The Pacific GIS & Remote Sensing Council has renewed its regional membership with the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
According to the Pacific GIS & Remote Sensing Council (PGRSC), the move reaffirms its role as a “key institutional representative of the Pacific region within the global geospatial science community”.
“As a recognised regional member, Pacific GIS & Remote Sensing Council serves as a bridge between Pacific practitioners, researchers, institutions, and international scientific networks in photogrammetry, remote sensing, and geospatial information science,” it said in an official statement.
The PGRSC says the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) membership renewal reaffirms its role as a trusted regional interface with leading international scientific bodies, while also giving it a platform to increase visibility of and boost influence for Pacific initiatives.
It should also serve to facilitate collaboration between local experts and global research initiatives, helping to shape “international standards, methodologies, and priorities relevant to island, coastal, and climate-vulnerable regions”.
For PGRSC members, the development will ensure access to international scientific networks, working groups and expert communities, and enable cross-regional collaboration.
In addition, members will gain early access to scientific developments, methodologies, and best practices, as well as eligibility for participation in ISPRS technical commissions, workshops, symposia, training programs, summer schools and professional events.
“This partnership strengthens the region’s capacity to address critical challenges in climate resilience, environmental monitoring, urban development, and sustainable land and ocean management,” the PGRSC said.
Regional collaboration in the South Pacific
The ISPRS membership renewal follows the signing of an MoU late last year between the PGRSC and the Pacific Community (SPC).
The MoU covers collaboration on “outreach, training and promotion of regional networking in support of strengthening geospatial and Earth observation work for Pacific communities, thereby better informing decision-makers and the public about the importance and great potential of these technologies,” according to the PGRSC.
“We are both honoured and excited to collaborate with the Pacific Community on ways to expand geospatial and Earth observation capacity and knowledge sharing across the Pacific Islands countries,” said Bradley Eichelberger, PGRSC Chair.
“Geospatial and remote sensing applications are essential services that provide science-based solutions to solve some of the key issues in the region, and the outcomes of this partnership will build strong, resilient Pacific Islander communities.”
The collaboration will see the SPC use Digital Earth Pacific (DE Pacific) events to showcase PGRSC’s community activities, while the PGRSC will be able to direct users to accessible public data, products and tools provided in DE Pacific.
