Stenthening National Geographic Services in Lao PDR

General

The programme purpose is to assist the National Geographic Department (NGD) in creating, managing and distributing reliable modern national spatial data services to public and private stakeholders and clients. The services include database for digital topographic maps at 1:50,000 and digital orthophoto maps based on fresh digital aerial photography which is part of the programme implementation. The programme also includes densification of the horizontal and vertical control point networks over entire country. SNGS project ended in August 2014. In general, the objectives of SNGS have been achieved rather well. Orthophoto coverage at the end of the SNGS will be twice the original project area, i.e. approx. 2/3 of the country. It has substantially increased technical and institutional capacity of the partner organizations (National Geographic Department, NGD, and surveying and Mapping Centre, SMC). High resolution digital orthopohoto (1:5,000) and topographic (1:50,000) maps are unique products in Lao PDR. The SNGS extension is planned to last from August 2014 until December 2015 and it serves as an implementation of exit strategy of SNGS project. The extension will focus especially on ensuring the institutional sustainability. The project purpose is to ensure that the NGD and the SMC have long term capability and financial means to produce and distribute good quality and up-to-date geospatial data.