With the vision of “one map, one community, one nation,” government and private sector representatives from Laos and Thailand have exchanged information on a geographic information system (GIS) with the goal to construct a single map for improved natural resources management.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Prof Dr Boviengkham Vongdara, chaired a meeting organised by the Technology and Innovation Department, Thepsymeuang Trading Company and companies from Thailand in Vientiane on Monday.
One map via GIS will be beneficial in natural resources management by saving time and funds for investments on information surveys and mapping. GIS will also enhance communications and collaboration between government and private sectors.
The meeting emphasized the versatility of GIS, enabling the user to discover and share maps from any device from anywhere and at anytime. It also highlighted that in order to better understand, exchange and develop natural resources from both countries, it is imperative to build an online system for a closer partnership between governments and private sectors.
The advantage of a single shared map includes authoritative data, high-quality mapping, improved visualizations, spatial analysis and models and rich applications.
Furthermore, GIS allows greater sharing and collaboration for government operation centers and clarifies administrative boundaries, transportation, hydrology, land parcels, forest boundaries and other topographic features.
