Through Medici Land Governance (MLG), employees of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) have completed a critical training phase in which laser imaging, detection, and ranging technology (LiDAR) was used to develop accurate contemporary maps of the country’s land surface.
These efforts materialized in conjunction with Guyana’s Sustainable Land Development and Management (SLDM) Project, which aims to modernize land management and update its national map to meet objectives in urban growth, economic development, and a growing population.
MLG led a group of 25 trainees in advance implementation of LiDAR technologies, applications for land administration; and tools and workflows for acquiring, processing, and analyzing LiDAR data. The group comprised Geographic Information System (GIS) analysts and technicians, and surveyors of the Commission.
3D digital model produced as part of the project in Bartica
The training complements the aerial data acquisition phase by MLG and its partners for Guyana’s Mainstreaming SLDM Project, which is funded by the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) and implemented by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
MLG is leading the production of updated map data, and will process aerial imagery data to produce digital terrain models and map imagery for extracting infrastructure, water features, and 3D building models. The data representing terrain, aerial imagery, and extracted features will become key layers in the national map. The project covers 545 km2 of the urbanized area and another 15,736 km2 of rural area.
Senior Cartographer (ag), Land Information and Mapping Division, shared, “The LiDAR introductory presentation session was well presented and quite informative. It was fascinating to view the 3D elevation models for the DSM and DTM overlayed, then separately during the practical sessions. The ortho-imagery had the highest observed resolution, which will be very useful for precise map updating.”
LiDAR’s mapping capabilities are achieved by emitting laser pulses from an aircraft or ground-based system and measuring how long it takes for the light to bounce back to a sensor. With these data points, LiDAR can generate a precise three-dimensional map of the land and everything on it, including trees, buildings, easements, walls, and rivers. LiDAR is a cost- and time-efficient alternative to traditional mapping methods.
Medici Land Governance aims to promote economic development and full financial inclusion by helping individuals establish formal ownership of their homes and land. They are poised to achieve this mission by designing and providing a comprehensive suite of user-friendly emerging technologies and services for modernizing and expanding land administration systems and their public services.
Such technologies are related to carrying out hybrid mapping and image surveying programs such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and cryptography; supporting Government agencies to digitize land and other public records, and supporting platform and mobile applications to facilitate public records’ coordination and transaction services, including revenue collections and payments up to, and including, blockchain implementation. (G12)
