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.