SPC Geoscience Division

EVERY effort will be made to ensure that Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing are adequately resourced to serve the needs of the Pacific region, says SOPAC director Doctor Russell Howorth. He made the comment while opening the 2011 Pacific Islands Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing Conference on Monday.

"The goal of SOPAC is to apply geoscience and technology to realise new opportunities for improving the livelihoods of Pacific communities. GIS and remote sensing is clearly a technology which can contribute to realising improving livelihoods," said Howorth.

GIS is a computer-based tool used to collect, combine and overlay information in the form of easily understood maps constructed from up-to-date satellite images and field data, while remote sensing is the collection of information about the earth from a distance.