Iran's National Cartographic Center has signed an agreement with the University of Hanover in Germany to boost scientific collaboration and promote an exchange of know-how concerning geographical mapping.
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps and conveying spatial information effectively.
On Tuesday, a delegation of German faculty members of the University of Hanover visited NCC’s office in Tehran and discussed ways of improving the effectiveness of cartography practices in Iran, IRNA reported.
Both sides elaborated on the process of preparing geographical maps and discussed the shortcomings and scientific gaps facing Iranian experts in the field.
Masoud Shafiei, director of NCC, said besides the need for upgrading mapping techniques in Iran, there are geographical monitoring issues as well.
“Iran’s geodynamic facilities need to be renovated and upgraded with the latest technologies to present accurate and reliable data regarding geological phenomena,” he said.
"Geographical monitoring via satellite imaging technology is still a fledgling field in the country, therefore updating land data is a time-consuming and tough thing to do, considering the vastness of the country."
Shafiei noted that this makes natural disaster management in Iran really challenging.
The German delegation expressed its readiness to help upgrade Iran's scientific and technological facilities in the field and invited NCC and other Iranian experts to take part in the upcoming biennial international Joint Urban Remote Sensing Event slated for May 22 to 24 in Vannes, France.
The event is a forum where researchers, practitioners and students present, share and discuss their latest findings and achievements on orbital and airborne remote sensing data in urban environment.
Launched in 1953, NCC is a state-backed organization tasked with harvesting and updating land data, and developing comprehensive geographical maps of the country.
