Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing
Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing was founded after a discussion during the PacINET meeting in 2005 in Tarawa, Kiribati. The GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) was established as a Special Interest Group of PICISOC to:
- Move GIS and RS towards web based applications. This is not only visible through Google Earth, but also through the MapServers installed in 14 Pacific Island Countries. Soon all common spatial layers such as public road network, river system, other infrastructure elements including airports, harbours etc. will be downloadable for everybody. This will ensure faster GIS development and at the same everybody will speaks the same language as everybody works with the same projection, same amount of details, etc.
- Assist GIS applications in the region SOPAC, SPC and SPREP were employing the Internet as early users. GIS-PacNet the e-mail distribution list exists for more than ten years and assisted many GIS officers in remote areas.
- Link Remote Sensing to ICT sections because of large demand for data storage and advanced formats to store images. GIF, JPEG and other image formats but at the same time file compression methods were created because of the need to transfer image data through the Internet.
Utilising heavily the Internet for GIS and RS requires PICISOC to play a role in the development of this group. PICISOC can also assist GIS & RS by providing them with a voice at the international level. Pacific Island Countries are relatively isolated and PICISOC provides the avenue to publish Pacific problems on an international level and at the same time receive information from countries outside the Pacific.
Objectives
PICISOC facilitates the advancement of GIS and RS technologies in the Pacific via:
- Sharing information between users
- Operation the e-mail list GIS-PacNet
- Encouraging the creation of GISRS National user groups
- Publishing the Pacific Islands GIS/RS Newsletters – Download Newsletters
- Assisting in organising a yearly Regional GIS&RS User Conference for the Pacific
- Monitoring RS and GIS development in the Pacific – Current Developments
Members
| Names | Interest | Country | |
| Wolf Forstreuter | Chairperson/General | wforstreuter@yahoo.co.uk | Fiji |
| Conway Pene | Geography | conway.pene@usp.ac.fj | Fiji |
| Elizabeth Whippy | General | lizlomani@gmail.com | Fiji |
| Vasiti Soko | General | vasiti.soko@yahoo.com | Fiji |
| Joy Papao | Disaster GIS/Image Processing | joy@sopac.org | Fiji |
| Edwin Liava’a | Systems Development/Utility GIS/OSGeo | liavaa.edwin@gmail.com | Fiji |
| Robinson T. Wood | Utility GIS | woodzie4411@gmail.com | Solomon Islands |
| Litea Buikoto | Disaster GIS | litea@sopac.org | Fiji |
| Vilisi Tokalauvere | General/MapServer | vtokalauvere@gmail.com | Fiji |
| Litia Gaunavou | General | litiag@sopac.org | Fiji |
| Franck Magron | Shallow Water Bathymetry | franckm@spc.int | New Caledonia |
| Sachindra Singh | Systems Development | sachin@sopac.org | Fiji |
| John Lowry | Geography | john.lowry@usp.ac.fj | USA |
| Mike Poidevin | Survey, Photogrammetry | Australia | |
| Akosita Lewai | Forestry GIS&RS | Fiji | |
| Silika Tuivanuavou | Land Mapping | Fiji |
