Building an Enterprise GIS
M. R. Bualhamam
Geography Program,
United Arab Emirates University, UAE
mbualhamam@uaeu.ac.ae
Current Situation Assessment
There is a lack of spatial data in the
Emirate of RAK. Most of the mapping
exercise related to lands and cadastral
had been done fully manually and was
in paper formats only. This was time
consuming. Efforts are therefore underway
to create digital databases through
conversion of existing maps into digital
format and new production of digital
information products.
Data sets produced by different
departments are not always compatible,
even though they relate to the
same territory (Sawicki, 1996). This lack
of coordination causes duplication of
data as well as in the distribution, and
limits strongly their exchange, consequently
producing huge costs to the
public (Roger, 2003). Also, metadata
systems are still in rudimentary stages,
making it difficult for potential users to
know what data sets really exist and if
they could satisfy their needs.
The following materials are already
available as a spatial data for RAK government:
- Aerial survey has been done in 2003
for the northern part of RAK and orthoimages
are available. AutoCAD maps
for this northern area is also available
and the Land Department maintains an
AutoCAD database of this northern part
of RAK. Most of the departments are
currently using this AutoCAD database
as their mapping and drafting reference.
- Aerial images for southern part of RAK
have been undertaken in 2006 and
ortho-images of the area are available.
- Database of attributes are available
for plots/land records and other planning
and developmental projects.
- Contours lines for whole Emirate with
five meter interval.
Tactical planning
The RAKGIS requires a basic framework
of "whole to part" - where one defines a
larger coordinate system framework
and then partitions it into smaller and
smaller units (rather than start from
smaller and aggregate to larger units)
(Buckner, 2001). For example, in RAK,
the GIS framework would be best if it
first establishes a UAE framework -
within which RAK Spatial framework is
linked and then the RAKGIS framework
is divided into smaller city frameworks
or planning unit frameworks (Kadir,
1997). The tactical planning of RAKGIS
will focus in the following points:
- Created parcel data that identifies
land and running a Digital Cadastral
Database (DCDB) which providing the
spatial integrity and unique land parcel
identification.
- Created a GPS reference control network
in WGS 84 UTM coordinate system
for the complete RAK.
- RAK is having a set of aerial photograph,
flown on 2003 for part of the
emirate. For this part, the vectorisation
is complete and AutoCAD files are
available for the same. But these vector
files are not properly geo-referenced.
These maps are available in raster/vector
format. These vector maps need to
be properly geo-referenced and connected
to the national GPS control network
frame.
- Also, the rest of the Emirate, where
aerial photography is not done in 2002,
and fresh aerial survey need to be done.
DEM, Ortho photos and vector maps
need to be produced. As part of this, the
Emirate plan to carry out fresh survey
for full emirates.
- Having created the complete base
map for the entire emirate, GIS data
available in various formats from the
government in different departments
and by means of fresh survey need to
be integrated to create a comprehensive
GIS database.
- With the comprehensive GIS database,
different applications base of different
departments need will apply.
- Also, hardware and software requirements
for handling such a GIS database
in a network on secure environment
was installed.
- The last item to be evaluated was
determining what training was to be
conducted.
RAKGIS developed and applied standards
for all these activities, especially
in the area of Spatial, Data and Communications
(Network). The goal of these
standards is to facilitate the collection,
maintenance and analysis of geographic
information across private, federal,
and local government entities (Christopher,
2007).
CONCLUSION
RAK is using GIS technology to perform
a variety of departments specific tasks
throughout the Emirate. Positive, yet
pragmatic, vision, mission, and goals
will prove to be critical as the Emirate
proceeds with its GIS implementation.
The benefits of GIS, especially an optimal
return on investment and
improved efficiency and effectiveness,
can only be realized if GIS is adopted
and integrated on Emirate wide basis
(Barndt, 1998). RAKGIS is intended not
only to serve all departments of the
local government, but will embrace the
needs of a variety of external agencies,
other levels of government, and the private
sector.
It is extremely important that GIS
standards be established and applied
government-wide (Christopher, 2007).
Otherwise, the ability of individual GIS
applications to evolve into a government-
wide enterprise GIS will be severly
limited.