Asia-Pacific Survey Congress

Asia-Pacific Survey Congress
Name	Asia-Pacific Survey Congress
Abbreviation	APSC
Formation	1980s
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Sydney
Region served	Asia-Pacific
Membership	Surveyors, cartographers, geodesists
Leader title	President

Contents

Asia-Pacific Survey Congress is a regional professional association that brings together practitioners and scholars from Australia, Japan, India, China, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand with counterparts from South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Papua New Guinea, and the Pacific Islands including Fiji and Samoa. It convenes surveys, mapping, geodesy, remote sensing, and land administration specialists who collaborate with agencies such as United Nations, Food and Agriculture Organization, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and regional bodies like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Pacific Islands Forum.

History

The congress originated in the late 20th century amid international initiatives by institutions including Surveying and Mapping Agency (Australia), Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, Survey of India, and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency-linked projects that responded to transboundary projects such as the Indus Basin Project, Mekong River Commission, and post-disaster recovery programs following events like the 1983 Pacific cyclone season and the 1991 Uttarakhand floods. Founding meetings drew delegates from universities such as University of New South Wales, University of Tokyo, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Tsinghua University, and University of Auckland, and professional societies including Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Surveyors Board of India, and Australian Institute of Mine Surveyors. Over successive decades the congress responded to technological shifts introduced by projects like Landsat, Sentinel programme, Global Positioning System, and international standards promulgated by International Organization for Standardization committees and the International Hydrographic Organization.

The organizational structure mirrors models used by bodies such as International Federation of Surveyors, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and national agencies including the Land Information New Zealand and the China Surveying and Mapping Bureau. Leadership positions have been held by representatives from institutions like Geoscience Australia, Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Administration, Department of Surveying and Mapping (Myanmar), and academic departments at Monash University, Kyoto University, IIT Bombay, and National University of Singapore. Membership categories parallel those of Engineers Australia and include corporate members from firms such as Esri, Trimble, Hexagon AB, and consultancies engaged in projects funded by Asian Development Bank and the World Bank. Committees for standards, ethics, and outreach coordinate with entities like the International Cartographic Association and the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management.

Regular congress sessions follow formats used at International Cartographic Conference and region-specific workshops akin to ASEAN Ministers Meeting events. Past host cities have included Sydney, Tokyo, New Delhi, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Jakarta, Seoul, and Auckland. Special sessions have run in conjunction with disasters response exercises modeled after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami response and regional initiatives like Belt and Road Forum stakeholder meetings. The congress has collaborated with symposiums organized by United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Group on Earth Observations, and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.

Proceedings are published following standards established by publishers such as Springer, Elsevier, and Taylor & Francis, and indexed in databases like Scopus and Web of Science. The congress has produced thematic volumes on topics tied to programs funded by Asian Development Bank and United Nations Development Programme, including atlases and technical reports similar to outputs from the International Hydrographic Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization’s geospatial products. Collaborative monographs have cited methodologies from Landsat program datasets, Copernicus Programme missions, and techniques harmonized with International Terrestrial Reference Frame specifications.

Training workshops mirror curricula from institutions like Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Surveying and Mapping, and the University of Tokyo’s remote sensing programs, offering certification pathways analogous to qualifications from Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors and continuing professional development recognized by bodies such as Engineers Australia and Professional Engineers Board Singapore. Short courses address applications using platforms from Esri, QGIS, GRASS GIS, Trimble GNSS receivers, and content aligned with competency frameworks adopted by ASEAN University Network and national accreditation agencies.

The congress administers awards modeled on honors given by International Federation of Surveyors and national medals such as the Order of Australia-style recognition for contributions to surveying, honoring lifetime achievements comparable to awards from Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, innovation prizes akin to Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water, and early-career fellowships similar to grants from the Asian Development Bank Institute and research awards from universities including Tsinghua University and National University of Singapore.

The congress has influenced regional initiatives including harmonization efforts comparable to the ASEAN Single Window for geospatial data, interoperable datasets used in Mekong River Commission planning, and coastal mapping projects coordinated with agencies like the Pacific Community and NOAA. Its role in capacity building aligns with bilateral and multilateral programs supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and United States Agency for International Development, contributing to standardized surveying practice across the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation membership and fostering partnerships among national mapping agencies, universities, and private sector firms.