Jakarta, Ekuatorial – Lack of accurate mappings on lands and oceans had triggered conflicts in the country, said a senior official on Tuesday (9/9), in Jakarta.
Geospatial information is crucial to determine forest area stipulation, set up boundaries, spatial planning, legal certainty on land ownership, disaster risk reduction, even to observe earth’s changes. Unfortunately, only 16 percent of Indonesia’s land areas have been mapped up on the scale 1:25,000. It is much better condition rather than oceans which have not been mapped at all for the same scale.
“The geospatial information data for medium and large scale is still inadequate,” said Ridwan Djamaluddin, Deputy for Natural Resources Development Technology, Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology or BPPT.
Djamaluddin said that most of the data was still in two-dimensional maps meanwhile data on seabed contours and mountain altitude also needed [to be mapped] for a more comprehensive information. “What we need to have is four-dimensional maps for Indonesia’s areas,” he said.
Furthermore, he said with the One Map program then the country’s geospatial information will be more accurate and better in coverage.
The One Map is a program initiated through a forest conservation program to reduce deforestation and degradation called REDD+. Its aim is to incorporate all maps in the country, starting from forest sector, into just one map which will serve as national reference.
Asep Karsidi, head of Geospatial Information Agency or BIG, said a total of 94 spatial data were needed for the national development planning.
“BIG has three important tasks, based on the 2011 Law on Geospatial Information, which are to ensure data availability on geospatial information, people can use them, and easy to access,” Karsidi said.
Meanwhile, head of REDD+ agency, Heru Prasetyo, said forestry sector needed accurate geospatial information. “Geospatial information data is the main key in all REDD+ programs. Without these information then REDD+ go to hell,” said Prasetyo adding that the information on clear borders will be important to measure emissions cuts.
REDD+ is a forest conservation program to support Indonesia’s emission cuts targets, 26 percent and 41 percent with international help by 2020.
He said that that accurate information will be able to monitor forest fires and help with disaster mitigation. “In reducing deforestation and land degradation, peat lands, and forests then it is necessary to have the latest technology to produce high accuracy geospatial data,” he said. Januar Hakam .