national environmental information systems: the example … · national environmental information...

Territories, Environment, Remote Sensing & Spatial Information Cemagref - CIRAD - ENGREF Joint Research Unit

National environmental National environmental

information systems:information systems:

the the example of Franceexample of France

Michel Deshayes

[email protected]

French information systems on the Environment 2/39

OutlineOutline

• French Water Information System / Système d’Information Eau (SIE)• SIE background

• SIE, the French Water Information System

• French Biodiversity Information System / Système d’Information Nature et Paysages (SINP)


SIE backgroundSIE background

• French public water policy• France first Water Act (1964): general inventory

• France second Water Act (1992): introducing the “integrated management plan” (French acronym “SDAGE”)

• European Water Framework Directive (2000)

• Policy objectives:• to manage (management plans)

• to evaluate, to monitor

• to report

• Water information systems• 1992-2002: RNDE, National network of water databases

• from 2002: SIE, the French Water Information System (SIE/WIS-Fr)



• RNDE National water databases network (1992-2002)

Office

International

de l'Eau

Environment institute

Research institute for marine sciences

River basins authorities

National council for aquatic ecosystems

Electricity operator

International Office for Water

Ministry of environment

Geosciences institute

Met officeMinistry for Health



• RNDE responsibilities and duties• RNDE duties :

• definition of common rules

• organisation of an information system

• responsibilities of data producers : validity of the produced information

• users : free in their use of data, within deontological rules

• RNDE principles• free access to data, within confidentiality limits

• participation of users to data management costs

• RNDE limits• Not fully adapted to the new context (Århus, Water Framework Directive)

• Lack of harmonisation

• Delay in adopting new standards…


SIE background on SIE background on environmental communicationenvironmental communication

• 3 successive European texts • European directive 90/313/CEE 1990, Århus Convention 2002, European

directive 2003/4/EC

• later introduced in French law system

• Main contents• applies to every service having in charge a public service mission

• institution of a right of access to environmental data and documents

• with an aim to facilitate le public debate


SIE background on environmental communicationSIE background on environmental communication

• objectives of Directive 2003/4/EC (article 1):• the right of access to environmental information• to ensure that, as a matter of course, environmental information is progressively made available and

disseminated to the public ---> telecommunication and/or electronic technology

• article 2: "Environmental information" shall mean any information in written, visual, aural, electronic or any other material form on:• (a) the state of the elements of the environment, such as air and atmosphere, water, soil, land,

landscape and natural sites including wetlands, coastal and marine areas, biological diversity and its components, including genetically modified organisms, and the interaction among these elements;

• (b) factors, such as substances, energy, noise, radiation or waste, including radioactive waste, emissions, discharges and other releases into the environment, affecting or likely to affect the elements of the environment referred to in (a);

• (c) measures (including administrative measures), such as policies, legislation, plans, programmes, environmental agreements, and activities affecting or likely to affect the elements and factors referred to in (a) and (b) as well as measures or activities designed to protect those elements;

• (d) reports on the implementation of environmental legislation;• (e) cost-benefit and other economic analyses and assumptions used within the framework of the

measures and activities referred to in (c); and• (f) the state of human health and safety, including the contamination of the food chain, where

relevant, conditions of human life, cultural sites and built structure inasmuch as they are or may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment referred to in (a) or, through those elements, by any of the matters referred to in (b) and (c).


SIE background on environmental communicationSIE background on environmental communication

• re-use of public sector information

• European Parliament and Counsel Directive 2003/98/CE,

• Contents• General principle : re-usable for commercial and non-commercial purpose

where the re-use of documents is allowed

• Licence, Time limits

• Negative decision : grounds for refusal and reference to means of redress

• Format and language

• No obligation to continue production of information

• Charges : not to exceed some determined costs

• Practical arrangements for search

• Non-discrimination

• Prohibition of exclusive arrangements



• Water Framework Directive organisational scheme



• WFD interactions atnational/European levels

European level

national level



• An IS dealing with multiple global contexts• the information framework must be consistent with European requirements:• European Commission

• European Environment Agency

• … and with other international requirements• OECD

• UNEP

• International conventions, ...

• these external requirements should be mutually consistent!


SIE, the French Water Information System (2002SIE, the French Water Information System (2002-- 2007)2007)

• 2002 : new legal environment• Århus convention, re. Public access to environmental information

• European Water Framework Directive (WFD)

=> Setting up of SIE, an improved and coherent IS for :• production of all kinds of data on water

• management and conservation of these data

• easy access to these data, including for the public (Aarhus convention –1998)

• SIE / WIS-Fr contents :• data, metadata, services

• Website portal : www.eaufrance.fr

Office

International

de l'Eau


SIE/WISSIE/WIS--Fr, a distributed information systemFr, a distributed information system

• SIE/WIS-Fr, a distributed information system• reflecting the distributed nature of water public stakeholders in France

• in line with the public environment / water policy

• endorsing the “ evaluate, perform, report ” scheme : • with risk assessment as a key component,

• and reporting as a linking process across geographic levels

• endowed with:• a shared information framework, consistent with external requirements

• an information infrastructure based on open standards and metadata


a distributed information system, how toa distributed information system, how to

• a shared information framework to secure internal interoperability, with:• Semantic interoperability (water-issues related)

• Conceptual interoperability

– ex: definition of items, i.e. “agglomeration, built up area”

• Referential interoperability

– ex: what Waste Water Treatment plant #060913001005 refers to in the real

world

• Technical interoperability (ICT-related)• data representation standards

– Ex. PNG, XML, data compression standards…

• data exchange standards

– Ex. HTTP, SMTP, SOAP…


SIE architecture principlesSIE architecture principles

• Distributed architecture and subsidiairity

• Non-intrusion

• Uniqueness of data

• Semantic interoperability

• Technical interoperability

• Open standards and timelessness of information

• Multipartner interoperability framework

• Use of geographic information

• Data for viewing and data for use

• Metadadata

• A web-based architecture


SIE components: a) SANDRE, reference managerSIE components: a) SANDRE, reference manager

• SANDRE = Service d’Administration Nationale des Données et Références sur l’Eau• SANDRE = National service for the administration of water data and references

• in charge of the common language between producers and users of water data

• SANDRE activities• Common data language

• ex. data dictionaries, describing precisely the terms and information that constitute a piece of data Ex : result of a measure = (parameter, unit, value, date, place, method, person in charge, etc…)

• Systems of reference

• ex. codification of parameters, river works...

• Common open tools

• ex. EDILABO data format converter


SIE components: b) SANDRE systems of referenceSIE components: b) SANDRE systems of reference

• Definition : a reference system consists of data :• commonly used, defined and managed by SIE partners

• perennial and of general interest

• showing an interest to be disseminated at the national level

• they may be :• geographical RS : RS for water courses and water bodies, des hydro-

geological entities, regulatory zoning …

• thematic RS : reference number for measurement stations, Waste Water Treatment plants, parameters and methods…

• managed or not managed by SANDRE

• disseminated by SANDRE even if disseminated by someone else


SIE components: b) SANDRE systems of referenceSIE components: b) SANDRE systems of reference

• BD Carthage : for surface waters

• BD RHF : hydrogeology

• WFD system of reference

• Data collection systems

• water analyses

• measurement stations

• Regulatory zoning

• River and riverside facilities: rainwater purification plant, port installations…

• Web services


• maps, a common reference• almost every data on water is georeferenced

• maps = privileged way for an access to data and production of results

• a reference system for :

• to locate oneself

• to identify water-related objects

• to carry out spatial analyses

• to present information and results

• for practical reasons• ... an intermediate scale is used : 1/50 000

SIE needs for a spatial system of referenceSIE needs for a spatial system of reference


a reference system for surface waters: why ? a reference system for surface waters: why ? (1/10)(1/10)

• to locate measurement stations, river and riverside works with reference to a watershed, a river or a water body

• to classify information according to the upstream-downstream principle

• to allow for the development of outflow models

This supposes the availability of :

• a cartographic representation of watersheds, water courses and water bodies

• a unique reference system for water courses and water bodies

• a topology of the hydrographical network with flow directions


Hydrographical codification (2/10)Hydrographical codification (2/10)

• Codified by ministerial circulars in 1968 and 1991, calling for:• a partitioning of the territory in hydrographical zones

• a codification of water course sections and water bodies

• a connectivity table (topology)

• a kilometric reference system along sections (pk)

• Implementation• River basin authorities in charge of codification setting up andupdating


Hydrographical codification (3/10)Hydrographical codification (3/10)

organised according to a 4-level hierarchy : a region ...


is composed of districts ...

HydrographicalHydrographical codification (4/10)codification (4/10)


then sub-districts ...



and finally in zones.




• every water course section is identified by:• a code, with upstream and

downstream kilometric distance,

• a toponym


HydrographicalHydrographical codification (8/10) codification (8/10) Hydrographical reference numberHydrographical reference number

• Hydrographical reference number= an 8-character unique national reference number

• First four characters code for for an area (hydrographical zone )

• three following characters code for water course section in the hydrographical zone

• Last character codes for the aquatic nature of the section (0=natural, 1=arm, 2=canal, 3=water body, 4=wetland, 5=coastal)


HydrographicalHydrographical codification (9/10) codification (9/10) Hydrographical reference numberHydrographical reference number

Example of codification

ll hydrographical section referenced hydrographical section referenced P7310250

�P = Dordogne hydrographical region

�P7 = district reference number

�P73 = sub-district reference number

�P731 = zone reference number�025 = water course section reference number in the hydrographical zone

�0 = code for the nature of the water course (natural)


HydrographicalHydrographical codification (10/10) codification (10/10) Kilometric reference number (PK)Kilometric reference number (PK)

• PK, a curvilinear coordinate to locate a point on a water course

• computed from the next downstream confluence point, with a PK arbitrarily fixed at 1000 km

1000

950

900

PK=921,357


BD CARTHAGE, the surface waterBD CARTHAGE, the surface water RSRS

• GIS implementation of the hydrographical codification

• turns the reference system into a working tool

• IGN contribution : BDCARTO Background cartographic reference system• water courses length : 525 000 km

• River basin authorities contribution :• partitioning in hydrographical zones

• water course section coding

• verification of hydrographical network continuity

• attribution of the main toponyms

• fixation of kilometric reference number( PK)


Dissemination of the BDDissemination of the BD--CARTHAGE RSCARTHAGE RS

• A real will to disseminate within the water

• dissemination under both ARC/INFO and MAPINFO formats

• but… BDCARTHAGE is a composit product !

• BDCARTO cost, a major obstacle

�� 1 ‘département’ (about 6000 km2): 3000 euros, whole France : 99 000 euros

• BD CARTO : • complete 1/50 000 DB including road network and franchissements, railway network,

hydrographical network, administrative units, projection marks, toponyms, facilities

BDCARTO + Codification = BDCARTHAGE

© IGN © Envirt ministry & RBA © ©


Dissemination of the BDDissemination of the BD--CARTHAGE RS CARTHAGE RS the Min. the Min. EnvirtEnvirt -- IGN agreement IGN agreement

• BDCARTHAGE = BDCARTO hydrographical thematic layer

• an optimised updating process

• one release per year

• a large right of use acquired by the Ministry

• an « industrialised » dissemination by region or river basin

usersRiver basin

authorities

IGN

Requests for evolution

Validated requestsUpdated release


SIE components: b) Thematic Water DatabasesSIE components: b) Thematic Water Databases

u HYDRO : - height and outflow of water courses

- 2400 stations (plus 1100 no more in activity), 80-year background

- operator: Ministry of environment

u PLUVIO : - daily rain

- 4000 stations, 100-year background

- operator: Météo-France (French met office)

u QUADRIGE : - quality of marine waters

- operator: IFREMER (French research institute for marine sciences)

u ADES - piezometry and quality of underground waters

- operator: BRGM (French geosciences institute)

u BDMAP : - fish populations quality and quantity- 600 stations- operator: CSP (National council for aquatic ecosystems)


A thematic database example: A thematic database example: AdesAdes, underground water database, underground water database

• Webportal : http://www.ades.eaufrance.fr

• Contents (2007)• online viewable and downloadable

• 114 declared networks = 23967 points d'eau, including

- 2 688 piezometers

- 22 239 qualitometers

� 4 957 161 water levels et 8 850 501 water analyses


SIE, interoperability with partners SIE, interoperability with partners webportalswebportals


Towards an interoperability at the European levelTowards an interoperability at the European level


Biodiversity information System contextBiodiversity information System context

• Context :• Sustainable development inconceivable without biodiversity conservation

• Important loss biological diversity (from global to local)

• Legal international instruments • Bern Convention (1979), Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), World Summit for

Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002)

• European decisions • Europe : decisions in favor of conservation

• Bird Directive (1979), Habitats Directive (1992), with creation of the Natura 2000 Network

• EU Biodiversity Strategy (1998)

• new EU plan to halt biodiversity loss, May 2006,

with an objective to halt biodiversity loss in 2010

• Pan-European decisions• Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (1995), with implementation of the

Pan-European Ecological Network

• Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (MCPFE)

• National decisions • Implementation of European directives, application of decisions (ex. Natura-2000 network)

• National initiatives : ex. National Strategy for Biodiversity (2004)


SINP, the French Biodiversity information systemSINP, the French Biodiversity information system

• French context• Diversity of actors (public institutions, associations, private actors)

• No organised system for access to biodiversity information

• Decision of French Envirt Ministry (end 2005)• Design and set up of a Biodiversity information system

• Cooperative and distributed system, built from the SIE experience

• Taking into account a bigger place taken by non-public actors (associations)


SINP, the French Biodiversity information systemSINP, the French Biodiversity information system

SINP National Committee

SINP National Coordination Group

Working groups

• Catalogue of data collection systems

• SINP in regions

• Landscape

• law aspects

• architecture

SINP Mission (Min. envir)+ Envirt institute support

Regional Environment Directions (DIREN)

Regional Scientific Committee for Natural Heritage (CSRPN)

Steering committee

Regional level

Scientific coordination (National Museum - MNHN)

Scientific Committee for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (CSPNB)

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