Unique National Geodetic Network in Cameroon

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When Cameroon’s Ministry of State Property Survey and Land Tenure (MINDCAF) recently embarked on a vast programme of land reform that included the modernisation of its national cadastre, one of the very first tasks was to establish a unique national geodetic network. Completing this important task in a country with such varied terrain and climate required careful planning, experienced surveyors and state-of-the-art technology. The resulting geodetic network was completed within a year and includes 25 reference points and 500 base points. A law will soon be passed in Cameroon requiring all future surveying and mapping activities to be based on this unique system.

A national geodetic network consists of a series of geographic points covering an entire country and identified by a permanent marker whose x, y, and z coordinates are measured to within a few centimetres using GPS positioning. These points are identified on the ground by some type of permanent marker or monument. Such a network provides an objective, scientific basis for a number of applications, including measuring and delineating property parcels and building cadastral maps. This land property information is critical to a nation’s legal and fiscal system, since property taxes are an important source of revenue for most nations.

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