The Ministry of the Environment and Housing on recently welcomed Acquis Group, a geographic systems company, to assist with creating digital maps of the nation’s topography and geographic details for data and research purposes.  

Permanent Secretary Camille Johnson welcomed and thanked the company for coming to see firsthand the potential application of Geographic Information Systems to enhance decision making in The Bahamas.

“I am pleased to welcome you to this Address Ranging and Asset Management GIS Solution Demonstration hosted by the Ministry of the Environment and Housing and the Bahamas National Geographic Information Systems Centre and Conducted by Acquis Group, USA,” said Camille Johnson, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment.

“A warm welcome is extended to Mr. Liam McGeown Chief Operating Officer, Acquis Group, U.S.A. [and others if accompanying Liam] who will be conducting the demonstration. We also hope that you have had some time to enjoy our island while visiting.”
 
Ms. Johnson said that Geographic Information Systems or GIS is simply computer mapping that allows users to visualise geographically referenced data, such as roads, buildings coastlines, property boundaries etc.

 She said that this technology is used in the wider Caribbean region and around the world and may be applied to a wide variety of governmental goals such as natural resource conservation, land and property administration, infrastructure and transport development, social statistics and much more.   

“The beauty of GIS, is the integration of all these areas into one system and its analytical capabilities,” said Ms. Johnson.

”This demonstration is a culmination of discussions between the Centre and Acquis Group officials to showcase a solution that we hope you would find beneficial as we seek to improve governance efficiencies and to facilitate synergistic working partnership for a more integrated GIS in The Bahamas.”