Global Perspective of NGDI
Peter Holland
Immediate Past Chairman, GSDI Steering Committee;
Vice President, PCGIAP; Vice Chairman, ISCGM
General Manager, AUSLIG
Email: peterholland@auslig.gov.au
Introduction
The paper briefly describes several initiatives at global and regional level relating to geo-spatial data infrastructures. The paper concludes with comments on the relationship between these initiatives and the NGDI and provides a list of references for the interested reader.
The GSDI initiative
The concept of a global spatial data infrastructure (GSDI) is relatively recent. The GSDI is broadly defined as the policies, organisational remits, data, technologies, standards, delivery mechanisms, and financial and human resources necessary to ensure that those working at the global and regional scale are not impeded in meeting their objectives (Clarke 2000). More succinctly it means ready access to geo-spatial data at the global level. In this sense a GSDI is a super-set of NGDI.
The GSDI is being advanced through the leadership of many nations and organisations represented by a GSDI Steering Committee. This multi-national Steering Committee includes representatives from all continents, and all sectors - government, academia, and the private sector. The current chairman is from South Africa3 .
The GSDI Steering Committee has identified a set of core goals, and associated programs, to help advance awareness, acceptance and implementation of globally compatible spatial data infrastructures at the local, national, and regional levels
Goal 1
Articulate the operational environment needed to achieve Global SDI compatibility
- Develop and disseminate a SDI Implementation Guide in all UN approved languages
- Foster active multinational participation in GSDI working groups for technology, legal and economic matters, and outreach
- Assure GSDI Steering Committee representation and participation at major geospatial conferences, workshops, and symposiums.
- Issue a quarterly GSDI Newsletter to all nations via the GSDI Website4 and through post distribution
- Sponsor annual GSDI conferences
- Represent Global SDI issues at ISO TC 211 and other related work sessions.
Goal 2
Help to build compatible SDI capacity around the world
- Identify and allocate GSDI member nation resources to help build compatible SDI capacity internationally. Prioritise response based needs expressed by nations, by the Regional SDI’s, and through indicators provided by the SDI Survey
- Develop, maintain and disseminate a consistent set of training materials, software tools, and tutorials in all UN approved official languages
Goal 3
Educate decision-makers on the benefits of GSDI inside and outside their borders
- In conjunction with member nations, and through assessment of other available information, prepare case studies that articulate the benefits of a GSDI from the local, national, and regional perspective. Do this from the demand or user perspective.
Goal 4
Assure that different SDI related policies can be facilitated by the GSDI
- Stand up the Legal and Economic Working Group to identify national policies, identify similarities and differences and recommend actions to assure that the GSDI reference environment supports the variance
- Create a discussion group on the GSDI website to encourage open discussion of issues and establishment of a broad network of interested partners on policy issues
Goal 5
Advance the GSDI mission until a global SDI is achieved
- Establish a formal organisation for the GSDI that encourages execution of mission goals
- Conduct regular Steering Committee Meetings to assure that GSDI is properly guided based on changing world circumstances
- Develop a membership growth plan that includes all sectors
- Develop criteria for GSDI membership to include Steering Committee duties and involvement. Tie this to financing structure for GSDI
The GSDI Steering Committee has undertaken several projects including development of an internet tool that globally searches over 220 collections of metadata to locate geo-spatial data of interest5 ; and publication of a guide to SDI development (the SDI Cookbook6 ).
The 5
th GSDI conference will be held 21 to 25 May 2001 in Cartagena, Colombia7 .