Ordnance Survey (OS), Britain’s national mapping service, has donated 170 field survey kits to the Bahamas to help with strengthening geospatial learning and mapping capacity.

The donation will enhance practical training and support the continued advancement of surveying, mapping, environmental management, infrastructure planning, disaster resilience, and sustainable national development across The Bahamas. The donation grew out of a technical exchange visit by Bahamas National Geographic Information Systems (BNGIS) officials to the UK last year when a need for high-quality survey instruments was identified.

The Leica kit was flown over by the Royal Air Force and welcomed by the British High Commission, the Bahamas Government and the BNGIS at a handover ceremony. Zane Lightbourne, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in the Bahamas Government, described the donation as a milestone, and an investment in people, education, and the future of the surveying and geospatial professions. He also highlighted that the government’s relationship with OS dated back to the early 1950s. when surveying and mapping efforts played a critical role in supporting national development in the Bahamas. He added:

“Today, this long-standing relationship continues to support capacity building, knowledge exchange and the growth of the geospatial sector in the Bahamas.”