FIG Commission 4 - Hydrography

"FIG Commission 4 is focusing on development and recognition of standards of competency, development of technical standards and guidelines, developing and promoting the need to manage hydrography, the hydrospatial and marine geospatial domain including all the blue of our blue planet, its contiguous zone in a sustainable matter, such as comprehensive investigation of plastic pollution at source that is concerning global environmental problem (“Mapping the Plastic”). "

What we do

For the term 2023-2026 FIG Commission 4 will be working on:

WG4.1 Hydrographic Standards and Guidelines.
WG4.2 Sustainable Oceans and Hydrography.
WG4.3 Mapping the Plastic.
WG4.4 Hydrospatial Domain and Marine Administration.
WG4.5 Climate Change induced Sea Level Rise and Adaptation.

PDF: Work Plan
VIDEO: Chair of the commission Eranda Gunathilaka takes you through the work plan

Chair of FIG Commission 4:
Eranda Gunathilaka, Sri Lanka

Join Commission 4 on LinkedIn

Learn more about how Commission 4 is working with the SDG's

General

FIG Commission 1

Home
Work Plan
Working Groups []
Terms []
- Term 2015-2018 []
- Term 2011-2014 []
- Term 2007-2010 []
- Term 2003-2006 []
News
Commission Delegates
FIG Young Surveyors Network
FIG Standards Network

NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS

FIG Working Week 2025

6-10 April 2025 in Brisbane, Australia

www.fig.net/fig2025

Mapping the plastic using UAV

January 2025

Working group 4.3 on "Mapping the Plastic" has published an article in GIM Magazine, January 2025.

The article is written by Simon Ironside, Gordana Jakovljevic and Naa Dedei Tagoe.

Mapping the Plastic Using UAV
Helping communities address the global plastic waste crisis

Read the article

Commission 4 at FIG Working Week 2024

June 2024

The FIG Working Week 2024 was held from 19-24 May in Accra, Ghana. During the conference, Commission 4 had organised severaly sessions in the tehcnical programme and conducted its annual meeting. Additionally, the progress of all commissions was presented at the General Assembly.

> Annual report to General Assembly
> Minutes General Assembly
> Proceedings/Technical programme
> Report Annual Meeting
> Conference Website

Commission 4 at FIG Working Week 2023

June 2023

FIG Working Week 2023 took place 28 May - 1 june 2023 in Orlando, Florida.
Commission 4 had organised several sessions in the tehcnical programme and held its annual meeting during the conference days. At the General Assembly the Work plans of all commissions were presented

> Work plan
> Video presentation of work plan
> Proceedings/Technical programme

More News from FIG Commission 4

	Publications		Work Plans

	Proceedings		Working Groups

	Key Documents		Events

Meet the officers Commission Chair Dr. Malavige Don Eranda Kanchana Gunathilaka, Sri Lanka Contact: FIGCommission4 [at] fig.net
Working Group Chairs: Chair of Working Group 4.1 - Hydrographic Standards and Guidelines Mr. Geoff Lawes (Australia), geoff.lawes [at] revelare.com.au Co-chair: Ms. Tanja Dufek (Germany), tanja.dufek [at] hcu-hamburg.de Chair of Working Group 4.2 - Sustainable Oceans and Hydrography Mr. Gordon Johnston (UK), gordontjohnston1 [at] gmail.com Co-chair: TBC Chair of Working Group 4.3 - Mapping the Plastic Mr. Simon Ironside (New Zeeland), SIronside [at] linz.govt.nz Co-chair: Dr. Gordana Jakovljevic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), gordana.jakovljevic [at] aggf.unibl.org Chair of Working Group 4.4 - Hydrospatial Domain and Marine Administration Dr. Kelvin Tang Kang Wee (Malaysia), tkwkelvin2 [at] live.utm.my Co-chair: Mr. Denis Hains (Canada), dhains [at] h2i.ca Chair of Working Group 4.5 – Climate Change induced Sea Level Rise and Adaptation Dr. Mick Filmer (Australia), M.Filmer [at] curtin.edu.au Co-chair: Dr. Ashraf Dewan (Australia), A.Dewan [at] curtin.edu.au Commission Chair Dr. MDEK Gunathilaka (Sri Lanka), erandakan [at] geo.sab.ac.lk Vice Chair of Administration Mr. Gordon Johnston (UK), gordontjohnston1 [at] gmail.com		Delegates and Correspondents: Each member association has the right to nominate a delegate to each of the ten technical commissions. In addition Affiliates, Academic Members and Corporate Members are welcome to nominate a correspondent to each commission. Commission Delegates and correspondents Interested? If you are interested to become a national delegate from your country, please contact your member association. The contact information of national delegates is updates by the FIG office. Any changes in contact information should be sent to the FIG Office.

Achievements
	The hydrographic surveying community is using high-accuracy GNSS positioning techniques for vertical positioning of survey platforms, the sea surface and the sea floor. In order to meet required vertical positioning standards, it is of paramount importance that the entire ERS process be thoroughly understood and that the appropriate procedures are in place during data acquisition, validation, cleaning and processing phases. Read the publication		In 2019 a Working Group on Mapping the Plastic was established. The Working Group is focusing on the dumping of plastics (and other waste) into major rivers, river systems and deltas at strategic locations around the world. Follow the work of the Working Group Article in GIM Magazine January 2025

	Much like towns and cities which have grown because of their close proximity to railroads, superhighways and airports, access to navigable waters has provided the earliest cornerstone for discovery and economic development the world over. But what makes waters navigable? Read the publication		Since 1994, when FIG Publication No. 8, a report entitled Hydrography, Ports and Harbours, was first published, the widespread adoption of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Electronic Nautical Charts (ENC) have brought on notable changes to hydrographic survey technology and how nautical data is published. Read the publication

Terms Term 2019-2022 Term 2015-2018 Term 2011-2014 Term 2007-2010 Term 2003-2006 Working Groups Term 2023-2026 WG4.1 Hydrographic Standards and Guidelines. WG4.2 Sustainable Oceans and Hydrography. WG4.3 Mapping the Plastic. WG4.4 Hydrospatial Domain and Marine Administration. WG4.5 Climate Change induced Sea Level Rise and Adaptation. Work plan	FIG Publications FIG Pub. 62: Ellipsoidally Referenced Surveying for Hydrography FIG Pub. no. 57: Report on the Economic Benefits of Hydrography FIG Pub. no. 56: Guidelines for the Planning, Execution and Management of Hydrographic Surveys in Ports and Harbours. FIG Pub. no. 37: FIG Guide on the Development of a Vertical Reference Surface for Hydrography. FIG Pub. no. 8: Hydrography in Ports and Harbours	FIG Proceedings List of FIG Conference Proceedings FIG Surveyors Reference Library	Events All events Reports to General Assembly Report, May 2020 Report, Hanoi, Vietnam. 2019 Report, Istanbul, Turkey, 2018 Report, Helsinki, Finland, 2017 All reports