Maritime Geospatial Data
Maritime Geospatial Data
AS a large maritime country, with an ocean area of 6.4 million square kilometers, Indonesia needs to manage maritime geospatial data independently.
Maritime geospatial data refers to data presented using certain reference and coordinate systems related to water areas, coasts and everything related to the maritime environment.
Maritime geospatial data is very necessary in managing territorial sea areas, deep waters, archipelagic waters and exclusive economic zones.
This data includes information such as seabed topography, tides, ocean currents, sea depth, port locations, shipping routes, information about protected waters, as well as a number of other factors related to the marine environment.
By using mapping technology and geographic information systems, maritime geospatial data can be analyzed and utilized for various strategic purposes.
Such as planning optimal shipping routes, planning port development, identifying potential locations for planting coral reefs, managing fisheries areas, detecting marine pollution, modeling coastal disasters, arranging submarine cables and monitoring ship activities for security purposes.
Bathymetry is an integral part of maritime geospatial data which provides an important picture of the characteristics of water areas.
Bathymetry is the study of measuring and mapping ocean depth, which provides information about seabed topography, seabed morphology, depth and other underwater structures.
Currently, Indonesia does not have national bathymetric data that is integrated on the same scale throughout Indonesia.
However, bathymetric surveys and mapping have been carried out in parts of Indonesia by various government agencies for various purposes.
The Geospatial Information Agency (BIG) carries out bathymetric surveys and mapping in coastal areas to support coastal management, in deep sea areas to support mapping of the Indonesian continental shelf, and in various conservation waters and marine parks to support sustainable management.
The Indonesian Navy’s Hydro-Oceanography Center (Pushidrosal) carries out bathymetric surveys and mapping, especially on national and international shipping routes to ensure maritime security and navigation.
The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) carries out bathymetric surveys and mapping in relation to ocean area research.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation carries out bathymetric surveys and mapping to support port infrastructure development, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources carries out bathymetric surveys and mapping as part of marine geological surveys to support mapping of underwater resource potential.
There is a need for synergy between agencies that have the capacity and functional duties related to bathymetric surveys to increase the availability of national bathymetric data.
One of these efforts was carried out by forming a national team to organize Indonesian bathymetry data, through the Decree of the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Number 123 of 2022.
This team is tasked with collecting bathymetric data, quality assurance, data integration and information dissemination.
The team is also tasked with providing access to data sharing and dissemination of bathymetric data through the national geospatial information network, as well as synchronizing plans, programs and implementation of bathymetric surveys between ministries/institutions.
Maritime geospatial data management in Indonesia faces various challenges, including limited resources.
Collection of bathymetric data requires significant financial, technical and human resources to carry out bathymetric surveys across its vast maritime territory.
For this reason, synergy and synchronization of bathymetry-related data and programs between ministries and institutions is important for the efficiency and effectiveness of maritime geospatial data management.
Apart from that, there is the challenge of updating data. Undersea conditions can change over time due to natural factors such as sedimentation, earthquakes, or human activities such as coastal reclamation and infrastructure development.
Therefore, regular updating of bathymetric data is very important to maintain the accuracy of the available information.
Collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions and the private sector is very important in managing bathymetric data in Indonesia to ensure the data is accurate, up-to-date and useful for various purposes, including navigation, infrastructure development, scientific research and marine resource management.
