Ghana has joined the elite league of countries with a dedicated National Hydrographic Office after unveiling the much-awaited centre of hydrography at the head office of the Ghana Maritime Authority.
The establishment of the Ghana Hydrographic office is a requirement of the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) of which Ghana is a member.
The IHO is an inter-governmental technical organization that co-ordinates the activities of national hydrographic offices, sets standards in order to promote uniformity in nautical charts and documents. It also issues international best practices and provides guidelines to maximize the use of hydrographic information from geospatial data, bathymetry, safety of navigation, oil exploration and drilling rigs and many more.
In 2019, Parliament ratified the Convention on the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).
Speaking at the ceremony to open the Ghana Hydrographic Office (GHO), the Director General (DG) of the GMA, Mr. Thomas K. Alonsi, said the office consolidates Ghana's role in the arena of international hydrography.
He said as a coastal state and a signatory to the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Ghana was obligated to provide hydrographic and nautical services for the safety of navigation and the protection of the marine environment.
<<Print>>