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The Changes in Geo-spatial Professions: Impact of GIS development

Ivan Farayi Muzondo
Ivan Farayi Muzondo
Lecturer, Department of Geoinformatics & Surveying
University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
Ivan_m12@hotmail.com

Padington Hodza
Research Scientist, Scientific Industrial Development Centre
Harare, Zimbabwe
p_hodza@hotmail.com


Abstract
A profession is built on a policy of admitting educated gentlemen to small, self-governing bodies of their social equals, to whom they will personally be known and by whom their fitness would be judged. It derives from the phenomenon of division of labour, but having special power, prestige and knowledge specially importance to society. However, the impact of the new technology has been rapid, effective and forceful providing changes in most operations within professions. The greatest of this has been technology and communication developments. As a result, the proper definition of most professionals has seen a shift towards incorporate changing requirements in technology and procedures. The greatest impact has been on spatial information systems profession due to easy of acquisition and processing of spatial referenced data, query and analysis today. This paper analyses the changing role of professionals within the Surveying and Geomatics fraternity. The Professional roles in the 1980’s have drifted tremendously from data acquisitions to this new millennium of total information management with the rapid development of computer, communication systems and GIS technology. The resultant duty of the professional worker is changing to suit the changing times but this has impacted further changes to related professions.

Introduction
In order to evaluate development options spatially, across sectors and through time, administrators require consistent, reliable and up-to-date information about the land and water. Surveyors as professionals, traditionally, have been involved in the acquisition of relevant spatial data, sectored within specialities in Photogrammetry, theodolite Surveys, Geodesy and Cartography for presentation. Although surveyor’s services appear to be used less today, they have only been used differently in scientific, technological, economic and social tasks to skilfully manoeuvre or direct global, national or community outcomes. Their strength is the ability to maintain a consistent accuracy and precision for the results to be trusted without question. The professions1 are generally considered as making a positive and in some cases, a vital contribution to the community [McLaughlin 1982]. To continue collecting more economic data, more historical information about the land, and to develop more and better maps will not provide substantial and sustainable improvement or strategic advantage to the community or nation [Petersohn 1997]. What is required is to meet present day challenges. As professionalism evolves from ethical pursuit of a learned art for the contributions to public good, and thus judged by the contribution, the groupings need to continually be redefined to meet new challenges to public service. The increased activity of more powerful and economically viable group of professionals that include engineers, geographers, geologist, environmentalist and soil scientist in traditionally surveyors’ duties while the traditional surveyor has retained their old ways (acquisition) is changing the geo-spatial world.

Traditional Geo-spatial disciplines
Surveying is one of the oldest professions, traced to the Babylonian times 2500BC. In 1400BC, Egyptians used surveying to accurately divide land. With the industrial revolution in 1800AD, surveying was brought into prominent position with demand for ‘accurate’ boundaries and for public improvements. The primary2 data was maintained as maps and had political, economic and religious value. Many references exist in the bible referring to land ownership, Deuteronomy 27:173 , Proverbs 22:284 . The existence of such teaching shows how significant the demarcation process was both spiritually and economically to this early community.


Fig 1: Conversion Surveyors

Geo-spatial Profession in Colonisation Era
In the late 18th Century, scramble for both Africa and the rest of the world resulted in partitioning and state boundaries. Surveyors then became instruments for the Civilised community to manage conquered territories. The emphasis of the surveys became to map the country rather than property boundaries. Vital information then included suitable farming land, waterways and route surveys to penetrate new frontiers. The profession was build out of people of various backgrounds, astronomers, mathematicians and army generals. They usually held high social positions that enabled them to advance financially. In the 19th Century, trigonometric practices served both to extend the base line through a frontier and scientifically consolidate information on interior locations [Barrow 1994]. Property boundaries became significant and cadastral surveys national priority. The practitioners’ professional body registered professionals, and ensures adherence to ‘service to society’ to which the system itself ultimately owed its existence [Teversham 1982].

Conversion Era in Geo-Spatial Science
Surveyors have traditionally been involved in spatial data acquisition [Micky 1996]. Since 1980s, Geo-spatial professions have employed cartographic conversion techniques to build computerised spatial models of features on or near the earth’s surface. The graphical map or Computer Assisted Drawing (CAD) simply had to be converted to digital by a cartographic process such as digitising, scanning, or warping (figure 1). Pre-existing useable maps and hard copy images that have any shred of geographic truth are digitised/scanned.


Fig 2: The Role of Legal Framework in Spatial Data Acquisition in Zimbabwe

Utility schematics are in overlays over parcel layers. Other thematic maps (soil, geology, tourism etc) are also in overlay files. In this new decade, the GIS community is running out of pre-existing maps to convert. Instead, Digital Terrain Modelling (DTM) creation or surface rendering is developing rapidly, and 3D virtual reality models are beginning to surface.

Geo-spatial discipline today
Technological advancements have constantly changed the geo-spatial scientific work. Increased automation results in high speeds, efficiency and productivity in both field and office. GPS and remote sensing have revolutionised the spatial data acquisition sector, while GIS and 3D computer graphics have changed the face of data management and display techniques respectively (Fosburgh 2001). The topological structure in Geographic Information Systems5 (GIS) has considerable advantage over conventional CAD or line map data since its interrelates areas that share a common boundary, hence such data can be interrogated. However, in an increasingly information-based, service-orientated society, the professional roles tend to loose some special distinction, privileges are shared and prestige or status is diminished. GIS development saw many professions feeling they would play a leading role in an information age. Among them were lawyers, planners, engineers and surveyors6 who were keen on understanding the complexity of the graphics, communications and file handling systems necessary for effective GIS functionality. However, computer programmers and information systems experts have become primarily responsible for systems development [Micky 1996]. Further, the initial investment required to develop and implement a modern spatial information system was substantial. Systems were limited to well-established firms, but today, most organisations are integrating Information Technology (IT) as part of their business operations. The result has been a changing role of most professions to fit in a changing environment due to these rapid changes. Being a professional, and in commerce, save for the ‘taboos’ in the former of advertising, price cutting and limited liability, the tools are the same. Most methods, techniques and equipment have been automated and made available to all users. The subsequent impact of the Internet (as communication media) on GIS professionals’ vis-à-vis operational procedures, costs, functional resources and benefits has ensured professionals are kept up-to-date with modern trends. The result is a time dilation effect of Internet on technology.

The Legal Framework and GIS
Scientific data gathering has a long history, but mechanisms for data distribution and exchange in digital form are new millennium challenges. Laws are available to regulate ethical flow of information from source to user. The legal framework in spatial data is broadly divided into the following groups:
  • To acquire spatial data for specific applications
  • To share and/or use existing public and private data
  • To alter and /or resale spatial data
Surveyors have traditionally been involved in spatial data acquisition [Micky 1996]. However, only cadastral7 surveyors (herein called Land Surveyor) are considered professionals and are protected by statute, while the remuneration is controlled by state (Figure 2). Non-title and engineering surveys are open to non-professional surveyors [Teversham 1982]. The Land Surveyors (including Land Surveyor-in-training and Land Survey Technician) are guided by the local land laws8 in their operations. The training of student Surveyors, at the Universities, aims to cover professional training or work involving special knowledge of relevant areas of math, science, and the requirements of law.

The Surveyors’ Role in GIS Development
The Surveyor was a partner in the first decade of GIS although his/her contribution has never been acknowledged. However, all geographic truth in any map can be traced to a surveying and mapping process (figure 3).


Fig 3: Surveyor's Role in GIS development is in digital mapping

Someone must have directly or indirectly measured features by one of our surveying and mapping technologies: tape, transit, level, theodolite, aerial camera, scanner, sensor or satellite system in order for any map to have geographic truth. Surveyors assist power, water, telephone, and cable utility companies in developing truth in their utility maps. In most cases, digital conversion does nothing to increase the geographic truth in these pre-existing maps. In fact, many times, good map information is degraded by poor digitising or by converting it to approximate control points, thereby introducing stretching and warping that give less geographic truth after conversion than the map had before.

Modern Information Management Surveyors
So the GIS world faces its future with a startling fact: the only way of developing geographic truth in the upcoming years of GIS is by indirect or direct measurement8 of features (Figure 4). The global positioning system (GPS) and remote sensing technology are the current and next surveying and mapping tools that also just happened to come along during the time period when conversion opportunities in GIS are dwindling.


Fig 4: Methods of direct measurement into GIS

During the last decade, the impact of GPS and remote sensing in positioning and navigation have been tremendous. They are now an affordable and readily available way of determining high accuracy positions. Surveyors benefit from their use and will continue to do so in search of cost reduction and increasing accuracy for their surveys. Those who did GIS by conversion for ten or fifteen years without speaking to a Surveyor presumed that they could also move into the realm of direct measurement by GPS under the guise of “GIS Mapping”. However, Professional Surveyors are questioning this move as interfering in surveying and mapping as practised since 1933 (in Zimbabwe) by non-professional surveyors. For some years now, the GIS community has slowly become aware of existing and continuing operations of surveying and mapping. It is easy to see why proposal to regulate all surveying and mapping will not be popular in GIS circles. No one wants to give up freedom of action by bringing in licensed surveyors for the next phase of GIS, however, the public will be increasingly reliant on the accuracy of base GIS layers, and Surveyors have a safeguard mechanism in place through the licensing process.

The New Geo-spatial profession today and tomorrow Surveyors are likely to enter into negotiated rule making with interested parties to try to find a common sense method of providing supervision of spatial data collection by a Land Surveyor. A joint committee of Cities, National Geographic Information Systems Committee, and the Council of Land Surveyors are likely to be invited to assist in coming up with supervision language that is reasonable. The goal is to have a Land Surveyor involved in data acquisition work, not in the field every minute, but from a overall view in writing procedures to be followed, training those involved the measuring, monitoring compliance with prescribed methods, and documenting the data (Figure 5). Maybe there’s a way of co-operating on the next wave of GIS communities.

Several aspects are becoming more significant in this new era other than spatial data acquisition. These include data storage, manipulation, transformation, digital 3D display and user interface development.



Conclusion
Professional interest in GIS towards the end of the 21st Century in world in general and Southern Africa in particular reflects the importance of space, spatial concepts and spatial modelling (Kellie 1990). No country would ignore the overall impact of the vast changing technology. The improved technology for managing and analysing spatial data is now a major industry that pays little regard to the specific requirements of applications. It centres on whether an application has reference to the earth systems, hence a spatial reference becomes a must. One of the more innovative uses made of the Internet is Real time GIS. Real time GIS is available on the Internet, where data is collected and processed for access via a simple web browser (Micky 1996). Since GIS is already on the Internet, one cannot do without it.

Reference
  • Fosburgh B (Sep 2001): The Changing role of the Surveyor, GIM International, vol. 15, Netherlands
  • Hurn J. (1989): GPS, a Guide to Next Utility, Trimple Navigation Ltd.
  • Kellie A.C. (1990): Land Information Systems - The Surveyor’s Role, Lands and Minerals Surveying Journal RICS
  • Micky Allen (Sept 1996): The Impact of the Internet on this GIS Community - at www.ContaminatedLAND.co.uk
  • McLaughlin John Dr (April 1982): Professions in a post-industrial society, South African Survey Journal No.109 pp 4-9
  • Teversham James (April 1982): Professionalism and the influence of commercialisation, South African Survey Journal No.109 pp 10-15
  • Petersohn Fritz, Primozic Kenneth, Osborne, Nelson October 1997): Global Spatial Data Infrastructure for Substantial and Sustainable Economic Development in the Developed and Developing Countries of the World, Discussion Paper Prepared For The “GSDI Conference, North Carolina, USA at http://hometown.aol.com/scltd1/gsdi/gsdi.htm
  • Barrow Ian J. (1994): Moving Frontiers: Changing Colonial Notions of the Indian Frontiers, at http://inic.utexas.edu/asnic/sagar/fall.1994/ian.barrow.art.html
Statutes
  • Land Survey Act (Zimbabwe) Chapter 20:12
  • Land Surveyors’ Act (Zimbabwe) Chapter 27:06
  • Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Zimbabwe) Chapter 29:12
  • Copyright Act (Zimbabwe)