Background Brief for WHD 2018

Purpose of World Hydrography Day In 2005, the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) adopted Resolution A/60/30 on oceans and law of the sea, which in particular welcomed the adoption by the IHO of the World Hydrography Day, with the aim of giving suitable publicity to its work at all levels and of in- creasing the coverage of hydrographic information on a global basis. The Resolution urged all States to work with the IHO to promote safe navigation, especially in the areas of interna- tional navigation, ports and where there are vulnerable or protected marine areas. As a result, on the 21st of June each year the IHO celebrates World Hydrography Day. World Hydrography Day is an opportunity to increase public awareness of the vital role that hydrography plays in everyone’s lives. Theme for 2018 The IHO has chosen as its theme for World Hydrography Day 2018: “Bathymetry - the foundation for sustainable seas, oceans and waterways”. Topics for WHD 2018 As in previous years, the World Hydrography Day theme for 2018 is intended to provide a broad range of opportunities to publicise the hydrographic work and services provided by na- tional hydrographic offices, industry stakeholders and expert contributors, and the scientific community. The relevant topics include, but are not limited to: All commercial shipping is now going fully digital The carriage requirements for ECDIS on commercial vessels will take its last step towards completion on 1 July 2018, finalizing a process which started in 2008 and changed the way ships navigate forever. Based on Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) the world´s fleet is facilitated by nautical and hydrographic information in a full digital way. It makes shipping ultimately safer and more efficient. The big transformation from analogue to digital nautical charting – a generation`s project - is now completed. Hydrography for the purpose of digital navigation has ultimately arrived in the 21st Century. To complete our image of the earth and make best use of it While there are significant gaps in our hydrographic knowledge of the seas and oceans, most hydrographic offices manage, or have access to the most comprehensive hydrographic data that exists for each country. They are increasingly making this data available for the widest possible use as part of developing national spatial data infrastructures, in addition to publish- ing charts for safety of navigation. This, together with the IHO-IOC General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) Project, and the IHO Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry (DCDB), represents the most comprehensive, publicly available, authoritative hydrographic data set covering the world and there is sincere hope for further improvement: A project to complete the topographic image of the global seabed named Seabed 2030, funded by the Nippon Foun- dation, has just started. The ambition of this campaign, spanning over more than a decade, is to consolidate all available seabed information, support the development and use of new WHD - 1 cutting edge survey technology and motivate their use in concerted survey programs. Thanks to this project commencing in 2018, the underwater world of 2030 will be far better known to all of us. Hydrographic Knowledge in Support of the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda Hydrography and the detailed knowledge of the shape and depth of the seafloor underpin the proper, safe, sustainable and cost effective use of the world’s seas, oceans and waterways. Target 14.a of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 - Use of the Oceans includes the need to: Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine tech- nology. In this context, the ongoing work of the IHO and its stakeholders in considering how to use satellite derived and crowd-sourced bathymetry, providing access to relevant data through maritime spatial data infrastructures, and providing more capacity building are all rel- evant mechanisms that will help ensure SDG 14 is achieved. The U N Ocean Conference held in New York in June 2017, included marine geospatial information in the Committee’s agenda for the first time and established a United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) Marine Geospatial Information Working Group (UN-GGIM: MGIWG). The WG will provide input to the Committee to support its Mem- ber States in developing national policy, strategic priorities, decision-making and the monitor- ing of global developments in relation to their spatial data infrastructures and marine geospa- tial information management. Marine geospatial information is now regarded as equivalently important as any land based geo-information. Moreover, the seamless association of both data domains “bridging the gap” between shore based and sea based information can now be envisioned. The Work and Contribution of Hydrographers Stakeholders involved in hydrography may wish to highlight the significance and importance of their activities. This could include, but is not limited to, the support of safety of navigation, the protection of the marine environment, coastal zone management, marine spatial data in- frastructures, defence and security, resource exploration, and all other components of the blue economy. The work of all the world’s hydrographers - whether from the public or the private sector - should be highlighted to increase public and political awareness of the importance of the seas and waterways to everyone’s lives. Key figures on the benefits gained from accurate and updated hydrographic data should be provided in relation, for example, to competitive and sustainable shipping or efficient marine spatial planning and associated decision-making pro- cesses. 97th Anniversary of the IHO Today is the World Hydrography Day of 2018 which also marks the 97th anniversary of the establishment of the organization known today as the IHO. On this occasion, the IHO and its nearly 90 Member States will reaffirm their commitment to raising awareness of the importance of hydrography; and continue to coordinate their activities, in particular through maintaining and publishing relevant international standards, providing capacity building and assistance to those countries where hydrographic services require improvement, and by encouraging the collection and discovery of new hydrographic data through programmes such as crowdsourc- ing and satellite derived bathymetry and by ensuring the widest possible availability of this data through the development of national and regional marine spatial data infrastructures. WHD - 2 Dear Hydrographer, Please find attached the Background Brief for World Hydrography Day (WHD) 2018 (Bathymetry - the foundation for sustainable seas, oceans and waterways) which can be used for preparation of the WHD activities. It is also available at: https://www.iho.int/mtg_docs/WHD/2018/WHD2018Backgroundbrief.pdf Sincerely yours, Secretariat of the IHO ……………………