‘Lack of training and knowledge disastrous’
Text and image Euritha Tjan A Way
PARAMARIBO — There will be a new surveyor’s instruction that will clarify a number of uncertainties about geodesy in Suriname. Jo Vola, surveyor at the Management Institute for Land Registration and Land Information System (MI-Glis) confirms this in conversation with the True Time. “The MI-Glis has already created the concept and it is now with the Association of Surveyors. When they have looked at it, we will discuss it with each other. Then we will ratify it,” Vola reports.
Pressure and drones
He attended a master class in Geodesy and GeoICT in the auditorium of the Interfaculty for Graduate Studies and Research (IGSR) of the Anton de Kom University on Thursday. The need for more information and training in the field of Geodesy and GeoICT was evident from the packed room at the institute. “I did not expect it to be so busy, but I am happy that this day was a success,” said the chairman of the Surveyors’ Association in Suriname, Niel Kalpoe. “There is so much happening in technology. We can do so many great things, but unfortunately this has not yet happened in Suriname because the training and innovation are not there. Here we often only work with GPS. The lack of training and knowledge is disastrous,” says Kalpoe.
‘We can do so many great things, but unfortunately that is not yet the case in Suriname because the training and innovation are not there.’ – Niel Kalpoe
The masterclass included examples of innovations in the field. For example, Denzil van Eer from Amps Power Solutions explained how this company maps areas using aerial photogrammetry and drones. The company can also perform underwater measurements. “Mining companies in particular make extensive use of our services.”
HAS Green Academy
Kalpoe, who came across the HAS Green Academy training institute at a Geodesy and GeoICT fair in the Netherlands, has had far-reaching discussions with the institute to work on upgrading the level of knowledge in Suriname. One of the results is that three students are now doing an internship in Suriname and knowledge is being shared. One of them showed how remote sensing modern agriculture could be done with drones. The aim of the project is to set up a platform for farmers who want to manage their land effectively and efficiently by testing against criteria for crop development. This process is then monitored via drones, allowing timely intervention in the event of drought or crop disease, for example.
Together with the training and the MI-Glis, the surveyors’ association is thinking about how to enable assistant surveyors and students to enrich their knowledge. There appeared to be a huge need for this because many assistants work at the surveyors’ offices – sometimes for even ten years – and yet cannot be recognized as full-fledged surveyors.
Happiness seekers and aging
“We know that due to the absence of a training body in Suriname and the enormous need there are, there are fortune seekers. That happened last year when ten surveyors suddenly presented themselves to the president to be sworn in. They all had a diploma from an institute that we do not know in Suriname. A kind of online institute. We as an association then gave negative advice. But from then on it was very clear that we have to do something about the training opportunities in Suriname.”
The fact that some of Suriname’s twenty sworn surveyors are veterans shows even more how urgent the need for rejuvenation and innovation is.
At the end of the masterclass, the audience asked questions such as why someone who has an MBO geodesy and has many years of experience cannot be sworn in. Kalpoe responded that the technical experience that assistants gain at a real estate agency is not sufficient for functioning as a certified surveyor. “That person must also have legal knowledge, be able to mediate and other such skills.”
The fact that some of Suriname’s twenty sworn surveyors are veterans shows even more how urgent the need for rejuvenation and innovation is. Because Baitali NV had an urgent need for geodesy experts, the company had two of its employees trained by HAS Green Academy. They will soon have to take the test to see if they meet the requirements.-.
