Current developments in SDIs an overview
Ian Masser
Presentation
Four parts
– What is a SDI?
– The SDI phenomenon
– A global overview of SDIs
– Emerging trends
Part I What is a SDI?
The GSDI definition
– “The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure supports ready global access to geographic information. This is achieved through the coordinated actions of nations and organisations that promote awareness and implementation of complimentary policies, common standards and effective mechanisms for the development and availability of interoperable digital geographic data and technologies to support decision making at all scales for multiple purposes.”
Four main components
Overriding objective to maximise the use of national geographic information assets
This requires some form of coordinated action on the part of government
It must be user driven ‘to support decision making at all scales for multiple purposes’
This involves a wide range of activities including technical and institutional matters and human resource development
Part 2 The diffusion of SDIs
My paper on the first generation of SDIs compared 11 NSDIs that were operational in 1996
Harlan Onsrud’s survey for the GSDI listed 48 responses from countries that were considering SDIs in 2000
Joep Crompvoets claims that 120 countries are considering SDIs – ie more than half the countries in the world
Onsrud’s survey findings
48 countries reported SDI progress between 1998 and 2000
Geographical spread– Europe - 13– Americas - 21– Asia and the Pacific - 13– Africa - 1
A SDI phenomenon?
These survey findings suggest that a critical mass of SDI users has been built up throughout the world
A product of the last ten years Needs a word of caution
– Considering not necessarily doing– Doing not necessarily everything
But a phenomenon nevertheless
Part 3 A global overview of SDIs
Europe The Americas Asia and the Pacific Africa
Note –sources vary and some players omitted
Europe
Distinction between Western and Eastern European countries in terms of wealth
Proliferation of studies of SDIs linked to European Commission concerns
SDIs classified into– National data producer led
Users involved versus no users involved
– Non national data producer led Formal mandate versus no formal mandate
SDI State of play in Europe in spring 2003
National Data Producer ledUsers involvedOperational Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Norway, Sweden Partially operational Austria, Czech Republic, Poland Not operational Greece, Luxembourg Users not involvedOperational Slovenia Partially operational Lithuania Not operational Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Slovakia
Not National Data Producer ledFormal mandateOperational Belgium (Flanders), Germany, Portugal, SwitzerlandPartially operational Ireland, ItalyNot operational NoneNo formal mandateOperational Netherlands, United KingdomPartially operational Belgium (Wallonia)Not operational Spain, France
The Americas
Distinction between Northern and Southern America (and Caribbean) in terms of wealth and resources
SDIs classified according to– Countries with a formal mandate– Countries with no formal mandate
Status of SDI in the Americas in 2000
Countries with Countries withoutformal mandate formal mandate
Argentina BrazilCuba BoliviaGuatemala CanadaMexico ChileDominican Republic ColombiaUSA Costa Rica
EcuadorEl SalvadorHondurasJamaicaNicaraguaPanamaPeruUruguayVenezuela
Asia and the Pacific
The largest and most diverse region of all– In terms of wealth
Rich countries - Australia, Japan and Korea Poor countries - Nepal
– In terms of size Very large countries – China and India Very small countries – island countries in the Indian and
Pacific oceans
Difficult to make generalisations
Mapping agencies in Asia and Pacific countries
Australia Geoscience Australia Hong Kong Survey and Mapping Office, Land
Department Islamic Republic of Iran National Cartographic Centre Japan Geographic Survey Institute Kiribati Land Management Division Laos National Geographic Department Macau Direcao dos servicos da Cartografia e
Cadastre Malaysia Department of Survey and Mapping Maldives Ministry of Construction and Public Works Mongolia State Administration of Geodesy &
CartographyNepal Survey Department New Zealand Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)Republic of Palau Bureau of Lands and SurveysPeoples Republic of China State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping Singapore Survey DepartmentSolomon Islands Survey & Mapping departmentTuvalu Lands and Survey department
Africa
Distinction between north and sub saharan countries
Latter includes some of world’s poorest countries
Strong environmental/regional dimension Problems of political support Reflected in funding – role of international
donor agencies
SDI initiatives in Africa in 2003
Algeria National Council for Geographic InformationBenin Environmental Information and Monitoring System Botswana National GIS Coordination CommitteeBurkina Faso Programme National de Gestion de L'Information sur le Milieu Ethiopia Ethiopian Spatial Data InfrastructureGhana National Framework for Geospatial Information in GhanaIvory Coast National Committee for Remote Sensing and Geog. Inf.Kenya National Spatial Data InfrastructureLesotho Committee on Environmental Data Management Madagascar Association Réseau Système d'Information sur l'Environnement Malawi Malawi Geographical Information Council Mali Le Conseil interministériel d'information géographique Namibia Environmental Monitoring and Indicators Network Nigeria National Geospatial Information InfrastructureSenegal Groupe de Travail Inter-institutionnel South Africa National Spatial Information Framework Tanzania National GIS Interim Steering CommitteeTogo Togo GeodataTunisia Schéma national de géomatique Uganda Uganda Spatial Data Infrastructure Zambia Environmental Information Network and Monitoring System
Common elements
Co-ordination– Given the large number of data sets produced by different
producers at different times for different purposes
Core data sets– Given the need for a common framework of core reference
data sets
Metadata– Given the need to be able to find out what data exists and
what format is used and what is its currency
Similar driving forces
Growing importance of geographic information within an information society
The need for governments to coordinate data acquisition and availability– ‘GI is crucial to promote economic development, improve
our stewardship of resources and to protect the environment’(Clinton Executive Order)
Other factors– Opportunities created by recent technological
developments eg WWW and LBS– Modernising government - eGovernment
Differences in the institutional context
Variations in size and population– US 1000 times the size of Qatar
Differences in wealth– Both developed and less developed countries
Contrasting systems of government – Federal systems with varying degrees of
devolution of responsibilities for GI– Non federal systems where most of GI
responsibilities dealt with centrally
Differences in approach
National data producer led– Degree of user involvement – central
government (USA), public sector (Australia), multi sector (Canada)
Non national data producer led– Need for formal mandate - Chile and the
USA. India and South Africa?– Outgrowth of existing coordination
activities - Australia and the Netherlands
Part 4 Major trends
The second generation of SDIs began around 2000
Two main features– Important shifts in emphasis within SDI
development– The emergence of a global to local
hierarchy of SDIs
Shifts in SDI development
Shift from product to process model– From data producers to data users– From database creation to data sharing– From centralised to decentralised structures
Shift from formulation to implementation– From coordination to governance– From single to multi level participation– From existing to new organisational structures
A hierarchy of SDIs
Global and regional SDIs– Global and regional forums for collaboration and the
exchange of ideas and experiences
National SDIs– Strategic initiatives concerned with the management
of national information assets
Local SDIs– Municipal and provincial initiatives concerned with
the operational needs of day to day decision making
Achievements so far
The creation of a critical mass of users Process of regional and global
institution building complete Growing body of SDI related literature
and research First major intergovernmental initiative
– EU INSPIRE draft Directive published July 2004