SPATIALDATAINFRASTRUCTURE(SDI)DEVELOPMENTAND STANDARDIZATIONACTIVITIES BY DRWILBERK.OTTICHILO RegionalcentreformappingofResourcesforDevelopment(RCMRD) P.O.Box63200618Ruaraka,Nairobi EMail:Ottichilo@rcmrd.org Website: www.rcmrd.

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INTRODUCTION Thefirstsectionofthispaperprovidesbriefhistoricalbackgroundontheevolutionand developmentofSpatialDataInfrastructure(SDI).Thisisfollowedbydescriptionsofkey componentsofSDI.LastlythecurrentstatusofSDIdevelopmentandstandardization activitiesintheworldandAfricaishighlighted.

DEVELOPMENTOFSDICONCEPT ThedevelopmentofSpatialDataInfrastructure(SDI)concept has beenpromotedby rapiddevelopmentinnewInformationandCommunicationTechnologies(ICTs)which havegreatlyrevolutionizedthewaydataandinformationisacquired,analyzed,used, storedanddisseminated.ThesetechnologiesincludeRemoteSensing(RS),Geographic InformationSystem(GIS),GlobalPositioningSystem(GPS),DigitalMapping(DM), DigitalPhotogrammetry(DP),andInternetetc.Theimportanceofgeoinformationand rapiddevelopmentinnewinformationandcommunicationtechnologieshasledtothe needtodevelopwhathascometobepopularlyknownasSpatialDataInfrastructure (SDI).SDIcanbedefinedasanumbrellaofpolicies,standardsandprocedures underwhichorganizationsandtechnologiesinteracttofostermoreefficientuse, managementandproductionofgeospatialdata.Itisanenablingframeworkforthe cooperativeandparticipatoryproduction,managementanddisseminationofgeographic information.Itenablesplannersanddecisionmakersandthegeneralcommunitytofind whatspatialinformationproductsexist,wheretheyexist,howtogetaccesstothemand howtousethem.Thereforethegoalofaspatialdatainfrastructureistoensurethatusers willbeabletoacquireanduseadequate,complete,reliable,andconsistentdatasetswhen theyneedthem.Itprovidesanidealenvironmentinwhichallstakeholders(bothusers andproducersofspatialinformation)cancooperatewitheachothercosteffectivelyto betterachievetheirtargets. Bytheearly1990s,theconceptofspatialdatainfrastructuredevelopmentwasbeing

proposedinsupportofacceleratinggeographicinformationexchangestandardsand establishmentofnationwidespatialinformationnetworksintheU.S,UnitedKingdom, CanadaandtheEuropeancommunity.ThesigningandpublicationoftheExecutive Orderconcerningthecoordinationofgeographicdataacquisitionandaccessinthe UnitedStatesfederalGovernmentbyPresidentClintonin1994elevatedtheissueofSDI fromtechnicalsubjecttoonebeingessentialforthesocialandeconomicdevelopmentof thecountry.ThedevelopmentofNationalSDIintheU.S.A.attractedothercountries (Canada,Australia,NewZealand,EuropeanCommissionetctoembarkontheirownSDI. TheexcellenteffortofkeepingtheworlduptodatewithUSdevelopmentsthroughthe NewsletterandpublicationsoftheFederalGeographicDataCommittee(FGDC)and availabilityoftheirnationalstandardsdocumentationfurtherpromotedthedevelopment ofSDIinothercountries.ThecurrentSDIdevelopmentinitiativesfocusatlocal,national, regionalandgloballevels.

KEYCOMPONENTSOFSDI ThekeycomponentsofanSDIarestandards,baseandthematicmaps,metadata,services (datadiscovery,accessandprocessing),communicationnetwork,informationpolicyand legal/institutionalframework.

Standards Throughstandardization,onefacilitatestheuseofawiderrangeofdata. Thecrucial aspectsofstandardizationaregeographicreferencing,datacontent,resolutionand metadata.Indevelopingstandardsforgeographicdata,oneshouldlookbeyondthe immediateinformationcommunityofwhichoneformspart,tostandardsinplaceorin developmentinothersectors,neighbouringcountriesorevenregions.Thedevelopment offormalstandardsthroughnationalstandardsbodiesaswellasthroughinternational standardsorganisations(e.g.ISO,FGDC,OGC)isachievedthroughaconsultative process,generallyrequiringthehoningofconsensusonthenatureof thestandardunder development. Theimplementationofnewstandardsmaytakesometime,asthereisacostassociated with implementation, and actual changes may need to be made to data or information adheringtooldstandards. To encourage the adoption and implementation of standards, the process needs to be madeaseasyaspossible.Forexample,thesupplyofsoftware,whichforcesadherence toastandard,canacceleratetheuptakeofastandard.Thebestexamplehererelatestothe widespread adoption of the FGDCs Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (seehttp://www.fgdc.gov/metadata/metadata.html, checked 28 October 2003): the main driverforthiswastheavailabilityof free,easytousecapturingtools.Anotherexample isthewidespreaduseofZIPsoftwareforcompressingfiles.

Metadata Metadataisdefinedasdataaboutdata.Informationaboutadatasetmaybenecessaryin orderto

locateappropriatedata, evaluatewhetherthedatasetmeetsonesrequirements, extracttherelevantdataand makefulluseofthedatainanapplication.

Thecapturingofmetadatarelatingtogeospatialdatasetsisnecessary,butnotsufficient onitsown,toensurewiderknowledgeofadataset,andhencewiderusage.Thismetadata needstobemadeavailabletopotentialusers,togetherwithsearchfacilities,whichenable ausertoidentifythedatasetsthatmostcloselymatchtheirrequirements. CommunicationNetwork SinceSDIhasconceptdevelopedoutoftherapiddevelopmentinICT,itsdevelopment anduseisdependantonavailabilityofreliableandappropriatecommunicationnetwork mainlyInternet. InformationPolicyandInstitutionalFramework ThedevelopmentofSDIrequiresrightpoliciesandlegislationaswellasinstitutional framework.Itisthereforeimportanttoformulateaninformationpolicyorlegislation relatingtorighttoaccesstoinformation,useofspatialdata,copyright,datapricing BuildingSDICapacityandCapability ThedevelopmentofSDIrequireshumancapacitybuildingaswellasICTinfrastructure. AlsopartnershipisanimportantcomponentofbuildinganSDIsinceasingleagencyis unlikelytohavealltheresources,orevenskillsandknowledgerequiredtoundertakethe developmentofallaspectsofSDI.

CURRENTSDIDEVELOPMENTANDSTANDARDIZATIONACTIVITIES ThecommencementoftheimplementationofthedevelopmentofSDIinU.S.Aledtothe formationofvariousglobal,regionalandnationalinitiativestopromotetheestablishment ofSDI.Amongtheinitiativesare: GlobalSpatialDataInfrastructure(GSDI)Initiative GlobalSpatialDataInfrastructure(GSDI)wasformedtopromotetheSDIconceptand thefirstGSDIconferencewiththethemeTheEmergingGSDIwasheldinBonn, Germany,September1996.SincethentheGSDIconferenceswhichareheldannually havepromotedtheSDIconceptglobally. TheGlobalSpatialDataInfrastructure(GSDI)communityendeavorstodevelopaglobal spatialdatainfrastructurebackedbyinternationalstandards,guidelinesandpoliciesto

enhancedatamanagementandaccess,whichwillinturnsupportglobaleconomicgrowth, alongwithitsassociatedsocialandenvironmentalobjectives.TheGSDIcommunityis engagedinamyriadofactivitiesallaimedatrealizingatrulyGlobalSpatialData Infrastructure.TheGSDIpromoteditsactivitiesduringWorldSummitonSustainable Development(WSSD)inJohannesburg,SouthAfricain2002.TheGSDIisguidedby SteeringCommitteeanditssecretariatisfundedbyFederalGeographicDataCommittee (FGDC)oftheUS. OpenGISInitiative OpenGISConsortiums(OGC)coremissionistodeliverspatialprocessinginterface specificationsthatareopenlyavailableforglobaluse.OGCenvisionsworldinwhich everyonebenefitsfromgeographicinformationandservicesmadeavailableacrossany network,applicationorplatform. CurrentlyOpenGISisinvolvedinthedevelopmentandprovisionofOpenGIS specification,developmentofstrategicbusinessopportunitiesandpromotionofdemand forinteroperableproducts. GlobalMappingInitiative TheGlobalMappingInitiative,whichaimstoproducegeneralizeddigitalglobalmap, whichwillbereadilyavailableforfreethroughtheInternet.TheGovernmentofJapan spearheadsthisinitiative.OurCentreparticipatesinthisinitiativethroughjoint conductingofshorttrainingcoursesandworkshopsfortheAfricanregion. RegionalInitiatives Thereareanumberofregionalinitiativesthataimatthepromotionoftheformationof regionalgeographicinformationnetworks.Examplesoftheseinitiativesare: EuroGeographicalandEuropeanUmbrellaorganizationforGeographic Information(EUROGI)andGeographicInformationNetworkinEurope(GINIE) PermanentCommitteeonGISInfrastructureforAsiaandthePacific(PCGIAP) PermanentCommitteeonSDIfortheAmericas(PCIDEA) CommitteeonDevelopmentInformation(CODI)forAfrica.Thisiscoordinated byUNECAandourCentreisamemberoftheCommittee. GeographicInformationforSustainableDevelopment(GISD):AnAlliance PromotingGeoinformationCooperationandCapacitybuildinginAfrica.

NationalInitiatives Variouscountriesworldwidehaveembarkedorareintheprocessofdevelopingown NationalSpatialDataInfrastructure(NSDI).InAfricathepromotionofSDIisbeing spearheadedUNECA(CommitteeonDevelopmentInformationCODI),USGS(SDI NewsletterforAfrica),GlobalMapping,GSDI,RegionalEconomicGroupingsand RegionalCentres mainlyRCMRDandRECTASetc. ThepromotionofSDImainlyentailscreationofawarenessamongdecisionmakersand plannersandintroductionofSDIconceptsanddevelopmentprocessthroughworkshops.

SDIDEVELOPMENTINAFRICA TheconceptofSDIisleastpromotedanddevelopedinAfrica.However,manycountries inAfricasuchasSouthAfrica,Botswana,Zimbabwe,Namibia,Zambia,Uganda,Nigeria, Ethiopia,Lesotho,Swaziland,Egypt,Algeria,MoroccoandTunisiaareontheirwayto developingspatialdatainfrastructures(SDI)tobettermanageandutilizetheirspatialdata assets. A number of publications have documented the various aspects of the development of national SDIs in recent years [Onsrud 1998 Bassole 2000 Ezigbalike 2000 2001]. In several of these countries, initiatives to develop SDIs are already underwaynotwithstandingtheterminologyusedindifferentcountriestodescribethem. The promotion of the establishment of SDI at a continental level is spearheaded by UNECAthroughtheCODIInitiativewhileatsubregionallevelispromotedbypolitical and economic groups like NEPAD,SADC, IGAD, CLISS, COMESA etc. At a national levelitismainlyspearheadedbyNationalMappingOrganizations.UNECAunderCODI InitiativehasdevelopeddynamicandonlineSDICookBookforAfrica. Current progress in national SDI initiatives in Africa shows that after many years of effort theseinitiativesstilldonotreceive support fromthehighest level ofgovernment becauseofthelowlevelofawarenessoftheimportanceofspatialdataandinformationin decisionmaking[Ezigbalike2001].Thismeansthat,despitealltheinterestandactivities, SDI development in Africa and other developing countries remains very much an innovativeconceptamongdifferentusercommunities.Thisproblemcanbeobservedin specific SDI initiatives in African countries. Some reasons suggested for the limited supportfrommostAfricannationalgovernmentsandotherrelevantinstitutionsare: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. LackofawarenessofthevalueofSDI ConfusionsurroundingthedefinitionorcompositionofSDIs Lackofpolicyandcoordinatingarrangements Lackofcapacity(humanandphysicalresources) Complexityofnationalissuessuchasthepolitical,culturalandeconomic positionsofmostcountries

Ithasbeenrecommendedthatthefollowingshorttermactivitiesarerequiredtoprepare AfricafornationalSDIdevelopment: 1. Introductionoftheconceptofinformationbudgeting 2. Identify a lead agency or person to coordinate the development of SDI includingtheestablishmentofformalcoordinatingmechanisms 3. UseworkshopsandseminarstoincreasethelevelofawarenessofSDI 4. Performnationalreviewsofspatialdataneedsandavailabledata 5. DeveloponlinelearningmaterialsonSDI

CONCLUSION ThereisanurgentneedtosupporttheSDIdevelopmentprocessinAfrica.Thisis importantbecausetherationalandsuccessfulimplementationofUNMillenniumGoals dependlargelyontheavailabilityofgeoinformation.Theprevioussupportapproachby variousdevelopmentpartnersincludingUNAgencieswasmainlyprojectbased.This approachhasledtofragmentationanduncoordinateddevelopmentofSDI(GIS)at sectoralorprojectlevel.IthasfurtherinhibitedthedevelopmentofNSDIduetorivalry andcompetitionamongvariousnationalinstitutions. ItisthereforeimportantthatthedevelopmentofNSDImustbewellcoordinatedata nationallevelandbebasedonclearlyformulatednationalgeoinformationpolicyaswell establishedinternationalproceduresandstandards.