Coastal Spatial Data Infrasturcture (CSDI): African requirements and Responses

Regionally a number of initiatives are relevant and would benefit from an understanding of the potential of CSDI. These include Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAFRICA; http://www.odinafrica.net/), TRANSMAP (http://www.transmap.fc.ul.pt/), Western Indian Ocean Fisheries Database (WIOFISH; http://www.wiofish.org/index.htm), WIO-Lab (http://www.wiolab.org/) and many others.

Two regional initiatives deserve special mention for different reasons, viz. the TRANSMAP project and ODINAFRICA.

TRANSMAP
The TRANSMAP project, funded by the Sixth Framework Programme of the European Union (EU) initiated in January 2005 and set to conclude in December 2007, is a good example of a regional initiative that would have benefited from an existing regional CSDI. Some of the first tasks identified in the project brief were the collection of data and information sources, the compilation of a basic GIS platform that included layers of coastal use, and the publication of all the compiled information in such a way as to satisfy the strict European Commission requirements for the availability of information generated by publicly funded projects. Even though the geospatial information requirements for this project were a major component of the overall goal and were to serve as the basis for the creation of new information, data handling, collecting and archiving received limited attention in the project proposal and work package plans and, concomitantly, limited funding. This, in combination with the existing paucity of coastal and marine geospatial data, as well as the difficulty in accessing the limited available data, highlighted the potential benefits of a regional CSDI. The project did however produce a web-based metadata and information system for information relevant to transboundary marine protected areas (http://www.transmap-metadata.org.za), but the challenges are to ensure data interoperability and institutional linkages to other regional information infrastructures such as ODINAFRICA (http://www.odinafrica.net/). This would significantly increase the return on investment in data collection, avoid duplication and ensure the longevity and wider use of information resources.

OdinAfrica
The Ocean Data and Information Network for Africa (ODINAFRICA) was initiated in 2000 and brings together forty (40) marine related institutions from twenty five (25) Member States of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO from Africa. The network has assisted the Member States to establish and operate National Oceanographic Data and Information centres, and in particular: to get access to data available in other data centres, develop skills for manipulation of data and preparation of data and information products, and develop infrastructure for archival, analysis and dissemination of the data and information products. Each of the participating institutions has developed a suite of data and information products that have been quality controlled, merged and availed through project website (www.odinafrica.net). These include: Directories of marine and freshwater professionals, Catalogues of marine related data sets, Marine Species data bases, library catalogues, catalogue of marine related publications from/about Africa. The ODINAFRICA Marine Atlas Project (OMAP) is of particular relevance to the development of a regional CSDI. The purpose of OMAP is to identify, collect and organize available geospatial datasets into an atlas of environmental themes for Africa. OMAP will include and involve a number of other atlas-type projects on and around the African continent. At the present time, the majority of the data layers in the atlas are continental-scale, but the structure of this interface already allows for the inclusions of national- and local-scale layers. Extensive cross-referencing between the data folders will insure that users are constantly presented with all layers at all scales. The first version of the atlas will be ready in December 2006. The current phase of ODINAFRICA ends in June 2008, which is funded by the government of Flanders, Belgium will conclude in June 2008. The next phase could focus on development of products from the information in the atlas, and more detailed atlases for the different sub-regions.

TOWARDS A PROVINCIAL CSDI
The varied initiatives summarized in the previous section could benefit from a pilot activity focusing on the development, by both the government and private sector, of a thematic information framework viz. coastal and marine SDI in the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), and within the legal boundaries and requirements stipulated by the existing national SDI Act (Act no.54 of 2003, see below). Not only should this SDI be compliant in terms of the national spirit of the law but should also be integrated into regional strategies to demonstrate the viability and benefit of SDIs for their contribution towards the integrated coastal zone management of the east coast of Africa, a region presenting abundant challenges in terms of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). The pilot activity would provide ‘testing ground’ for CSDI and would provide insights for similar efforts up the coast.

This activity is proposed with enabling conditions in mind for the creation of a CSDI in KZN and the east Africa region. These conditions include the identification of the need for common services, an institutional framework conducive to provision of common services, the availability of enabling technologies and the development of a suitable financial investment model. Possibly the most important enabling condition for the creation of a provincial CSDI for KZN is the enactment of both the Promotion of Access to Information Act (No. 2 of 2000, amended No. 54 of 2002) as well as the Spatial Data Infrastructure Act (No. 54 of 2003). These acts respectively intend to: Give effect to the constitutional right of access to any information held by the State and any information that is held by another person and that is required for the exercise or protection of any rights; and to provide for matters connected therewith (Act No. 2 of 2000). and to Establish the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure, the Committee for Spatial Information and an electronic metadata catalogue; to provide for the determination of standards and prescriptions with regard to the facilitation of the sharing of spatial information; to provide for the capture and publishing of metadata and the avoidance of duplication of such capture; and to provide for matters connected therewith (Act No. 54 of 2003). The SDI Act was drafted in recognition of the importance of an NSDI and in line with global trends in information infrastructure, while the Act No. 2 of 2000 ensures the enabling thereof. In terms of the challenges facing the fledgling democratic RSA, these acts still need to mature before delivering on their promise. One of the measures implemented to assist with the creation of an NSDI was the establishment of the National Spatial Information Framework (NSIF, http://www.nsif.org.za/), a national initiative to co-ordinate the development of infrastructure needed to support the utilization of spatial information in decision making.

Even though the majority of SDIs are driven by government, many important SDI stakeholders operate in the private sector, as drivers for the development of particularly thematic SDIs, e.g. utilities, road traffic information, mining, agriculture and the coastal and marine communities. While the spatial information needs of many thematic user communities are well met within national SDI objectives and priorities, this is not typically the case with regard to marine or coastal SDI (Longhorn, 2003b).

The need for common services
The 560 km that is the coastline of KZN province, one of four coastal provinces in South Africa, is rich in natural and cultural heritage, harvestable and non-harvestable resources and opportunity for human settlement and development. This province is considered to represent the southern limit of tropical east Africa whilst also exhibiting the uniqueness in biodiversity associated with the transition to a sub-tropical environment. Furthermore ICZM in KZN is at the forefront of the development of innovative coastal management principles and procedures including an increasing awareness and use of spatial information and technologies. Research, management and development as drivers of environmental protection and socio-economic progress of the coastal area of KZN are showing an increasing dependency on geospatially enabled data.

The provision of framework data for the coastal and marine theme in the province of KZN is vested in only a small number of primarily government agencies although there are also contribution from parastatal agencies and the private sector. These include the South African Navy: Hydrographic Office (http://www.sanho.co.za/), the national Deptartment of Land Affairs - Chief Directorate: Surveys and Mapping (CD: S&M) http://w3sli.wcape.gov.za/) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research: Satellite Application Centre (http://www.csir.co.za), and a number of private sector and parastatal agencies.

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