The Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva and Pedro Basabe, Senior Programme Officer of UNSDR leaded-off the prestigious forum.
Sofia, November 19, 2015 – For the 17th consecutive year Bulgaria celebrated the International Day of Geographic Information Systems. Nearly 500 representatives from over 120 organizations from the central and local government, business, NGOs and the academic community in the country took part in the biggest GIS forum, which was held on 18th November.
The prestigious event was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister Meglena Kuneva, who emphasized the key role of the Geographic Information Systems for the development of many economical sectors such as security, health, education, environment and the opportunities that this technology is providing for the strategic planning, decision making, coordination and cooperation.
Pedro Basabe, Senior Programme Officer of UNSDR, Krasimir Simonski, Executive Director of Executive Agency “Electronic Communication Networks and Information Systems”, Prof. Dr. Peter Getsov, Director of the Space Research and Technology Institute at the Bulgarian Academy of Science and Mrs. Evgenia Karadjova, General Manager at ESRI Bulgaria – the leading company in the field of GIS and the official organizer of the World GIS Day in Bulgaria, took part at the opening of the event.
During the seminar part of The GIS Day Pedro Basabe for the first time in our country presented The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, aiming to reduce the risk of disasters. A great interest provoked the live demonstration of the newly developed GIS for The Agency “Road Infrastructure” for billboards, roadside sites and permits, the GIS of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications for crisis management, and the GIS of The Agency of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre for public access to maps and materials from The National Geocartfund.
Traditionally, within the Solemn Ceremony were presented awards for special achievements in the field of Geographic information systems. This year’s awards were given to five organisations, which have exceptional merits in the field of Geospatial technologies in our country.
Executive Agency “Road Infrastructure” was awarded the prize for the development of innovative Geographic information system for electronic quality service. The award was accepted by Dipl. Eng. Lazar Lazarov, Chairman of the Board of EA “Road Infrastructure” from the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Vice-Chairman of the Interdepartmental Council on spatial data.Nicholay Nankov.
Prof. Plamen Kenarov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Health accepted the award for using Geographic Information Systems for the National Health Map and AIDS campaign in Bulgaria. The award was handed out by Maria Galindo, Commercial Attaché at the US Embassy in Bulgaria.
Award was given also to the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications for implementing GIS for Crisis Management. Radoslava Pacheva, Director of “Safety, technical supervision and crisis management” department at MTITC accepted the award from Konstantin Zografov, Regional Vice President of AFCEA.
Chief Directorate “Border Police” at the Ministry of Interior was awarded the prize for applying a modern GIS for managing the state border. The award accepted Senior Commissioner Yotko Andreev, Deputy Director of Chief Directorate “Border Police” from Georgi Krastev, Secretary at the Security Council at the Council of Ministers.
Prof. Dr. Lyuben Totev, Rector of the University of Mining and Geology “St. Ivan Rilski” accepted the award for their longtime contribution in building GIS capacity in Bulgaria by Mrs. Evgenia Karadjova, General Manager at ESRI Bulgaria.
Within the celebration of the World GIS Day a Map exhibition and contest was held and the winners at it were the Aerospace Observation Centre won the award for “The best cartographic design”, the National Centre for Regional Development for “The most interesting GIS analysis” and Yoana Sandinska from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Surveying for “The best student map”. This year for the “Map of the public” was awarded the topographic map of The Military Geographic Service.
The World GIS Day 2015 was held under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications with the official partnership of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Bulgarian Academy of Science, National Association of Municipalities at the Republic of Bulgaria, Foundation for Local Government Reform, Bulgarian Green Building Council, Union of the Architects in Bulgaria, Union of Urban Planners in Bulgaria, Bulgarian Water Association, Bulgarian Association of Software Companies, National Geographic Bulgaria, AFCEA Bulgaria, Association of the Police Officers, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, University of Mining and Geology, University of Forestry, Bulgarian Cartographic Association, Green Balkans and BAGIS.
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