that are too small to be cost-effectively collected by a manned aircraft.
Concluding remarks Today, economies are closely tied to how well their nations are embracing the digital revolution. The 3D geospatial technologies that define this revolution are best represented by GNSS and positioning technologies, geographic information systems (GIS), Earth observation satellites, aerial and ground-based imagery, and active sensor technologies such as Lidar and radar. Besides its importance to each nation’s economy, geospatial information is enmeshed with the location-based sub-revolution that modern societies cannot live without. Everyone relies on accurate location information nowadays, but location is no longer in 2D terms. People have grown accustomed to the benefits and capabilities of the third dimension, i.e. elevation data, to design projects, model the impact of sea level rise and storm surge, predict flooding and model runoff, etc.
The rising use of digital twins and BIM has also spurred an unprecedented appetite for highly accurate, high-resolution 3D data. Nations are finding that geospatial information and digital technology can generate market opportunities, readily connect them with the world and their citizens, help them wisely manage their resources and create jobs.
Figure 7: This Lidar data was collected via UAS by Woolpert over the testing site for California State University, Fresno. Its point density is 300pts/m2. (Image courtesy: Woolpert)
About the authors Qassim Abdullah, PhD, CP, PLS, is vice president and chief scientist at Woolpert. He has 40-plus years of industrial, research & development and academic experience in analytical photogrammetry, digital remote sensing and civil and surveying engineering. The adjunct professor publishes a monthly column in PE&RS Journal and has received the ASPRS Lifetime Achievement Award. Joseph Seppi, CMS, PMP, is senior vice president and geospatial sector leader at Woolpert. He has trained as a geologist, geomorphologist, hydrologist and ecological planner, and has 30 years of technical, programme and project management experience in mapping sciences and geospatial data collection, management, analysis and dissemination.
organizations
Become a Mentor or Sponsor through the Volunteer Community Surveyor Programme The FIG Volunteer Community Surveyor Program (VCSP) is a collaborative global outreach programme through which young surveyors can volunteer their time and skills to humanitarian and environmental causes. The VCSP is a non-profit organization run by volunteers under the FIG Young Surveyors Network. In a pilot in 2017-2018, 13 skilled volunteer community surveyors were deployed through the VCSP to government and CSO institutions to support the GLTN’s countrylevel activities for promoting land tenure interventions in the Asia-Pacific and Africa regions. There are unmapped parts of the globe, plastics littering the oceans, vulnerable communities that have no recorded land rights, and increasingly frequent natural disasters which can leave countries struggling to recover for many years. At the same time, there is a network of skilled young surveyors who are able to help. The FIG Volunteer
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Community Surveyor Program (VCSP) is the link between the needy and the able for all things surveying-related.
for Land-based Community Problems – Tools and Modern Approaches’.
Sponsorship opportunities Reflections from the VCSP Wisdom Workshop, January 2021 The VCSP team hosted a two-day Wisdom Workshop from 28-29 January 2021 with active participation from a mix of 125 young and ‘seasoned’ surveyors from 44 countries from around the world. Support from leading organizations such as Cadasta, the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) of the UN-Habitat, Kadaster, and Spatial Collective contributed to an engaging learning and sharing experience for all.
Are you willing to support young surveyors as a sponsor, or do you know someone who is? VCSP is seeking funding for upcoming projects. The VCSP team explain: “We achieve our cause through holding large, global Wisdom Workshops to educate people and equip them with the tools to make a difference to vulnerable communities through land
Day 1 focused on ‘Community Problems, Land Tenure and Tools for Land Management’ and this was followed on Day 2 by attention for ‘Building Capacity and Implementing Modern Land Management Approaches’, all under the overarching theme of ‘Sustainable Solutions
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