Report from Working Group 1
The 10th Meeting of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure
for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP)
Bangalore, India
30-31 January 2004
------
Report from Working Group 1
Mr. John Manning, Vice Chair of Working Group 1
Saturday 31 January 2004
REGIONAL GEODESY WORKING GROUP REPORT ON ACTIVITIES
1. The Bangalore WG1 Meeting
The meeting was attended by representatives from Australia, Brunei, China, Kazakhstan and Malaysia. In the absence of Pengfei Cheng, John Manning acted as chairman and rapporteur.
The agenda included an overview of the workplan and concentration on the items put forward by the President for discussion. Malaysia reported on participation at the UN OOSA meeting and inclusion of a funding proposal for PCGIAP.Other Important issues were discussed on lack of progress in facilitating technology (and equipment training) to Pacific countries.
2. Background.
At the 16th United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific (UNRCC-AP) meeting in Okinawa in July 2003, a Technical Committee was established to review the progress on the development of the Asia Pacific Spatial Data Infrastructure (APSDI) and regional Geodesy since the 15th UNRCC-AP meeting in 2000. The report from this committee recognised the major contribution to the work of the PCGIAP in establishing a regional spatial data infrastructure, based on a uniform geodetic reference framework. It further resulted in a resolution being endorsed calling for the continuation of PCGIAP regional geodetic activities for the next three years as 16th UNRCC-AP Resolution No 2: Regional Geodesy,as follows :
Recognising the importance of establishing an homogeneous geodetic network as the basis for the Asia and the Pacific regional spatial data infrastructure as part of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF),
Noting the progress made by the PCGIAP Regional Geodesy Working Group in establishing a precise regional geodetic framework as the base layer in a regional spatial infrastructure,
Realising the continuing need to extend regional geodetic infrastructure established so far to include other countries in Asia and the Pacific region together with associated technology transfer and information exchange,
Bearing in mind the limited financial resources and availability of equipment and expertise in observation and processing of acquired GPS data,
Recommends that
The regional geodetic framework continues to be developed through integration of national geodetic networks and through appropriate linkages to global reference frames through the following projects:
Enhancement of a regional geodetic infrastructure through annual cooperative campaigns, including ties to vertical datum origin points,
Review the status of the regional geoid in relation to current and improved global gravity models available from satellite gravity, and the application of absolute gravity as a means of developing a regional gravity reference frame,
Promoting the application of new geodetic adjustment techniques and datum change transformation parameters for regional spatial data integration and for geo-referencing cadastral and statistical information,
Encourage the transfer of GPS technology to Pacific Island nations and other developing countries through regional and local geodesy workshop activities,
Development of a catalogue of regional tide gauges for monitoring sea level changes and placement of GPS at key sites, and
Review the status of geodetic networks in individual countries and upgrade the PCGIAP web site information.
To take this resolution forward a project draft work plan was developed with identified responsibilities and milestones for the period 2003 -2006. This was revised and endorsed by the Executive Board in Melbourne in November 2004.The 2003-2006 workplan introduces a new phase in the Regional Geodesy WG1 activities, to apply the benefits from the regional geodetic framework, which was established to facilitate high precision positions in all countries. The new focus addresses the need to flow down from the regional geodetic infrastructure to upgrade the national geodetic adjustments within countries onto the regional datum (ITRF) in order to directly provide related spatial data sets.
In addition to Resolution 2, a component of Resolution No.1 also contains recommended directions for the Regional Geodesy Working Group to interact with each of the Cadastral, Fundamental Data and Institutional Strengthening Working Groups, as defined in the recommendation components:
The development and integration of the cadastral and land tenure layers within the regional spatial data infrastructure using geodetic referencing techniques, and
Institutional strengthening for building spatial data infrastructure through capacity building, education, training, and workshops together with identification of needs and funding options for member countries to improve participation in PCGIAP activities.
The impact of the recommendation is that now the basic regional geodetic framework is well in hand, the time has come for Working Group 1 to expand its geodetic referencing into the activities of the other working groups to enhance the building of an integrated spatial infrastructure on a uniform datum. Geo-referencing connections need to be made from the regional geodetic framework to the cadastral frameworks in WG3, the statistical (census) information in WG2, and a greater interaction with WG4 to achieve institutional strengthening and subsequent participation.
3. Recent activities
The major activity of the Working Group since the 9th PCGIAP has been the organisation of the 2003 annual geodetic campaign. APSG again arrange two 24 hour VLBI observation sessions.
The GPS observation period for AAPRGP2003 was the 12th - 18th October 2003. The tentative list of participants includes the following 34 countries in table 1. The strong response to the invitation to participate this year was due to the improved contact list and the close attention of the project manager Geoff Luton (Geoscience Australia).
Afghanistan Kiribati Philippines
Australia Laos Papua New Guinea
Bahrain Macau Republic of Korea
Brunei Malaysia Russia
Cambodia Maldives Samoa
Cook Islands Micronesia Singapore
Fiji Mongolia Thailand
Futuna Island Nauru Tonga
Hong Kong New Zealand Tuvalu
Indonesia New Caledonia Vanuatu
Iran Niue Vietnam
Japan
Countries participating in October 2003 regional campaign
This list of participants shows an increased number of countries and importantly Russia is a welcome participant this year as is Bahrain.
Other immediate activities undertaken include the occupation of Australian gravity reference site with a Japanese FG5 precision absolute gravity equipment en route to Syowa Antarctica. Australia has recently delivered initial regional solutions to the TIGA project of the International GPS Service which monitors the vertical motion of continuous GPS base stations collocated with precision tide gauges. All data and solutions are available from Geoscience Australia. Another current event for further investigation for regional impact is the release of new global gravity models from Champ and Grace Satellite missions.
4. Current issues
A the plenary 10th PCGIAP session immediately before the Working Group meetings the President instructed each working group to address the following five points
Examine progress with current workplan and identify new activities for the working groups
Consider strategic issues raised in the previous session today and incorporate them in a way forward
Examine cross linkages with PCGIAP working groups and external related organisations
Examine the method of operation within PCGIAP and identify more effective approaches
Identify resolutions for consideration by the whole PCGIAP committee
The above items for consideration were addressed in sequence below
4.1 The current work plan
The need for action to be taken on number of items was identified and milestones amended where appropriate as shown in Appendix 1.
Several new projects were identified for plenary consideration:
The need for better understanding of the positional accuracy requirements from user of the geodetic framework
The use of benchmarking surveys to gather data on the methods and completeness, and positional accuracy, of individual geodetic networks.
Brunei introduced a new project to unify geodetic framework and datums across the Borneo land mass. This would be a special sub region project based on the annual regional geodetic campaign in October 2004. It would be undertaken jointly by Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia with support from other working group members in equipment and expertise.
4.2 Strategic Issues
Discussion took place on the need to consider restructures generally within PCGIAP but it was identified that this probably was more appropriate at the end on the 2003-2006 period.
Other possible working groups could be one focused on the high level design and implementation of the SDI and clearing houses and emergency, disaster managements at the national level, From a Geodesy point of view the emergency use of data required surety of position as high level and indicated the accuracy of the need for the regional geodetic framework to be pushed down into readjustment or replacement of existing national geodetic networks
4.3 Linkages
Cross linkages for Working Group 1 with other working groups were seen as :
Using geodetic positions as the basis for bridging between topographic information and cadastral information. Topographic information is usually based on the geodetic network and the issue is one of accuracy of the data sets whereas the cadastral framework or DCDBs are often use local frameworks or customised projections and need to be georeferenced.WG1 would be happy to take on a chairing role in a task group on this issues.
Institutional strengthening for Pacific Island countries is an immediate issue for working group4 and the issues of assistance to East Timor is quite urgent (even before this country gains UN standing), possibly by invited participation as observer status.
The Borneo GIS infrastructure was seen as the natural development from a densified unified Geodetic datum which could involve to some extent WG2 and WG3 it could be sued as a pilot for the data specifications and land use and administration boundaries nad possible WG4 involvement might be to facilitate external funding for this sustainable development sub regional GIS
External linkages identified were :
Borneo project linkages in project collaboration with ASEAN Flag.
Working Group linkages with IAG Commission 1 as a regional commission on Asia pacific Reference framework and joint open Regional Geodesy Workshops Chengdu (2004) and Cairns (2005).
Possible linkage with PCIDEA and AREF as an extension of PRGP2004
Linkages with UN OOSA concerning funding for permanent GPS sites
4.4 Method of PCGIAP Operation
Geodesy is now a change point having developed a very basic reference geodetic network. The time is right to move on into detail within individual countries. However overall the existing structure is considered sub optimal
No WG home for high level research or data gathering or examples or model template for the natures of SDIs
No integrating projects across existing WGS
Institutional strengthening structure seems to have lost its sub regional approach eg pacific Islands
The vision and strategic plan, with milestone deliverables, for the whole of PCGIAP needs to be identified not just WG work plans ( ie how does it all come together)
The existing WG s can be considered to be too process in approach and could get closer if there was a user WG of some type eg emergency , diaster group itemising the national requirements for types and positional accuracy of data for emergency management
Difficulty in combining technical and administraive meetings
Preference to hold separate WG workshops outside of PCGIAP meeting
Separate venue annually in parallel with other WG workshops (eg Penang 2001) or before PCGIAP meeting ( eg Cadastral in Okinawa)
4.5 Possible resolutions
Consider establishing new structure for high level research on SDIs
Identify special user requirements in emergency management is SDIs
Identify and encourage national risk framework development through a separate WG
Establish a regional hazards WD tio identify to identify national hazards and integrate data requirements inot ASDI
Borneo Agenda 21 GIS Infrastructure project
Endorsement of benchmarking surveys for data accuracy
5. Borneo project
The project is for the unification of Borneo geodetic datums- leading in the future to an environmental GIS. This would benefit from cross working group involvement in working together in the extension of geodetic control to the cadastral framework and integration of this data with topographic information.
Brunei undertook to collate input with Indonesia and Malaysia and prepare project scoping for circulation following the ASEAN Flag meeting in China in March 2004. The project will have the following general approach:
Commence Geodetic observations during 2004 annual campaign
Existing network points
Ties to sea level tide gauges
Followed by further densification by GPS and possible connection to cadastral frameworks
Use as a framework for GIS infrastructure using WG2 guidelines
Tie Topographic and cadastral data sets (WG3) as appropriate
Includes land tenure and land use (use of ALOS ?)
Potential for external funding (WG4)
6. Next Meeting
In addition to WG activity at the annual EB meetings, the following separate regional geodesy workshops are proposed :
August 2004 - China (Tibet connection)
August 2005 - IAG conference Australia (Cairns)
2006 possibly Cambodia or Korea
The 2004 meeting is expected to be held in Chengdu China with a side technical tour visit to Lhasa , as it a very significant world geodetic site.
The major themes for the meeting will include :
Results from 2003 campaign
Planning for October 2004 campaign
Discussions on the Borneo unification project
Gravity,/ Geoid in light of GRACE regional gravity models
Review quality of regional reference frame
Local geodetic ties for IERS between geodetic techniques in AP
7. Report to Combined WG session
In the absence of the chairman, John Manning, agreed to prepare and make a Power Point presentation (see separate PPT) to the combined WGs, to the plenary session and subsequently prepare a written summary of the meeting discussions.
8. Outcomes and resolution
Following the combined Working Group session plenary presentation one resolution was put forward which was subsequently endorsed by PCGIAP.
Working Group 1 Resolution
Borneo GIS Infrastructure Project
Recognising the success of PCGIAP in establishing an overall regional geodetic framework of high accuracy positions within a global framework,
Acknowledging the need to densify this network of global geodetic points for local applications,
Recalling the Agenda 21 requirement for spatial data for sustainable development,
Recommends that the unification of geodetic datums over Borneo be jointly undertaken by neighbouring countries in collaboration with ASEAN FLAG to provide the basic framework for a GIS infrastructure over the area for development of an environmentally focused GIS.
Following discussions at the Executive Board WG1 was tasked with preparing a discussion paper on possible restructuring of working groups. This should examine high level options for gathering and providing information on SDI models and clearing houses as the contact for working linkages with other organisations involved in such research. A second item for consideration is to examine the possible creation of a emergency/disaster group examining linkages of national hazard organisations and the specific spatial data needs of emergency managers.
John Manning
2 February 2004
------
Appendix 1: Workplan for Regional Geodesy Working Group for period 2003-2006 [ PDF : 23KB ]
Appendix 2 : WG1 Presentation to PCGIAP final plenary session [ PDF : 133KB ]
------
Return to Proceedings from 10th PCGIAP
Return to Home Page
------
The contact point for this web page is
Copyright (C) PCGIAP
This page was last updated 1-October-2004.