YOGYAKARTA- National Coordinating Agency for Surveys and Mapping (Bakosurtanal) admitted that there is still a lot of homework to be done, especially related to questions and border issues between countries. This example can be found in the case of Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu, West Kalimantan which involves Malaysia. Therefore, Bakosurtanal currently is also attempting to complete the making of 45 border maps involving Indonesia and several countries except Malaysia.
"Of the 45 border maps which will be completed, approximately 13 of them are still Outstanding Boundary Problems (OBP) because they have not been ratified," Deputy of Natural Resources Survey of BAKOSURTANAL, Priyadi Kardono, said in the National Symposium on Geo-information Science at UGM Graduate School, Thursday (27/10). The symposium was organized by PUSPICS, Faculty of Geography UGM.
Priyadi added that Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu actually technically have reference of the approved treaty between the Netherlands and the UK especially in the years 1891, 1915, and 1928 in the decision of boundaries. Bu there has not been coordinate measurement coordination system and topography map yet.
"There were MoUs between Indonesia and the Netherlands in 1973, 1976, and 1978. However, there were damaged or lost stakes," Priyadi explained.
The issue of borders and boundaries both among countries and regions (provinces or regencies) according to Priyadi is sometimes quite crucial. Sometimes the problem also moves to the issue of additional budget to discuss and resolve a border conflict.
"If a border does not have potentials such as petroleum, coal, etc., it is usually not a conflict or problem. But it is different if a border has potentials of natural resources," he said.
On that occasion, Priyadi also mentioned the efforts to hold the same perception about geospatial maps in Indonesia. With the single reform in the geospatial field, it is expected geospatial data in Indonesia will be better, orderly and reliable in the future. At present, Priyadi added, many geospatial maps in Indonesia are still made by each unit and the agency, so they are diverse. "Geospatial information is required by all sectors, so, in the future we will do a single reform of geospatial data in order to make better, orderly, and reliable map," Priyadi said.