Successful project finalization in Grenada

Over the past two years, our 3D Mapping expert Mr. Stephan Landtwing supported a component of the Carribbean Climate Resilience and Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project (DVRP) on the island state of Grenada. This World Bank-supported project aims at measurably reducing vulnerability to natural hazards and climate change impacts in the Eastern Caribbean. Part of the ground-work is the collection of high-resolution topographic and bathymetric Lidar and airborne imagery data.

Mr. Landtwing’s consulting services to the Grenadian Ministry of Agriculture included initial stakeholder workshops, the compilation of technical specifications and support for the procurement process. Later, he was tasked with quality assurance and quality control during the eight-month execution phase of the data collection and data production. He also helped the local stakeholders integrate the new high-quality digital data into their workflows and process environments.

The most relevant natural hazard risks on Grenada involve landslides, flooding, soil erosion, tsunami impact or sea level rise. Risks and impacts of these hazards can be reliably modeled using the new Lidar-derived terrain models and aerial images, leading to a better (spatial) understanding of these risks and ultimately better protection and mitigation measures for the Grenadian communities affected by these hazards.

On June 27^th 2018, the new dataset was ceremoniously handed over to the Grenadian Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Yolande Bain-Horsford. During a subsequent workshop and interview, the project leaders from the Grenadian Government and the consultant described further benefits and use cases: Vegetation analyses, infrastructure planning or even an inventory of roofs especially suited for the generation of photovoltaic energy.

The Lidar and imagery data will be made accessible for government and private-sector actors to support their daily work and decisions.

In addition to Mr. Landtwing, other BSF Swissphoto consultants are currently engaged under the DVRP projects: Our veteran photogrammetry specialist Mrs. Natalia Kudinova is preparing historical aerial imagery data of Grenada for use in modern GIS systems and Mrs. Emese Landtwing is supporting topographic and bathymetric Lidar data collection efforts on Jamaica, Haiti and St. Lucia.

We are proud of the contribution our consultants provide to these meaningful projects with their expertise and are looking forward to report further positive news from them soon.