economic implications such as how much confidence do I have in a decision based on some kind of GIS process? This means providing scientific leadership to linking uncertainties in databases to uncertainties in the mathematical models used, to the cost impacts of the decisions. In land reallotment, this balancing act is taught at Delft but could be extended to include other economic aspects of Geomatics. All this leads to the conclusion that if I had to design a Geomatics MSc program, I would get quite close to what Delft Geodesy offers with possibly some modifications and linkages to other universities to fill the missing pieces in economics and certain aspects of law. The Challenge All this is of course seen from a Canadian perspective where the need for the establishment of Geomatics and of Geomatics Infrastructures has been recognized for some time. This is reflected in such things as the Inter Agency Committee on Geomatics in the federal government of Canada, which provides leadership to Geomatics and related infrastructure development at the federal level. There is a Geomatics Council which advises the Minister responsible for the national surveys and mapping program. It is composed of four key advisory committees, namely on National Surveys and Mapping (including Cadastre), on Remote Sensing, on the National Atlas of Canada and on Geographical Names all of which are recognized to be key elements to geomatics development. At the federal-provincial level there is the Canadian Council on Geomatics which governs coordination of federal and provincial activities, particularly to achieve the multiple use and sharing of geo-information once it has been surveyed by either federal or provincial agencies. Finally, there is the Geomatics Industry Association of Canada, which grew out of the Canadian Association of Aerial Surveyors in recognition of the broader scope of private sector companies that contribute to surveying and mapping in a Geomatics context. But, for Dutch geodesists to make their contribution to Geomatics development in the Netherlands they must first help create institutional recognition of the geomatics concept, under whatever name you may wish to let it masquerade. Once this support for the concept begins to grow the question is, which organization should take the lead role in its development? Rijkswaterstaat, Kadaster, Topografische Dienst? I felt that most of these organizations are applying digital technology to accelerate conventional processes without giving too much thought to the "information character" of their work. There also does not seem to be much recognition for the fact that all these organizations are in the "information business". This to me was surprising because there is some very good dutch 382

Digitale Tijdschriftenarchief Stichting De Hollandse Cirkel en Geo Informatie Nederland

Lustrumboek Snellius | 1990 | | pagina 405