III Mexican Convention on Hydrography - FOCAHIMECA Participation

The Association of Caribbean States (ACS), with the support of the Secretariat of the Navy of Mexico, and the financial assistance of the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID), participated from 27 to 29 April in the Third Mexican Hydrographic Convention with the theme "the bathymetry Promoting Sustainable Economic Development" at the premises of the Convention Center "Carmen XXI" of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mexico.

The participation of the ACS was represented by 17 officials of the institutions responsible for Hydrographic matters in 16 ACS members States from Antigua and Barbuda, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Nicaragua, Panama, Republic Dominican, St. Lucia, Jamaica, Sint Maarten, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who make up the Project for Strengthening hydrographic capabilities in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean (FOCAHIMECA), funded by the Government of Mexico with resources from AMEXCID.

The Convention, framed within the activities to be implemented by Member States this year during the FOCAHIMECA project aimed to strengthen ties of friendship and integrate national and international hydrographic community with an interest in the Mexican marine zones, obtaining training hydrographic allow them to increase their skills. Similarly, were presented 11 modules of information among which we can mention: Description of work bathymetry, Sheets Boat, Analysis Bathymetries Earn, Validation, Quality Control, Employment and Applications of bathymetry, digital elevation models, description Employee Characteristics equipment and its operation and bathymetry for Remote Sensing.

In the various conferences they were shown equipment and hydrographic services with the opportunity to obtain information, technical data and theoretical tools used for acquisition of bathymetric data, software, information processing and generation of products.

The convention brought together more than 700 attendees from 26 different countries; also, integrated watershed science experts, developers of new technology, industry personnel, government entities and Mexican universities.

The ceremony of the Convention was chaired by Admiral Joaquin Zetina Angle, representing Secretary of Navy Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberon Sanz, Navy Secretary of Mexico, Captain Ricardo Lopez Cruz, General Director of Hydrography, accompanied by civil authorities, naval and military. While the AEC was represented by the Director of Trade, Alberto Duran.