Spanish Society of Cartography, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (SECFT)

We want these pages to become an essential point of reference for the SECFT’s activities. From here, we expect to provide current information of interest to our members and to anyone who may be interested in national and international cartographic activities and in the new developments in the field of geographical information.

We live in an increasingly internationalised world in which profound changes are taking place in terms of the availability of territorial data, accelerated by the great advance in space and information technologies.

The SECFT must assume responsibility for contributing to awareness of major technological projects of a geographical nature and those which result from advances in information technology -- for example: the new perspectives and developments in the field of cartography and editing of geographical databases; the observation of the Earth from space; the implantation of new generation, high-resolution artificial satellites; new global navigation and positioning systems; the development of geographical information systems and the GSDI Association’s initiative for the establishment of Global Spatial Data Infrastructure.

Today, it brings us great satisfaction to see how notable advances are being made in the development of legislation related to geographical information and cartography: both in the European Union, with the Inspire Directive, and in Spain, with the establishment and government regulation of a National Cartographic System which bestows upon the Directorate-General of the National Geographic Institute a highly important role in its maintenance and operation.

It has taken many years of work to achieve these legal controls, now in force, which make a priority of the free availability of cartography and geographic information, as well as the necessary precision, updates and coordination when obtaining data, and the immediate availability of data to public and private organisations and to citizens.

Finally, I want to welcome any suggestions that anyone, either organisations or private citizens, would like to make in order to improve the fulfilment of our responsibilities in SECFT.

Ramón M. Lorenzo Martínez
President of the Spanish Society of Cartography, Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (SECFT)