Database for this Edition

The preparation of this 3rd Edition has been overseen by the IHO Capacity Building Committee (IHO CBC – now CB Sub-Committee, CBSC), and the Regional Hydrographic Commissions (RHCs) have been involved throughout the process. The response level has been greatly improved, and data is now available for 90% of the listed nations and areas. The most significant gaps, where information is not available for analysis, are in the regions of Central America, the Mediterranean and Black Seas, some parts of the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas, and the S China Sea and adjacent straits and seas.
The top priority of the IHO is to identify, and to assist to prioritise, requirements for cooperation and assistance which will improve navigational safety and the protection of the marine environment by progressing modern surveys and chart production. Therefore, the process of information gathering for this edition has had a tauter focus on identifying gaps in hydrographic data and its promulgation, rather than seeking to quantify and compare the capacity of coastal states. Nonetheless, the questionnaire which was circulated to coastal States required confirmation of the information in the IHO Year-book on the status of their national hydrographic organization, and also invited identification of requirements for assistance to develop their capability. The C-55 data-base is a foundational tool for the ongoing work of the IHO CBSC.