On 7 December, aerial photography started for the first time over Sint Eustatius to capture high-quality images of the island. Additional flights are scheduled for December and January to produce aerial photographs and elevation measurements for Sint Eustatius, Saba, and Bonaire.
This initiative aims to improve the registration of addresses and buildings on the islands, collaboratively working towards establishing a unified central registry of addresses and buildings for each island.
A centralised registry for addresses and buildings
In a central register, aerial imagery is utilised to pinpoint the exact location of an address or building on a map. By registering all addresses and building data only once in the system, the information becomes more reliable. This reduces uncertainty regarding aspects such as the correct registration of a location, house number, or spelling of an address. Governments, by adopting a central register, are taking a significant step towards improving the quality of data in these records.
Elevation maps
In addition to aerial photos, elevation maps of the islands will be created. These maps provide substantial information for the islands. For example, the Public Entity in Sint Eustatius anticipates that the elevation maps will reveal historical buildings and objects hidden in areas densely covered with vegetation, which are not easily visible to the naked eye.
Additional benefits
The imagery is instrumental for the islands for several reasons; it serves to make cables, pipelines, or entire nature reserves visible on maps, enabling governments to make more informed decisions about issuing permits for specific locations. This not only aids in planning where homes or roads should be built and laid on the islands, but also offers opportunities for businesses and researchers, such as conducting market research and studying nature reserves.
The Beeldmateriaal Nederland collaboration
The aerial photography is a one-off project funded by the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and executed as part of the Beeldmateriaal Nederland collaboration. Together, they are considering how to regularly update aerial imagery of the islands in the future.
