FIG President Professor Dr.-Ing. Holger Magel at the 5th Map Asia 2006 in Bangkok

Bangkok, Thailand, 29 August - 1 September 2006

President Holger Magel making his keynote address at the 5th Map Asia.

Under the co-sponsorship of FIG and participation of many FIG member countries the 5th Map Asia 2006 took place in the impressive Queen Sirikit National Convention Center Bangkok, Thailand.

Organizer was FIG corporate member GIS Development in cooperation with Thai Survey and GIS authorities. GIS Development President Dr. M. P. Narayanan could welcome about 1,000 delegates from more than 30 mainly Asian but also European, American countries and from Australia.

According to the overarching theme of the conference “GeoICT for Good Governance” FIG President Magel was invited to give a keynote speech in the first plenary session about “Geographic Information: Global trends and perspectives for sustainable development”. He pointed out that Geographic Information, GIS or GeoICT are no end in themselves but have all to contribute to a better life and more sustainability. In his FIG welcome address at the conference inauguration Magel underlined the need of Good Governance as a means to reduce poverty and corruption and the interrelationship between Good Governance and sound land information, land policy, land administration / land management and land use as it is postulated in the famous Bathurst Declaration.

During the conference President Magel held conversation with the Director of Royal Thai Survey Department, Lt. Gen. Dr. Vichit Satharanond with regard to a possible FIG affiliate membership of Thai Survey. He also encouraged leading people of Survey of India to finally join FIG. It was agreed that further discussions should be held at XXVI. INCA International Congress, 23 – 26 November in New Delhi.

On invitation of Royal Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative and the Bavarian development foundation Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, President Magel visited some projects on land reform legalising informal settlement by landless people in coastal zones of the Samutsakom province. In a meeting with the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Suthiporn Chirapanda, Magel explained the competence and outcomes of FIG in the fields of land policies, land reform, land administration and land management and the advantages when Thailand becomes part of FIG community.

• Geographic Information for Sustainable Development – Global Trends and Perspectives. Keynote Speech at the 5th Map Asia, 30 August 2006 in Bangkok.
  • Handouts of the powerpoint presentation
• More about Map Asia: http://www.mapasia.org/

The speakers-row during the inauguration ceremony: (from right ISPRS Vice President John Trinder, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of ICT, Kraisorn Pornsutee, Lt. Gen. Vichit Satharanond, FIG President Holger Magel, President GIS Development Dr. M. P. Narayanan, Prof. A. R. Dasgupta, GIS Development Advisor.	FIG President with a strong delegation of Cambodian Ministry of Lands and Royal University of Agriculture in Phnom Penh.
Four key persons of Map Asia.	The key note speakers of the plenary session Geographic Information Trends: Global Perspectives (from left: Stewart Walker, BAE System, John Trinder, A.R. Dasgupta, GIS Development President M. P. Narayanan and FIG President H. Magel).
Traditional Thai culture at the gala dinner.
	The VIP-table at the gala dinner.
President Magel meets R. Matindas, Head of Bakosurtanal Indonesia.	President Magel with Dato Dr. Abdul Kadir Taib, IPP of The Institution of Surveyors Malaysia.
CEO GIS Development Sanjay Kumar in discussion with nice ladies.	Rural handicraft work with coconut shells exported to Japan – a life basis for rural women.
President Magel embedded in powerful rural ladies producing orchids.	The new home of the landless people after legalizing informal settlement.
President Magel with scientists and the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Suthiporn Chirapanda (1. from right).