SPC Geoscience Division

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) accepted the 2013 DigitalGlobe (Asia Pacific) APAC Innovation Award. This award is recognition of the systems and approaches SPC has taken in the adoption and introduction of DigitalGlobe imagery.

SPC has taken the raw imagery and applied the world class enhancement techniques that allow for users in Pacific Island Countries to utilize the images for climate change, food security, forestry and land management.

The image enhancement takes the special conditions of the Pacific environment into consideration. Products now include correction for humidity, haze and other atmospheric conditions. This improves the confidence in the information derived from the image data.

The award (see photo) was presented to Deputy Director General Fekitamoeloa K. ‘Utoikamanu in the Nabua SPC office in Suva, Fiji. “This has been a real stepping stone to improving the service to the Pacific Island Countries.  Already we are seeing economic and social benefits and I am looking forward to these benefits being realised throughout the Pacific and a closer partnership with DigitalGlobe”, said DDG Fekitamoeloa.

Caption (L-R): Wolf Forstreuter, Senior GIS Specialist, SPC Deputy Director General Fekitamoeloa K. ‘Utoikamanu, Peter Kinne (DigitalGlobe)