Preparing for hurricanes, creating scripts with Python and responding to pandemics are just a few of the job functions of Johann Sidial, 31-year-old geologist and AAPG Member who works with the government of Sint Maarten's Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure, which is abbreviated "VROMI" in the Dutch-speaking country. In his role as geographic information systems officer, Sidial is responsible for managing and executing the acquisition, analysis and visualization of datasets across Sint Maarten, a constituent country for the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in the Dutch Caribbean. Sidial also serves as the VROMI's drone pilot, where he works to broaden the inventory of aerial imagery across the island. These functions help him work toward a larger strategic goal: establishing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure. "Ultimately, the aim is to shift from the current silo approach of geospatial data management to a holistic, horizontal framework that encourages collaboration and will improve the accessibility of spatial data," he said. GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, data and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of spatially referenced data. GIS emerged as a field in the late 1960s and since then has been used extensively in transportation, education and government. It also has led to the development of location-based services and web-mapping services like Google Maps and Waze.
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