ISPRS, Vol.34, Part 2W2, “Dynamic and Multi-Dimensional GIS”, Bangkok, May 23-25, 2001 
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THE ADVANCED GIS AND GPS TECHNOLOGIES TO BE USED IN THE LANCHANG BASIN 
AREA OF YUNNAN PROVINCE OF CHINA 
Run SHI 
Department of Land Information and Geomatics,School of Land and Resource Engineering, 
Kunming University of Science and Technology, 
68#Wenchang Lane 121 street,650093 Kunming, P R.China E-mail:shikun@263.net 
Keywords: GIS,GPS, Lanchang-Mekong valley 
Abstract: 
With the development of the economic production and the exploration of western China, Yunnan government has decided to develop the 
economic and trade communication and science and technology cooperation with Southeastern Asian countries. According to The 
Suggestion of the Plan and Social Development of Yunnan Province which was formulated by the Yunnan Government July 2000,the 
policy to open to the outside world is focused on the cooperation in science and technology with neighbor countries, and it has been 
determined that the exploitation and utilization of natural resources in Yunnan province will greatly depended on the realization of project 
of the Exploitation of River Lanchang, River Lanchang is the upper reaches of the River Mekong. From the point of view, the first and 
important step of the project will be the establishment of a database of the Lanchang-Mekong River valley. We will discuss the advanced 
technologies i.e GIS and GPS in this paper. 
1. Background 
With the development of the economic production of 
China, the policy of opening to the outside world has been 
widely accepted in China and abroad. Yunnan province of 
China has been traditionally thought of one of the 
undevelopment regions and difficulty to develop because of its 
geographical position comparing with the coastal cities and 
regions that open to foreign trade. But geographically speaking, 
Yunnan province is the neighbor country of Burma, Viet Nam, 
Lao and Thailand, and it has more than 4060 km boundary line 
with the countries. Moreover, Yunnan has rich natural 
resources of nonferrous metals such as tin, copper and so on, 
tropical and sub-tropical plants and water resources that cover 
one third of that in China. 
In order to quicken the speed of economic development of 
Yunnan province, Yunnan government has decided to develop 
the economic and trade communication and science and 
technology cooperation with Southeastern Asian countries 
Accoding to The Suggestion of the Plan and Social 
Development of Yunnan Province which was formulated by the 
Yunnan Government July 2000,the policy to open to the 
outside world is focused on the cooperation in science and 
technology with neighbor countries, and it has been 
determined that the exploitation and utilization of natural 
resources in Yunnan province will greatly depended on the 
realization of project of the Exploitation of River Lanchang, 
River Lanchang is the upper reaches of the River Mekong. 
From the point of view, the first and important step of the 
project will be the establishment of a GIS of the 
Lanchang-Mekong River valley. The GIS will include: 
1) ,energy and transportation; 
2) ,exploitation of water resources; 
3) ,utilization of land; 
4) ,exploitation of geological and mineral resources; 
5) ,environment and ecological balance; 
6) ,the tourist industry. 
2. GIS To Be used and discussion in the 
LanChang Basin Area of Yunnan Province of 
China 
According to The Organization of Mekong River, the 
geographical information in the countries of the valley outside 
of China has been collected and refined. However in fact, 
many aspects of the information in the valley of Yunnan part 
had been collected and refined early. For example, the 
geological and mineral information has been worked out, and 
that of water resources and plants has been worked out too. 
The establishment of the GIS of the valley will not only make 
profit for the exploitation of the River but also for the world's