Abstract
The rapid developments in Global Positioning System (GPS) and other geoinformation technologies, especially Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing, photogrammetric techniques and World Wide Web (WWW); offers efficient tools for integrated solutions in surveying. The effectiveness of decision-making using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mainly depends upon availability of up-to-date data. The use of GIS for development and maintenance of an integrated database, shared by many users, eliminates problems of data duplication. The inter- and intra disciplinary integration provides an opportunity for augmentation of real-time data from field, directly into commonly accepted enterprise data structure. The paper highlights innovations in GPS that have revolutionised the way we collect, share and maintain data.
Introduction
The effectiveness of decision-making depends upon real-time data availability, whereas lack of up-to-date planning and social databases, particularly in most developing countries, leads to unguided development. The development plans in most developing countries do not reflect actual field conditions. As a result, officers in local authorities lay a major road passing through a plot of land, actually where an unauthorised slum has come-up. As a result, we are following Building-Occupation-Planning-Surveying instead of Planning-Surveying-Building-Occupation. The development planning without referring to actual field condition and sever delays in resurveying leaves the planning mechanism in danger of not reflecting actual field conditions, which in association with other institutional problems leads to mismatch with unprecedented speed of urbanisation.
Furthermore, survey networks in most developing country are established during colonial rule using traditional measurement and triangulation methods, which were updated using different techniques at different times giving varying accuracy. In addition, many studies have reported that ground survey monuments are vulnerable to displacement or removal due to various reasons, which are reference points for new surveys. The above discussion indicates that the use of traditional terrestrial surveying methods such as theodolite, levelling instruments, Electronic Distance Meter (EDM), and total station have proved cumbersome, time consuming and relatively inaccurate. Above methods and approaches have been dominant until very recently, however, evolution of Global Positioning System (GPS) and innovations in integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) has revolutionised modern surveying, mapping, navigation and positioning.
