Topographic mapping in Fiji: Challenges and opportunities Conway Pene 2012 Pacific GIS&RS Conference November 2012, Suva

Thoughts from the field A user.... and abuser... of topographic maps In the field and in the office On paper and on screen About Fiji... but may be relevant to other island countries

Why do we still use topographic maps? Doesn’t everyone uses Google Mud Earth?

Topographic maps in Fiji Series – Updated every 10 years (well... almost) – About 60 A1-size sheets Scale – Published at 1:50,000 Content – 6 themes Vegetation Hydrography Terrain Survey Structures Transport Annotation

Topographic map production process Review – problems with existing maps Plan – what do new maps need? Fly – logistical challenges Capture – sensors record images Process – add spatial context to images Digitise – interpret images; feature data Map – cartographic design Distribute – publish and print

Topographic map use process Buy map from lands department Scan on desktop scanner – produce image Geo-reference in GIS Use as backdrop for operational data Digitise features for spatial analysis

Challenge - scale Are current capture and production scales suitable? – Suitable for what?... Suitable for whom? – Do we know who uses these maps and why? What scales do we work at? – Hydrology, infrastructure, population – 1:5,000 – Agriculture, forestry – 1:10,000 – ????? at 1:50,000?

Challenge - content Topographic themes – how relevant? – Do we need new ones? Labels – on the map, but no index – Gazetteer –allow geocoding attribute data Imagery – image backdrops more useful – Where to get imagery? – But how to integrate?

Challenge - quality Topological accuracy of underlying spatial data – Points, line polygons used to generate symbols – More useful to GIS as raw spatial features – BUT... need major topological improvement Attribute quality and consistency – “the power of the map is from the table”

Opportunity – improve quality Printed index – find features more easily – Name and x,y coordinates of all labelled features – Start of a gazetteer? Gray-scale compatible colours – Detail lost when printed/copied to black-white

Opportunity – digital publication Raw data – for GIS industry – Analysis, value adding Digital end products – Topo sheets in GeoPDF, GeoTIFF – Directly from source vector layers and cartography

Opportunity – digital publication Map and data services – – Web service – maintains cartographic standards – Web services – access data without having data GPS integration – Consumer GPS market – Currently no good quality Fiji base maps

Opportunity – new backdrops Current – vegetation... Interpreted, outdated Other possibilities – Imagery – obviously... – Land cover – new categories, more detail – Substrate – soils and geology – Administration – hierarchy of boundaries, places – Infrastructure – transport, pipes, cables, wireless coverage – Services...

Opportunity – collaboration User community What do end users want to see in their topographic maps? What can end users contribute to the topographic map?

Opportunity – multi-purpose map One map, many uses Beyond the topographic map?... – 19 th century concept and product – 21 st century problems and technologies The National Atlas? – – Improved topographic mapping as a vehicle for geospatial development

Opportunities – outsourcing 1 Review – Seek input from community – Multi-stakeholder consultation process – Business role – independent consulting Plan – And collaborate – Advice on technology and production process – Business role – independent consulting

Opportunities – outsourcing 2 Fly – Air survey specialist companies Capture – Sensor and platform vendors – multiple bands, LiDAR Process imagery – Image processing specialists All these already outsourced

Opportunities – outsourcing Digitise – labour intense – Outsource to digital sweatshops Map – Cartographic design – Outsource to graphic design Distribute – Multimedia publication – Outsource to publication specialists

Opportunities – new roles Currently – Government department trying to do everything Role for the private sector? – Data is infrastructure – Who builds infrastructure best? – Look at current trends... Teleco, power, water, roads – Coming soon... Hospitals, schools,

The Fiji xxxxxxx Authority What is the role of government? Depends on.. – Needs of the sector – Capacity of the market What could government do? – Data designer – help define what we need – Data client – buy data on behalf of the taxpayer – Data reviewer – quality control what is produced – Data authority – certify data to a standard

This is already happening... Cadastral mapping – Community expresses needs – Government sets standards – Private sector does the heavy lifting – Government checks and certifies

So what was the point of all that? Make existing products more useful Make new products from existing data Develop roles for private sector in mapping Use improved topo mapping as opportunity to develop modern geospatial information industry

But please don’t reinvent the wheel!