Department of Geomatics Engineering and Land Management

Research

The Department offers MPhil and PhD degrees by research in Surveying and Land Information, Geoinformatics, and Urban and Regional Planning. Taught postgraduate programmes include: MSc in Geoinformatics; MSc in Urban and Regional Planning; and a Diploma in Land Administration.

The Department’s research expertise is established in the ability to understand, capture and visualise spatio-temporal phenomena and processes to provide reliable management options for decision-makers to achieve sustainable development and to guide policy formulation. These objectives are achieved by using surveying, mapping, monitoring, modelling and spatial analysis tools and techniques. Cutting-edge technology being utilised in the research incorporates data within global satellite positioning systems, mobile systems and web technologies as well as remote sensors on board satellites, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. A wide range of specialised geospatial information science applications are employed within the research, which also involves the development of new methods for dealing with data. Research encompasses the spatial sciences in a broad sense across the land, marine and coastal space.

Priority areas and new themes of research have been identified and are being pursued. The research focus extends to areas covering geomatics, geodesy, land management and land administration, spatial analysis, geoinformatics, spatial and settlements planning, the environment and ecosystems. The following are some topics of immediate concern:

  • Land use and land cover mapping, monitoring, and change analysis for the assessment and management of urban and coastal areas, forest cover, and natural resources.
  • Developing and implementing methodologies using object-oriented, machine learning, and deep learning techniques for extracting information from satellite, aerial and drones’ imagery as well as laser scanning.
  • Coastal zone planning and management, coastal erosion and modelling coastal changes for sustainable development.
  • Comparative analysis of planning statutes and administrative structures in the Caribbean.
  • Design for sustainable development of urban and other settlement areas, environmental planning and policy planning.
  • Urban structure and urban form in the Caribbean.
  • Community and participatory planning.
  • Sustainable human settlements and housing
  • Deformation monitoring and the definition of reference frames for surveying and mapping with Global Navigation Satellite Systems.
  • Geohazards; flooding and landslides, developing plans for areas exposed to natural and man-made hazards.
  • Global climate change, climate change adaptation and resiliency building in Small Island Developing States, climate change and food security, and sea level change.
  • Land tenure rights and practices including family land, and other customary tenure types in specific jurisdictions, and informal and intermediate tenures.
  • Land tenure and cadastral information systems and models, including 3D and 4D cadastres
  • Quality assurance of spatial data and other land-related information, development of standards for spatial data exchanges.
  • Relevant theory and methodology for Caribbean Planning and Resource Management.
  • National and Regional geospatial data infrastructures development
  • Integrating Geospatial and Statistical data in support of the Sustainable Development Goals
  • Open Access Geoportals for the Caribbean  
  • Monitoring ocean and coastal seas in the region using satellite altimetry and other remotely sensed data.
  • Risk assessment in maritime navigation within national and international waters of the Caribbean.
  • Low cost solutions for the construction of geoidal models for small island states.
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