Conference Program
The 2025 Pacific Island GIS&RS User Conference program will be released soon. This is a preliminary conference program that will be updated regularly until the start of the conference.
Conference Proceedings with Presentation Abstracts are available HERE!!!!!
Please note that lunch, morning tea, and afternoon tea are included with registration.
Last update : 25 November 2025 – 09:30 am
- Day 1 – 24.11.2025
- Day 2 – 25.11.2025
- Day 3 – 26.11.2025
- Day 4- 27.11.2025
- Day 5 – 24.11.2025
| ————– | ————————- | ————————————————- Monday 24.11.25 ———- |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00-09:15 | ————————- | Conference Registration |
| 09:15-10:50 | ————————- | Monday Session 1 – Opening – Session Leader: Salote Viti |
| 09:15-09:25 | Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka | Conference Opening |
| 09:25-09:35 | Stephen Galvin | Opening Welcome of USP |
| 09:35-09:45 | Andiswa Mlisa | Opening Welcome of SPC |
| 09:45-09:55 | Brad Eichelberger | Opening Welcome of the Pacific GIS and Remote Sensing Council |
| 09:55-10:00 | Wolf Forstreuter | Conference Housekeeping |
| 10:00-10:15 | . | . |
| 10:15-10:45 | ————————- | Morning Coffee |
| 10:45-12:05 | ————————- | Monday Session 2 – Mapping & Instituion – Session Leader: Arti Pratap |
| 10:45-11:05 | Jean Massenet | Data Terra’s initiatives in the region : from OGS 2022 to the COG-25 project |
| 11:05-11:25 | Alex Leith + | OSGeo Oceania and FOSS4G Status and Updates |
| 11:25-11:45 | Andiswa Mlisa | The Power of Partnerships and Advocacy in Advancing Earth Observation for the Pacific |
| 11:45-12:05 | Christopher Saili | Advancing the Moana Data Service: Strengthening Pacific Geospatial Networks Through High-Resolution Land and Marine Mapping |
| 12:05-13:00 | ————————- | Lunch |
| ————— | ————————- | Monday Session 3 – GIS Software & Mapping – Session Leader: Joy Papao |
| 13:00-13:20 | Bradley Eichelberger | Assessing Bird Species Richness with LiDAR Derived Forest Community Structural Metrics |
| 13:20-13:40 | Teenari Tekeraoi + | Weaving Wisdom and Innovation_ Integrating Traditional Knowledge and Marine Spatial Planning through Te Baiku (Geodatabase platform) for Sustainable Ocean Governance (ID_113) |
| 13:40-14:00 | Mary Pasion | Trimble GIS Data Collection Technologies & RTX Corrections in the Pacifi |
| 14:00-14:20 | Sarah Pitcher-Campbell | The Pathway to Geospatial Excellence |
| 14:20-14:40 | ————————- | Afternoon Coffee |
| ————– | ————————- | Monday Session 4 – Maritime – Session Leader: Johnie Nimau |
| 14:40-15:00 | Robbie Greene | Mapping, Monitoring, and Prioritizing Large Marine Debris Removals across Micronesia_ A Geospatial Tool for the Pacific Islands Region |
| 15:00-15:20 | Chan-Su Yang + | Application of Multisensory Remote Sensing for Controlling Illegal, Uunreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Activities – Project Overview |
| 15:20-15:40 | Alex Leith | A Brief History of Digital Earth |
| 15:40-16:00 | Sachindra Singh | Digital Earth Pacific: Enabling Earth Observations At Scale with Geospatial Foundational Models |
| 16:30-20:30 | ————————- | Opening Cocktail |
| ————– | ————————- | ————————————————- Tuesday 25.11.24 ———————————————— |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00-09:00 | ————————- | Conference registration |
| ————– | ————————- | Tuesday Session 1 – Disaster /Mapping – Session Leader: Willie Kilamanu |
| 09:00-09:20 | Tobias Biermann | European Commission Copernicus Earth Observation Service |
| 09:20-09:40 | Robbie Greene | Mapping, Monitoring, and Prioritizing Large Marine Debris Removals across Micronesia_ A Geospatial Tool for the Pacific Islands Region |
| 09:40-10:00 | Benoit Stoll | Toward a Geospatial network in French Polynesia |
| 10:00-10:20 | Gillian Rowan | Collaborative mapping to support climate change adaptation for sustainable coral reef management and shoreline defence on Pele Island, Vanuatu |
| 10:20-10:40 | ————————- | Morning Coffee |
| ————– | ————————- | Tuesday Session 2 – Institutional – Session Leader: Diana Ralulu |
| 10:40-11:00 | Christine Chaplin | From Registry to Map_ Geospatial Visualization of Cancer in Micronesia |
| 11:00-11:20 | Mathis Neuhauser | AI and multifractal approaches for mapping informal settlement in Oceania |
| 11:20-11:40 | Lena Halounova | The Earth, Remote Sensing, GIS and we. |
| 11:40-12:00 | Damien Buisson | New Caledonia GIS Club : Collaboration mapping for a sustainable future |
| 12:00-13:00 | ————————- | Lunch |
| ————– | ————————- | Tuesday Session 3 – Forestry/Mapping – Session Leader: Jacqueline Ngiraimau |
| 13:00-13:20 | Elenoa Biukoto + | Identifying Forest Invasive Species in Vanuatu Using Machine Learning |
| 13:20-13:40 | Ingrid Qauqau | The role of GIS data in contributing to conservation science and impact in Fiji. |
| 13:40-14:00 | Maivunijale Waqa | Radar Vegetation Index as an Indicator of Loss and Damage |
| 14:00-14:20 | Wolf Forstreuter | Inventory of Common Bamboo in Naitasiri, Fiji |
| 14:20-14:40 | ————————- | Afternoon Coffee ——————————————————— |
| ————– | ————————- | Tuesday Session 4 – Maritime – Session Leader: Teenari Tekeraoi |
| 14:40-15:00 | Chan-Su Yang + | Development of Decision Ready Tools to Support Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (I): A Case Study for Funafuti, Tuvalu |
| 15:00-15:20 | Shyam Lodhia | Monitoring Blue Carbon Ecosystem Using Open-Source GIS & MACBLUE Data |
| 15:20-15:40 | Nicholas Metherall + | Digital Earth Pacific – regional ocean products and marine habitat maps and monitoring |
| 15:40-15:50 | Perry Malan | Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) National Forest Monitoring System (NFMS) |
| 15:50-16:00 | Jarrett Jarrett Keifer | The importance of community in geospatial |
| 17:00 | ————————- | Talanoa Session, Kava & Music |
| ————– | ————————- | ————————————————- Wednesday 26.11.24 USP —————- |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00-09:00 | ————————- | Conference registration |
| ————— | ————————- | Wednesday Session 1 – Mapping – Session Leader: Open |
| 09:00-09:20 | Duncan Hume | Designing Data Governance Frameworks for Marine Spatial Planning in the Pacific |
| 09:20-09:40 | Robin Workman | Assessing unpaved road condition using GIS, Machine Learning, and Satellite Imagery |
| 09:40-10:00 | Raviky Talae + | Building a Climate-Informed Road Asset Management System for Vanuatu |
| 10:00-10:20 | Andrew Blakie | Using GIS to Support Ethical Cocoa Supply Chains and EUDR Compliance in the Pacific |
| 10:20-10:40 | ————————- | Morning Coffee |
| ————— | ————————- | Wednesday Session 2 – Discussion – Session Leader: Open |
| 10:40-10:50 | Amy Griffin | Carthography |
| 10:50-11:00 | Richard Russell | Drone or Space Born Images? |
| 11:00-11:10 | Sachindra Singh | GIS Proprieary or Open Source? |
| 11:10-11:20 | Cassie Stelow | Disaster Risk Management |
| 11:20-11:40 | Brad Eichelberger | National Geospatial Frameworks |
| 11:40-12:00 | Andiswa Mlisa | Authoritative Data Sources |
| 12:00-13-00 | ————————- | Lunch |
| ————— | ————————- | Wednesday Session 3 – Open – Session Leader: Open |
| 13:00-13:20 | Sebastian Robertson | Ensuring Continuity of Earth Observation Data: Risks, Resilience and Regional Opportunity for the Pacific |
| 13:20-13:40 | Andrew Shelly | Sustainable Drone Regulation for the Pacific Islands |
| 13:40-14:00 | Daniel Worger | High-Resolution LiDAR for Pacific Environments |
| 14:00-14:20 | Richard Russell | Empowering Island Resilience: UAS Mapping, Regulation and Capacity Building Across the Pacific |
| 14:20-14:40 | ————————- | Afternoon Coffee (with last minutes talks) |
| ————— | ————————- | Wednesday Session 4 – Open – Session Leader: Open |
| 14:40-15:00 | Robin Workman | Geospatial Measurement of SDG 9.1.1 (Rural Access Index) for Rural Development and Connectivity |
| 15:00-15:20 | . | . |
| 16:00-16:30 | . | AGM |
| 20:00-? | ————————- | Through the Fiji Night Clubs |
| ————— | ————————- | ————————————————- Thursday 27.11.25 ————————— |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00-09:00 | ————————- | Conference registration |
| ————— | ————————- | Thursday Session 1a – Women in GIS and Remote Sensing |
| 09:00-09:40 | . | Panel Discussion “Women in GIS & Remote Sensing” |
| 09:40-10:20 | ————————- | Thursday Session 1b – Mapping |
| 09:40-10:00 | Marco Bernasocchi | Mapping the World, Empowering People_ QField’s Vision in Practice |
| 10:00-10:20 | Andrew Blakie | GIS-Driven Biosecurity Surveillance in New Zealand’s Forests: A Case Study from SPS Biota |
| 10:20-10:40 | ————————- | Morning Coffee |
| ————— | ————————- | Thursday Session 2 – Open Session Leader: Open |
| 10:40-11:00 | Marco Bernasocchi | QGIS – Spatial without compromise |
| 11:00-11:20 | Simon Morris | Wildfire, Disaster and Climate Monitoring from the world’s largest constellation of thermal satellites |
| 11:20-11:40 | Gavin Jeter | Automated Spatial Workflows for Disaster Response & Risk Management |
| 11:40-12:00 | Malakai Tadulala + | Climate-Resilient and Management of Aquifer Potential Using Remote Sensing, GIS-Machine Learning, in the Nadi Basin, Viti Levu, Fiji |
| 12:00-13:00 | ————————- | Lunch |
| 18:00 | ————————- | Closing Coctail |
| ————— | ————————- | Friday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00-12:00 | ————————- | OGS 2025 Sessions | ||
| ————— | ————————- | Workshop | ||
| 13:00-15:00 | ————————- | Mapping for a Sustainable World Using QGIS (Amy Griffin, International Cartographic Association) (3 hours) | Hands-on FME Workshop: Data Integration to Automation (Gavin Jeter, Locus) (3-4 hours) | Participatory Mapping Field Survey and Computer Lab: QField integration into machine learning landcover classification within Digital Earth Pacific (Guillaume Lannuzel (Ecolink), Jean Massenet (Data Terra), Marco Bernasocchi (OPENGIS.ch, QGIS), Nicholas Metherall (SPC)) (3 hours) |
| 15:00-17:00 | ————————- | |||
| ————— | ————————- | |||
| Workshop detailed program will be updated soon! | ||||
