Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management/Enschede /August 1986 
© 1987Balkema, Rotterdam. ISBN 90 6191 674 7 
1071 
Closing session 
K.J.Beek 
President of the ISPRS Commission VII 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
At the end of this ceremony I should like to 
conclude that we have seen much progress in our 
various fields of application of remote sensing. 
Many of us have been able to present their ideas in 
official papers or poster sessions. Others have 
tested their ideas in discussions with colleagues. 
Some papers will never be written, because the 
hypotheses lost their sense during this week. 
Thanks to our Working Group chairmen and officers 
we have been able to reach conclusions and recommen 
dations for the future. There is much to be done and 
much will be done. 
When The Netherlands accepted the responsiblity 
for this Symposium, we knew that it would require 
considerable human and financial resources. But we 
also knew that we would learn from it, and that we 
could develop a close cooperation between the 
Netherlands' Society for Photogramme try (NVF), the 
Board for Remote Sensing (KRS) and the ITC who 
together stand for an important part of remote 
sensing in The Netherlands. 
But it is also good to know that in 1988 there are 
other countries interested to take over from us this 
responsibility for Commission VII. At this moment, I 
believe that it is appropriate to thank the people 
who dedicated themselves fully to the success of 
this Symposium. 
In the first place you, the participants, coming 
from all parts of the globe, at least 50 countries. 
For one week the spotlight of the remote sensing 
world was on Enschede. We even made i t on the TV, 
very difficult in the Netherlands. 
Journalist question: what about military satel 
lites, if SPOT satellites are available to everyone: 
Conclusion: 
a. Many intelligent people looking at SPOT can 
produce much strategic information 
b. strategic information is not necessarily always 
only what you can see secretly, you might say peep 
ing through the key hole of military satellites. 
Dr. Olson said yesterday, that the remote sensing 
specialists should seek a better dialogue with the 
government officials if we want to achieve some 
thing. But with all our disciplines, institutions, 
committees and societies there may be an increasing 
confusion about whom is actually responsible for 
what? Therefore, who should say what to the policy 
makers. 
When listing those who contributed I cannot men 
tion all but I would like to name the most 
important: 
A. Scienti fi c Programme. 
1. The chairmen of our Working Groups. I must 
mention the chairman of Working Group III, Spectral 
Signatures of Objects, Dr. Guyot., who organizes an 
International Symposium in France every two years, 
attended by several hundred participants. 
2. The scientific committee of this Symposium, with 
the Chairman Prof. Verstappen and co-Chairman Prof. 
Ligterink, and Dutch liaison officers for each 
Working Group. Also thanks to the chairmen of WG 
Sessions and ITC students who assisted there. 
3. Our keynote and invited speakers, who guaranteed 
the general level of this conference. Dr. Konecny, 
Dr. Tdrlegard and Dr. Mur ay of ISPRS added prestige 
to our meeting. 
4. Organisation: 
Several committees : 
- Excursion Committee, Chairman Beck, for the 
technical visits, and the accompanying persons; 
- Exhibits Committee, Chairman Van Konijnenburg, 
and the Exhibitors, who gave us a detailed insight of 
their most recent instruments and services; 
- Logistics Committee, Chairman Vollenga, Director 
of DISH and including: 
- the staff of ITC technical and internal services 
and the staff of DISH, the Dutch International 
Student House; 
- the students of the Inter Hostess School, The 
Hague 
- the students of the Hotel School Apeldoorn. 
These students of both schools were so very profes 
sional, that I have not noticed the difference! They 
have added charm to our meeting. Apparently in many 
ways you can learn from a ISPRS Congress. 
- Intercontinental Travel in Rotterdam, for arrang 
ing the registration. 
5. Sponsors. 
- The Netherlands’ Remote Sensing Board 
- the Netherlands' Ministry of International 
Cooperation, which made available fellowships 
- the Netherlands' Societies for Photogramme try and 
for Remote Sensing and the ITC 
6. And finally my other colleagues in the Steering 
Committee, the Treasurer Neleman and in particular 
the secretariat, consisting of Sicco Smit, Damen and 
Miss Francis van der Veen who we forgot to mention in 
the programme. 
Sicco Smit was the first person to suggest to me 
that the Netherlands should try to obtain Commission 
VII, he has had to work for it! 
Ladies and Gentlemen, 
This was a long list, but everyone involved in the 
organisation has worked with dedication and can now 
with great satisfaction look back upon a successful 
Symposiurn. 
We have agreed today, what we are going to do: 
where our next meetings are going to be held, and 
therefore we know now, where and when we shal l meet 
again. We look forward to seeing you there and I 
thank you all for coming to Enschede, wishing you 
all a safe journey home. 
And now, I close the seventh Symposium of ISPRS - 
Commission VII.