalisation comes commercialisation: Data are no longer being paid for by the (US) taxpayer, but by the user. That has given rise to a substantial increase in prices, bringing them to a realistic level from the almost-free level of the early days. Still, per square kilometer RS data is in the order of US$ 0.50 as against about US$ 2.50 for normal high-altitude aerial photography. But the number of sq. km per satellite scene is a constant, and the user may not need all of them. Users in Developing Countries usually complain about the cost of the data. It should be realized however, that the cost of image processing equipment has decreased dramatially. It should be noted that aerial photography retains, of course, its fully operational status as a data source. 8.6 Resistance to institutional change In any established mapping or resource management, or planning agency, vested patterns of authority, (in)competence and job security coupled with bureaucracy are natural factors resisting change. Even if satellite data would be a reliable flow of basic data, then still it takes long and patient pushing before established routines in an agency are changed. Pushing too hard will also backfire. 8.7 Security hocus-pocus. One way of exercising authority is declaring air photos and/or satellite or radar data of strategic value and imposing security restrictions on their use. Many potential users fight an uphill or losing battle against often senseless restrictions, and eventually give up. This happens in many countries and is an important reason for the under-utilization of aerospace remote sensing data in the widest sense, for purposes of mapmaking, resource evaluation and environmental management. The feeling of the present author is that international scientific associations and agencies in the field of remote sensing applications, are not enough aware of these factors. They

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