ARTICLE
REPORTONFIGCONGRESS2018
SurveyingProfessioninTransitionThebeautifulcityofIstanbulinTurkeyplayedhosttotheXXVIInternationalFederationofSurveyors(FIG)Congressfrom6-11May2018.Withthethemeof‘EmbracingOurSmartWorldWheretheContinentsConnect:Enhancingthe
GeospatialMaturityofSocieties’,thecongressbroughttogethermorethan2,300professionals,academicsandspecialistsfromover90countriestodiscussthecurrentandfuturechallengesofsurveying.Morethan400paperswerepresentedinahundredsessions,includingjointsessionswithpartnerssuchasUN-GGIM,UN-Habitat,FAOandWorldBank.Thisarticlelooksbackonsomeofthekeyhighlightsoftheevent.
ThewelcomeaddresswasheldbytheformerandelectedpresidentsoftheChamberofSurveyorsandCadastreEngineersofTurkey,ErtuÄŸrulCandaÅŸandOrhanKasap.AfterashortvideoshowingtheroleofFIGandthesurveyingprofessioninthegrowingworldeconomy,theyintroducedthedynamiccharacteristicsofTurkey’ssurveyingsector.DrOrhanErcan,theco-directoroftheconferenceandvice-presidentofFIG,gaveinformationonthepreparationsforandscopeofthecongress.ThenProfDrChryssyPotsiou,FIGpresident,reportedonthestrategicprogrammeandeffortsofFIGincooperationwithinternationalorganisationsaswellasthetransformationofthesurveyingprofessionforthefuture.LastbutnotleastProfDrMustafaÖztürk,theundersecretaryoftheTurkishMinistryofEnvironmentandUrbanisation,paintedadetailedpictureoftheTurkishcadastreandlandregistryworkspast,presentandfuture.HesingledoutrealestateasoneofthesectorsdrivingtheTurkisheconomy.
SurveyingisTransformingThecongressprovidedanoverviewofthesurveyingsectorasawhole,whichissteadilytransformingtomeetfuturerequirements.Althoughtheprecisecircumstancesvaryfromcountrytocountry,manyofthepresentationsexpressedtheestablishmentofanopenreal-estatemarketasacommonrequirementinaglobalisedeconomy.Whereasthesurveyingmarkethasbeentraditionallylocalandnationalbynature,andtheprofessionalswithinthecountrieshavebeenprotectedbylocallaws,thisnewdevelopmentrequiresacross-boundaryandgloballyopenapproach.
ManyofthepresentationsreferredtoIndustry4.0andthegeneraltrendtowardsdigitalisation.InthenewdigitalrealityandtheworldoftheInternetofThings(IoT),dataconsumersarenolongerhumansbutrathercomplexsystemssuchasrobots,autonomousvehiclesandonlinedevices.Severalindustrythoughtleadershighlightedthedisruptivemoderntechnologiesthatarechangingthesurveyinglandscape.Inasmart,connectedworld,thisemergingbusinessenvironmentispresentingnewchallengesandnewopportunitiesthatwilltransformthesurveyingbusinessandtaketheprofessiontothenextlevel.Numerouspresentationsshowedtherichcharacteristicsofdatausedbysurveyingprofessionals,rangingfromremotelysensedimagerytomobilemapping,fromGISto
BIM,andfromGNSSwebservicestoindoornavigation.Resultsofvariousstudiesdemonstratedtheintersectionofsurveyingwithdifferentsectorssuchaslandmanagement,construction,agriculture,transportation,waterworks,energy,miningandmanufacturing.
Theplenarysessionsconsistentlyattractedalargeaudience.Revisitingoldproblemsaswellascoveringnewchallengesinsurveying,theplenariesprovidedvisionaryviewsontopicsincludingruralandurbandevelopment,themoderntechnologythatistransformingthesurveyingprofessionandtheimpactofgeospatialdataonsocietalissuesandsmartsocieties.Delegateswereparticularlyinspiredbyreal-lifeprojectsindevelopingcountries,allowingthemtolearnfromexperiencessuchastheurbanisationpoliciesinTurkey,thesustainabledevelopmentofruralandurbanChina,andtheroleofgeospatialdataandSpatialDataInfrastructure(SDI)inSingapore’sdevelopment.
LandManagement,Valuation,GNSSServices,UAVsandBIMThecongressfocusedheavilyontheoutcomesofnewapplications,methodsandtechnologiesforruralandurbandevelopment,landmanagement,landconsolidation,thepositionoflandvaluationinnationaleconomiesandsystemsformassappraisal.Thesessionsongeodeticsurveyingcoveredalmostallfieldstosupportsurveyinginfrastructure,suchasreferenceframes,geoid,datumunification,surveyingdeformationofbigstructures,improvingGNSSpositioningaccuracyinurbanforests,indoorpositioning,sub-centimetreGNSSpositioningservices,IHOsafenavigation,andtheuseofterrestrialInSARandLidarforinaccessibleterrain.Variouspresentationsontheapplicationsofunmannedaerialvehicles(UAVs)inthefieldsofarchaeology,constructionandfit-for-purposecadastresurveysinremoteareasemphasisedtheprominentcharacteristicsofUAVphotogrammetrysuchaspersonalisedsurveyingandbettervisualresolution.
MultipletechnicalsessionscoveredaspectsofBIMsurveyingfromdesigntoconstruction,predictivemaintenanceandmanufacturing.Besidesthat,morethan50peopleattendedthe‘BIMforSurveyors’pre-congresseventtolearnaboutthelatestapproachesusingBIM/CAD/GISsoftware.ThiswasfollowedbyatechnicalvisittoIstanbul’snewairportwhichiscurrentlyunderconstruction.
Fit-for-purposeCadastreandComplexityinLandOwnershipNationalorganisationsforcadastreandlandmanagementgatheredtotalkabouttopicsincludingthenewroleofnationalgeospatialagenciesinshapingmodernsociety,SDIs,theavailabilityofgeodataforrobotisation,autonomousdriving,automateddecision-making,themanagementandqualitycontrol/assuranceofgeospatialdataandone-to-onepartnerships,suchasthecollaborationbetweenAfghanistanandTurkeywhichaimstore-establishalandadministrationsysteminAfghanistan.
Innovativeapplications,experiencesandprototypesrelatingtotheSocialTenureDomainModel(STDM)–aprofileoftheLandAdministrationDomainModel(LADM)developedwithinUN-Habitat’sGlobalLandToolNetwork(GLTN)toidentifyvariouskindsoflandtenureininformalsettlementsorincustomaryareas–werepresentedinjointsessionswithUNbodies,FAOandtheWorldBank.TheoutcomesofSTDMeffortsweredescribedasoutstandingwheredevelopedmodelsrespondedtothepracticalneedsinsteadofblindlycomplyingwithhigh-endtechnologicalsolutionsandrigidregulationsforaccuracy.
Inthedevelopedcountries,ontheotherhand,definitionandmanagementofpropertyrightsin3Daswellasrightsintheairandundergroundaremakingthingsmorecomplex.AsLidaranddenseimagematchingmakedatacollectionmoreaffordable,3Dcadastreisbecomingprevalent,rangingfromdatabasemanagementsystem(DBMS)modellingtopartialrightsonsurfacesand3Dcomponents.
Afewofthedelegatesreportedthegrowingpotentialforsurveyingprofessionalsduetoglobalwarmingandclimatechange,suchaspre-disastersurveyingforcalculatingriskandinsuranceandpost-disastersurveyingforcalculatinghazardandquantity.Besidesthat,thecongresswitnessedtheeffortsoftheUN’sFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO),delegatesandacademicstoyieldsatisfactoryresultsforimprovingsurveyingprotocolsandstandardsonvoluntaryworksfortenureofland,fisheriesandforestswithinthecontextoftheVoluntaryGuidelinesontheResponsibleGovernanceofTenureofLand,FisheriesandForests(VGGT).
BusinessOpportunitiesThelargeexhibitionareafeaturing51organisations,includingtheplatinumsponsors(Esri,TrimbleandHexagonLeicaGeosystems),waslivelyandbusyduringthecongress.Internationaltechnologycompaniesmainlyexhibitedsolutionsforsurveying,GISandbuildinginformationmodelling(BIM),whereaslocalTurkishcompaniespresentedtheirconsultancy,engineeringandsoftwareservicesaimedatvariousverticalssuchasinfrastructure,cadastresurveying,urbanworksandgeospatialdatamanagement.Theexhibitionareaenabledthedelegatestomeetandinteractwithcompaniesinafriendlyatmospherewhilediscussingpotentialbusinessopportunities.
ParallelEventsThisyear’sYoungSurveyorsConferenceattractedmorethan130futuresurveyorstodiscusstheevolutionofthesurveyorroletowardsdatamanagementratherthandatacreation.TheyalsoexploredthetopicofvolunteerworkthroughtheVolunteerCommunitySurveyorProgram(VCSP)consideringtheGLTNneeds.Atrainingworkshopwasconductedtodevelopcommonsurveyingethics,professionalismandtechnicalskillstomoveastepclosertorealisingfreemovementofprofessionalsacrossnationalbordersandenablingjointworkonglobalprojects.
Localmunicipalities(SisliandGaziosmanpasa)supportedtheFIGCongressbysharingtheirexperiencesinurbanisationworksaswellassponsoringthesocialevents.Besidesthat,inlinewiththetraditionoftheConsulGeneraloftheNetherlandsduringallinternationalevents,professionalsandrepresentativesfromtheDutchandTurkishassociationsofsurveyingsocietiesgatheredatPalaisdeHollande,hometothefirst-everDutchembassyinIstanbul,wheretheysharedtheirthoughtsandexchangedideasforfuturecooperation.
FIGCongress2022:CapeTownWithattendanceof71countries,theFIGGeneralAssemblyelectedRudolfStaigerfromDVW(Germany)asthenewpresidentofFIGforthetermof2019-2022untilthenextcongress.DianeDumashiefromRICS(UK)andJixianZhangfromCSSMG(China)havebecomenewboardmembersasvice-presidents.NewchairswereelectedforeightoutofthetenCommissions.Furthermore,FIGwelcomedtwonewmembers:theGeneralCommissionforSurvey(GCS)ofSaudiArabiaandtheAfghanSurveyorsAssociation(ASA)ofAfghanistan.
AfterlaunchinganexcitingbidagainstOrlando(Florida),USA,CapeTown(SouthAfrica)waselectedtohostthenextFIGCongressin2022.ThiswillbethefirstFIGCongressontheAfricancontinent.Untilthen,FIGWorkingWeekswillbeheldeachandeveryyear,firstinHanoi(Vietnam)in2019,followedbyAmsterdam(TheNetherlands)in2020andtheninAccra(Ghana)in2021.ThelocalorganisingcommitteesoftheWorkingWeekeventswerepresentintheexhibitionareaatthecongresstopromotetheireventsandvenueswhilealsodiscussingdelegates’expectationsandproposalsforcontent.
Betweennowand‘CapeTown2022’,membersofthesurveyingprofessionarelikelytofacefurtherchallengessuchaspopulationgrowth,urbanisation,climatechangeandnewdemandsineconomiesandsocieties.ThenextFIGCongressisexpectedtofeaturesomematuresolutionsformanagementofgeospatialbigdata,integralmodelsforBIMand3Dcadastresurveying,integratedindoorandoutdoorpositioning,geodataneedsofautonomousdrivingandrobotisation,blockchaintechnologyfordemocratisationanddecentralisationofgeodata,aswellassomepromisingoutcomesoffit-for-purposecadastreandlandmanagementindevelopingcountries.
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