History of VANRIS

The Land Use Planning Office (LUPO) in Vanuatu will
release a new version of VANRIS (Vanuatu Resources
Inventory System) late in May 1998. In addition to the
existing data in the previous versions of VANRIS, the new
version will provide information about seismic activities,
locations of bore holes, and the roads and boundaries of
conservation areas in Vanuatu. This latest version of
VANRIS, as in earlier versions, is built using Visual FoxPro
and MapInfo.
The new version of VANRIS will introduce a new system
of Land Classifications. The new classifications are not
only more user friendly (for example, describing land use
capabilities in plain English), but data has also been updated
using satellite images that were purchased by the
project.
The new version of VANRIS will include a new tool called
VANRIS Companion. It is a stand-alone application that can
be consulted while MapInfo Maps are displayed on the
screen. The companion assists in the interpretation of the
maps, and should make VANRIS easier to use and understand.
The VANRIS Companion also contains additional
sets of data about, for example, anchorages, moorings and
polling stations. Look for more details in later editions
when the new VANRIS is released.
Eberhard Kobler described VANRIS in a past Newsletter and will,
hopefully, provide an updated description in our next issue. For any
questions you can reach him via e-mail at either
kobler@vanuatu.com.vu