Country Continues to Use Geospatial Technologies to Drive Development
By: November 15, 2023 ,The Full Story
As Jamaica and the rest of the world prepare to celebrate Geographic Information System (GIS) Day on November 15, the country continues to use geospatial technologies and information to drive development.
Principal Director (Acting) at the National Spatial Data Management Branch (NSDMB), Simone Lloyd, told JIS News that for more than 30 years geospatial technologies and information have been used to develop several sectors, including transportation, agriculture, and national security.
“Geospatial technologies play a major role in the National Works Agency’s (NWA) road maintenance operations where they use them to map and maintain roads, gullies and drain ways,” Ms. Lloyd explained, adding that the entity would also use the aforementioned technologies if roads were to be expanded.
In order for these expansions to happen, the NWA must know the existing roadways, the lands that are joined by these roadways and what additional parcels of land need to be obtained.
The Acting Principal Director also pointed out that entities such as the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) use geospatial technology in their daily operations to assist with the routing of buses.
Another area that is largely driven by geospatial technologies is the Forestry Department, which uses said resources to assist with the planting of seedlings and help to mitigate the effects of climate change.
She further noted, “The Forestry Department also uses these technologies to assist with the mapping and monitoring of our forest reserves, not only to determine the types of trees that we have but to see if there are any forms of activities that are endangering these reserves.”
Additionally, entities, such as the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), through their GIS Unit, use these technologies to map where criminal activities are taking place across the country and allocate resources accordingly.
Ms. Lloyd took the opportunity to invite citizens to come out and participate in the GIS Day Exposition, which will be held in the Assembly Hall at the University of the West Indies, Mona, on Wednesday, November 15.
“Through this expo, we have created a unique opportunity for organisations to showcase the work that they are doing that can benefit our citizens, and so we invite the general citizenry to come out and learn about things that impact them daily that are powered by geospatial information,” she said.