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Roles of a hydrographic office and GIS/GPS - an outline survey
Commander Sudhir K. Mittal
India Navy, National Hydrographic Office
Dehradun
nho@sancharnet.in
Abstract
This paper shall survey the current status of GIS usage for Hydrography with references to the National Hydrographic Office (NHO) Dehradun. GPS usage is also briefy touched upon. The major usages of GIS in Hydrography currently is in processing of digital field data, preparation of Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) and paper navigational charts. This can be extended through a GIS based Hydrographic Information System (HIS), to cover the whole gamut of primary navigational products and services and supporting functions of a National Hydrographic Office including maritime boundaries, EEZ management and Coastal Zone Regulation. The Electronic Navigational Chart based on the international standard S57 has the potential to be used as the basemap for most GIS operations on data collected at sea and in the coastal zone. It can also be the common link for development of a nationwide GIS-enabled database for the oceanic and coastal domain. Certain National issues thrown up by the advent of GIS technologies have also been beifly touched upon. Aim of this paper is to prepare a sketch of what in the author’s opinion may be the areas of convergent interest between a Hydrographic Office like NHO Dehradun and the different interest groups represented in this conference.
Introduction
Introduction to Hydrography, the National Hydrographic Office (NHO) and the Naval Hydrographic Department.
- To set the scene a word on Hydrography and the National Hydrographic Office (NHO) Dehradun would be necessary. Hydrography is defined as the “That branch of applied science which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of the navigable portion of the Earth’s surface and adjoining coastal areas, with special reference to their use for the purpose of Navigation. Its value was first recognised by the British during the American civil war when more ships floundered due to grounding than by the gunfire of American warships. Soon after, a specialised branch of Hydrography was established within the British Navy. What applied to warships applies even more critically to merchant shipping plying the oceans which shall remain the only truly viable and safe international thoroughfare for the foreseeable future. It is Hydrography which primarily enabled world wide trade and commerce by providing safety to marine transport through the navigational chart and supporting publications.
- The Chief Hydrographer to the Govt of India discharges his functions through the National Hydrographic Office (NHO) at Dehradun and manages the Naval Hydrographic Department. Under the Allocation of Business Rules of the Govt of India, and the Navy Act the Chief Hydrographer to the Govt is assigned the responsibility for providing to the Indian Navy and Indian merchant mariner, navigational charts and related services for the Indian coast, ports, harbours and the adjoining high seas. Presently about 260 charts exist in the office portfolio covering the entire North Indian Ocean.
- The Chief Hydrographer also supports EEZ management and delineation of maritime boundaries between adjacent coastal states under the UNCLOS III convention. Surveying and certifying the High Tide line and Low Tide Line for the purpose of CZM regulations is another of the national tasks of the Naval Hydrographic Department.
- Several nautical publications are published by the NHO to provide to the mariner, detailed supplementary textual information on the coast, communications, ports and harbours. The National Hydrographic Office issues fortnightly bulletins called Notices to Mariners to update the Navigational charts and publications issued by the office. They are both posted to users of Indian charts and published on the web. (www.hydroindia.org). For navigation hazards requiring immediate intimation to mariners, navigational hazards warnings called NAVAREA warnings are issued by the Chief Hydrographer to ships in the North Indian Ocean Region over INMARSAT and other radio networks.
- With this background we shall now survey the three major application areas of Hydrography – Marine Navigation, EEZ Management and Coastal Zone Management, to outline the current usage of GIS/GPS, to introduce some issues involved with this usage, and to bring out the emerging potential applications. At the end of this certain national issues shall be touched upon briefly.
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