THE Department of Population under the Ministry of Immigration and Population has upgraded its infrastructure and computer systems in preparation for Myanmar’s first nationwide census since 1983.

The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has provided an unspecified sum of money to support the upgrades.

U Sein Myo Aung, the assistant director of the department, said the project included the installation of new geographic information system (GIS) software in computers at the department’s main office in Yangon to facilitate the use of digital maps and the storage of census information.

The software, called GeoMedia, was installed in March with technical assistance from Myanmar Credent Technology which, along with instructors from the Department of Geography at Yangon University, is also providing intensive training on the use of the software to 20 staff from the Department of Population.

U Sein Myo Aung said in the next step of the project, the GeoMedia software will be installed in computers at Department of Population offices in all states and divisions, and staff from these branch offices will also be trained in its use.

The department has also established a high-speed communication network connecting the head office in Yangon to branch offices throughout the country so that high-resolution GIS maps from satellite images and large files of census data could be transmitted back and forth.

“Maps are the key elements for a census. We are now gathering GIS maps, and all staff and infrastructure should be ready for the national census as soon as we get approval from senior officials,” said U Sein Myo Aung.

He said the upgrades were part of the larger e-government project and would help streamline regular office processes as well.

“Taking a national census in the past required using hand-drawn maps, which took six months of preparation,” said U Sein Myo Aung. “With computerised GIS maps we can get everything ready in two weeks.”

Since gaining independence in 1948, Myanmar has conducted two national censuses, in 1973 and 1983.

With assistance from UNFPA, the Department of Population also conducted a Population Changes and Fertility Survey in 1991 and two Fertility and Reproductive Health Surveys in 1997 and 2001.

In recent years the national population has been calculated based on estimates from partial surveys.