As part of the Project for the Improvement and Implementation of the Rural Land Policy of Côte d’Ivoire (PAMOFOR), the Rural Land Agency (AFOR), in collaboration with the National Bureau for Technical Studies and Development (BNETD), organised a workshop for “presentation and sharing of the new geodetic infrastructure of Côte d’Ivoire”. The workshop took place on July 18 and 19, 2022, in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast. The workshop’s objective was to shift the national geodetic network to spatial geodesy by establishing a CORS network.

The workshop recorded the participation of several organisations, including Rural Land Agency (AFOR); General Management and Technical Operations Management; The Ministry of Construction, Housing and Urban Planning; the Department of Topography and Cartography; the Rural Land Department; and the Ministry of the Budget and State Portfolio; among others.

The first part of the workshop focused on the rehabilitation and construction of the damaged geodetic markers. The aim was to rehabilitate and rebuild the damaged geodetic markers of the 1st level of the geodetic network throughout the territory and the 2nd level of the geodetic network in the areas of the PAMOFOR project. In summary, the goal was to present the work carried out; and take stock of rehabilitations and reconstructions. The presentation’s outlook was that all of the damaged geodetic markers identified had been rehabilitated or rebuilt.

The second part of the workshop was devoted to the presentation of the Geodetic Network of Côte d’Ivoire (RGCI) in the ITRF2014 epoch 2010.0 system and the conversion parameters. The presentation demonstrated a change in the architecture of the RGCI, particularly with the establishment of the first network of permanent GNSS – CORS stations in the country, considered at the level of zero order. The network now includes four accuracies orders.

In addition, pursuant to Decree 2019-220, the coordinates will undergo modifications due to the change in the terrestrial reference system as BNETD are now moving from coordinates in ITRF96 epoch 98 to ITRF2014 epoch 2010. The coordinates were shared with the participants. The conversion parameters between the ITRF96 epoch 98 and the ITRF2014 epoch 2010 were also determined and shared with the various actors to facilitate this coordinates transition.

The workshop also presented the Continuously Operating Reference Stations (CORS) network. The objective was to present the installation stages of the new infrastructure, and the positioning opportunities offered, in particular the different modes of use ranging from RTK to static. CORS services are free until the end of December 2022, provided interested persons register before August 15, 2022. Interested persons can register here. The CORS is an excellent infrastructure that land operators can use. Furthermore, the agents will fix an observation period for its use to take stock of its popularisation at the end of the year. The CORS delivers the ellipsoidal heights because we do not currently have a national geoid.