Page 2 of 2 Previous  Fig. 2 : Current Status of 1:10,00 scale database (Source: Survey Department, Sri Lanka) Road maps are available in English, Sinhala and Tamil. In Sri lanka, geo-referenced satellite image maps having a resolution of 40 meter are also available for public consumption. The price of these image maps vary according to the areal extent of the area represented. Aerial photographs, on the other hand have restricted access. They are issued only on approval by the Ministry of Defence, Government of Sri lanka. Future Scenario The tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean islands in December 2004 deserves special mention as it is reported to have changed Sri Lanka's coastline. At the southern port district of Galle, approximately 10 to 20 metres of the beach was lost while at Arugam Bay in the east, the problem was far more acute with the sea coming in about 150 metres. BJP Mendis, the Surveyor General of Sri lanka, had earlier announced that it is quite possible that the whole island may have shifted slightly from its original location. He had made the observation based on the GPS readings taken before and after the powerful tsunami had struck the island country in December 2004. Accurate surveys need to be carried out at the earliest in order to ascertain whether there was a shift in the island's location or not. Also, the land use maps prepared by the Survey Department need to be updated frequently to show the present scenario of urbanization in Sri Lanka for a comprehensive understanding of the trends and pace of urbanisation which are vital factors for urban and regional development planning in Sri Lanka. The completion of digital spatial database will serve the geospatial information community in Sri Lanka in many ways than one. It is quite obvious that Geographical Information System (GIS) which makes use of digitized spatial data is bound to make the local and regional planning process more productive. Sri Lanka's Department of Agrarian Development(DAD), under the Ministry of Agriculture, is already using GIS for planning and management of irrigation systems. GIS is being utilized not only as a system to monitor the changes in agricultural patterns but also the impact of the rehabilitation of the irrigation systems on the living conditions of the poor farmer families. Cadastral information is the keystone for developing a Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). The cadastral layer is the most fundamental layer on which the SDI is constructed. In Sri Lanka, the Survey Department is the organization that is responsible for land parcel information. There is an urgent need to collect additional information on land use and buildings built on the surveyed land parcels. Although the Survey Department has the responsibility to maintain the cadastral records of state land, it does not have sufficient information about private land parcels which are surveyed by the Private Licensed Surveyors. The spatial components of the proposed Sri Lankan SDI will comprise cadastral maps prepared by the Survey Department. Surveying and mapping will thus, continue to play a vital role in the planning process of Sri Lanka in the years to come. The survey and mapping methods need to be updated time and again to keep pace with the changing technologies. Only then will the tiny island country in India's neighbourhood be able to establish a strong foothold in the South Asian geospatial community.
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