The importance of planning in national development is like a bright lamp. Identifying and achieving national needs in the near future is only possible with good planning, while access to authentic information is essential.
Although the acquisition of authentic information is a very patient and difficult process, its fruits can be used for many decades, an example of which is the census.
Acquiring accurate information along with its associated placement is also indispensable. Suppose a provincial government has to plan the construction of a road in a tehsil to make the supply of commodities to the markets easier and more efficient.
This work requires planning based on factual information. For example, obtaining information on factors such as identification of commodity production areas in this tehsil, information on current population density, existing road conditions, identification of problematic areas, etc. and planning based on this. Action alone can guarantee real progress.
Geographical system is basically an integrated system of three factors, including Global Positioning System, Satellite Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System Included.
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The US, Russia, China and India have launched their own satellites in space, which enable global positioning systems. The positioning of ships and airplanes and of humans on land owes to this system.
Obtaining information about the earth and its environment with the help of satellites is very effective in national development and planning. Glacier and forest erosion and loss of area can be monitored through this system and compared to climate change.
The increase in the amount of carbon and other gases in the atmosphere, its effects on human life and the causes of its increase can be assessed with this system. It is also possible to obtain information about the composition of the earth, access to its treasures, and the changes taking place in it thanks to this system.
In the 2005 earthquake, it was possible to assess the destruction in remote villages with the help of satellite images. The strategy of projects implemented in country dimensions may be possible even without some degree of access there. Assessment and accurate measurement of the availability of natural resources and crops can also be compiled through this system and as a result, national goals can be achieved through adequate planning.
Geographic information systems are a viable component of planning. Information obtained from satellites is used in an integrated manner with geographic information systems to enable better planning. Suppose that the selection of a place for a water reservoir is to be carried out in a place, then for this, the information obtained from satellites and geographical information systems can be used to select a suitable place sitting in the office.
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Similarly, route selection for a new road in difficult mountainous areas is also possible thanks to an integrated geographic system. Advanced battle planning, monitoring of enemy movements and the ability to launch missiles at the right place is also a feature of this system.
Factors like planning of urban areas, resolution of land disputes, identification of illegally occupied land can be easily addressed through geospatial systems. A smartphone is a common thing nowadays and with the help of its built-in geolocation system, one can easily reach any address in the city by choosing a suitable route. In 2006, the US Department of Labor listed geographic systems as one of the fastest growing sectors.
In Pakistan, the Election Commission conducts constituencies for national level elections on the basis of population distribution, while the Department of Statistics obtains population information on the basis of the census that was conducted in the country 18 years ago.
The use of integrated geographic system in the census process ensures the availability of authentic population information and on this basis the distribution of constituencies and all other resources on the basis of solid facts can be possible due to which the country can develop in an even manner. will be able to determine the goals of
Setting and achieving goals based on guesswork can only be interpreted as a madman’s dream. It is time for the government to make full use of the Integrated Geographical System (GIS) in the prospective census to pave the way for better future planning and national development.
For the first time at the national level, the Ministry of Planning and National Development has defined the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project through geospatial maps and has tried to highlight the equitable distribution of resources in the provinces through this system. That is a welcome thing.
Therefore, it is not possible to achieve the goals of national development without geographical system. It is necessary for the government to take appropriate measures for the development and promotion of this system.
This system has its roots in the Kingdom of God, but it needs serious efforts to become a tree. Pakistan does not have any satellite system except Paksat 1R which only provides communication facilities.
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It is a fact that Pakistan was the first country in the region to launch a rocket into space with the help of the US space agency, but today we are far behind our neighbors China and India in this field.
India has set milestones in space development and has reached the Moon and Mars and now many Western countries including the US are looking to India to send their planets into space at low cost.
In view of the importance of geographic system in Pakistan, the legislative process on it was completed in 2004, whereby no individual or institution is eligible to work on geographic system without the permission of Survey of Pakistan.
Now on the one hand it has been made subject only to the permission of the Survey of Pakistan, on the other hand the government has failed to implement this law and to properly encourage the people involved in this sector.
The law also calls for the establishment of a National Information Framework, which will bring together geographic information in the country and make it accessible to users, but there is little concrete evidence of this. The results have not come out.
Now that the government is moving towards a census after almost 20 years, it is important that this work is now less supported by traditional methods, and more dependent on technology, so that the planning process is better and can be made more effective
