COMPILED RESPONSES BY QUESTION FOR SELECTED QUESTIONS
1. RESPONSES RECEIVED:
Antarctica
Australia
Canada
Columbia
Finland
France
Germany, Germany
Greece
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Japan, Japan
Kiribati
Macau
Malaysia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Northern Ireland
Pakistan
Russian Federation
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
MULTI-NATION AND REGIONAL INITIATIVES
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP)
European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI)
Geographic Information in the European Union - GI2000
Comité Européen des Responsables de la Cartographie Officielle (CERCO)
Antarctica
Australia
Canada
Columbia
Finland
(France -> <- France)
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
India
Japan
Kiribati
Macau
Malaysia
Netherlands
New Zealand - No, but ...
Northern Ireland
Pakistan (PROPOSED)
Russian Federation (STARTING)
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
REGIONAL
Australia New Zealand Land
Information Council (ANZLIC)
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure
for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP)
European Umbrella Organisation for
Geographic Information (EUROGI)
Geographic Information in the European
Union - GI2000
ANTARCTICA
Agency/Organization Name: Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research - Working Group on
Geodesy and Geographic Information (SCAR WG-GGI)
Mailing Address: Head, Analytical & Mapping DivisionDepartment of
Industry, Science & Tourism
GPO Box 9839 CANBERRA ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA
E-mail Address: drew.clarke@dist.gov.au
Telephone Number:+61 2 6213 6900
Fax Number: +61 2 6213 6965
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Mr Drew Clarke -Chairman WG-GGI
AUSTRALIA
In Australia, AUSLIG has been given lead agency responsibility within the Federal
Government for coordinating the implementation of the Australian Spatial Data
Infrastructure (ASDI). The coordination body within the Federal Government for spatial
information management and policy issues is the Commonwealth Spatial Data Committee
(CSDC). Nationally there is the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
consisting of a representative from the Federal Government and well as a representative
from each State and Territory Government and New Zealand. ANZLIC has developed the initial
outline paper for the ASDI in Australia.
Contact Details
Agency/Organization Name: AUSLIG
Mailing Address: PO Box 2 Belconnen, ACT 2616, AUSTRALIA
E-mail Address: peterholland@auslig.gov.au
Telephone Number: 61 2 6201 4262
Fax Number: 61 2 6201 4368
http://www.auslig.gov.au/
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Peter Holland, General Manager, AUSLIG
Agency/Organization Name: CSDC
Mailing Address: PO Box 2 Belconnen, ACT 2616, AUSTRALIA
E-mail Address: peterboersma@auslig.gov.au
Telephone Number: 61 2 6201 4321
Fax Number: 61 2 6201 4366
http://www.auslig.gov.au/pipc/csdc/csdcmain.htm
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Peter Boersma, Secretary, CSDC
Agency/Organization Name: ANZLIC
Mailing Address: PO Box 2 Belconnen, ACT 2616, AUSTRALIA
E-mail Address: grahambaker@auslig.gov.au
Telephone Number: 61 2 6201 4299
Fax Number: 61 2 6201 4368
http://www.anzlic.org.au/
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Graham Baker, Executive Officer, ANZLIC
CANADA
The leadership of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) rests with the
Interagency Committee for Geomatics (IACG), a high level committee of federal government
agencies, and the Canadian Council of Geomatics (CCOG), a coordinating organization made
up of the principal mapping agencies in Canada at the federal and provincial levels. The
IACG encourages links to the Canadian private sector and the CCOG has formal links to the
Geomatics Industry Association of Canada (GIAC).
Dr. Edryd Shaw Chairman, Interagency Committee on Geomatics
c/o Director General Canada Centre for Remote Sensing Geomatics Canada, Earth Sciences
Sector, Natural Resources Canada
3rd floor
588 Booth Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0Y7
Canada
Phone: 1-613-947-1222
Fax: 1-613-947-1382
e-mail: shaw@ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca
web site: http://www.ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca http://cgdi.gc.ca
A CGDI secretariat has been established:
Mr. Jeff Labonte
CGDI Secretariat
c/o Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
Geomatics Canada, Earth Sciences Sector, Natural Resources Canada
Room 650
615 Booth Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E9
Canada
Phone: 1-613-992-8609
Fax: 1-613-947-2410
e-mail: labonte@ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca
web site: http://cgdi.gc.ca
COLUMBIA
Agency/Organization Name: Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi
MailingAddress: Carrera 30 No. 48-51,Santa Fe de Bogota; D.C., Colombia S.A.
E-mailAddress: sborrero@igac.gov.co
Telephone Number: 57-1-368-1060
Fax Number: 57-1-368-1029
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Santiago Borrero-Mutis, Director General,
IGAC
FINLAND
Agency/Organization Name: National Land Survey of Finland
Mailing Address: P.O.BOX 84, FIN-00521, HELSINKI
E-mail Address: jarmo.ratia@nls.fi
Telephone Number: +358 20 541 5000
Fax Number: +358 20 541 5005
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Director General, Mr. Jarmo Ratia
FRANCE
Leading organization: AFIGŽO (Association Franaise pour l'Information
Géographique)
Agency/Organization Name: AFIGŽO
Mailing Address: 136bis rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris
E-mail Address: cnig@cnig.fr
Telephone Number: 33 1 43 98 83 12
Fax Number: 33 1 43 98 85 66
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: President Jean Berthier / General Secretary
J.C. Lummaux
GERMANY
Agency/Organization Name: Working Committee of the Survey Administrations of the States of
the Federal Republic of Germany (AdV)
Mailing Address: Landesbetrieb Landesvermessung und Geobasisinformation Niedersachsen,
Postfach 510450, 30634 Hannover
E-mail Address: peter.creuzer@lgn-51.h.uunet.de
Telephone Number: +49 511 64609151
Fax Number: +49 511 64609162
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Peter Creuzer, Secretary Gerneral of AdV
+ German Umbrella Organization for Geoinformation (DDGI)
+ German Political Working Group for Geoinformation (IMAGI)
GREECE
HEMCO is responsible for coordinating and leading this kind of data, and we are under
procedure to realise a NSDI.
Agency/Organization Name: Hellenic Mapping & Cadastral Organization (HEMCO)
Mailing Address: Tim. Vassou 11-13, GR-11521 Athens
E-mail Address: ktima@otenet.gr
Telephone Number: +30 1 6445718
Fax Number: +30 1 6447039
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: John Badekas, President of HEMCO
HUNGARY
Agency/Organization Name: Office for coordination in informatics, Prime minister’s
office
Mailing Address: HU-1055 Budapest KOSSUTH TER 6
E-mail Address: zsolt.sikolya@gmc400.x400gw.itb.hu
Telephone Number: +36 1 268 3336
Fax Number:+36 1 268 3322
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Mr. Zsolt Sikolya
INDIA
Agency/Organization Name: Survey of India
Mailing Address: P.B. No.37, Hathibarkala Estate
Dehra Dun-248001 INDIA
E-mail Address: sgo@ndb.vsnl.net.in
Telephone Number: 9-135-744268
Fax Number: 91-135-744064
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Lt Gen A.K. Ahuja, Surveyor General of
India
INDONESIA
Agency/Organization Name: BAKOSURTANAL
Mailing Address: Jl. Raya Jakarta - Bogor km 46, Cibinong 16911
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number: 62-21-8754592
Fax Number: 62-21-8754592
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Rudolf Matindas
JAPAN
Agency/Organization Name: Government; Cabinet Internal Affairs Council Public: National
Spatial Data Infrastructure Promoting Association
Mailing Address: Cabinet Internal Affairs Council1-6-1 Nagatacho, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number: 81-3-3581-0760
Fax Number: 81-3- 3581-5601
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Mr. Kazuhiko Takeshima, Chief Councilor
Agency/Organization Name: NSDIPA
Mailing Address: 1-1-24 Totanomon, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number: 81-3-3504-3666
Fax Number: 81-3-3504-3977
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Mr. Osamu Imai, Deputy Chief Officer
KIRIBATI
Agency/Organization Name: Land Management Division
Mailing Address: PO Box 7
Bairiki, Tarawa
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number: (686) 21 283
Fax Number: (686) 21 463
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Erena Nikora
MACAU
Agency/Organization Name: Direcé‹o dos Serviéos de Cartografia e Cadastro
Mailing Address: Estrada D. Maria II, No. 32-36, Cx. P. 3018
Macau - South China
E-mail Address:
Telephone Number: (853) 340040
Fax Number: (853) 340046
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Estrada D. Maria II
MALAYSIA
Agency/Organization Name: NaLIS Coordinating Committee (NaLIS - National Infrastructure
for Land Information System)
Mailing Address: NaLIS Secretariat, Ministry of Land and Cooperative Development, Wisma
Tanah, Jalan Semarak, 50574 Kuala Lumpur
E-mail Address: senalis@nalis.gov.my
Telephone Number: 603-293 7286
Fax Number: 603-291 9426
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Mr. Mohd. Yunus Bin
Tamin
NETHERLANDS
A coordinating minister for GI has been appointed. In 1993 this coordinating minister set
about harmonization and cooperation by the interested parties. This led to cooperation in
the Ravi, a consultative body, in 1993. Therefore coordination has been divided between
the coordinating minister and the Ravi, between which a formal agreement exists. The Ravi
is focussing on the field coordination. Also part of the NSDI is left to self-regulation.
Agency/Organization name: Ravi, Netherlands Council for Geographic information
Mailing address: P.O. Box 508, 3800 AM Amersfoort, The Netherlands
E-mail address: Ravi@euronet.nl
Telephone number: +31 (0) 33 460 41 00
Fax number: +31 (0) 33 465 64 57
Name of agency head or primary contact person: Bas Kok, Secretary General, Ravi
NEW ZEALAND
Agency/Organization: Office of Surveyor General
Mailing Address: P O Box 5501, Wellington , New Zealand
E-mail Address: tbevin@linz.govt.nz
Telephone Number: +64 4 4986507
Fax Number: +64 44600575
Name of agency head or primary contact person: Tony Bevin
NORTHERN IRELAND
Agency/Organization: Northern Ireland Geographic Information System
MAILING ADDRESS Colby House, Stranmillis Court, Belfast, NI BT09 5BJ
E_MAIL tsteenson.osni@nics.gov.uk
TELEPHONE 44 1232 255785
FAX 44 1232 255700
PRIMARY CONTACT Trevor Steenson, Secretary, NIGIS
PAKISTAN
Agency/Organization Name: Surveyor General of Pakistan
Mailing Address: Murree Road Post Box No. 1068 Rawalpindi, Pakistan
E-mail Address: surveyor@Comsats.net.PK
Telephone Number: 92-51-9290200
Fax Number: 92-51-9290208
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Surveyor General of Pakistan
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
In 1998 the Russian Federal Government has went through a number of organizational
changes. They have influenced the coordination of NSDI initiative in Russia. Before April
1998 it was in the area of responsibility of Russian Federation Service for Surveying and
Mapping (ROSCARTOGRAFIA). After April 1998 ROSCARTOGRAFIA became part of the Russian
Federation Ministry for Land Policy, Construction, Housing and Utilities. The coordination
of NSDI became the responsibility of Dr. Victor Kislov.
Agency/Organization Name: Russian Federation Ministry for Land Politics, Construction,
Housing and Utilities
Mailing Address: Ul. Stroiteley, 8/2, Moscow, Russian Federation
E-mail Address: drr.rrosnic.msk.ru
Telephone Number: (7-095)927-3392
Fax Number: (7-095)930-0575
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Dr. Victor Kislov, Deputy Minister
Following the break up of the Russian Federation Ministry for Land Policy, Construction,
Housing and Utilities in September of 1998 it is difficult to define one single agency
responsible for NSDI in Russia. In our view the coordination activities will be
distributed between the newly established ROSCARTOGRAFIA and the Russian Federation State
Land Committee, an agency responsible for State Land Cadastre.
SOUTH AFRICA
Agency/Organization Name: Directorate: Natial Spatial Information
Framework, Dept of Land Affairs
Mailing Address: Private Bag X954 , Pretoria, 0001 South Africa
E-mail Address: nsif@csg.pwv.gov.za
Telephone Number: +27-12-3225400
Fax Number: +27-12-3225418
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Dr Liz Gavin
SWEDEN
The National Land Survey of Sweden has the responsibility to co-ordinate the development
of a national spatial data infrastructure. In the field of geo-spatial data this task
includes work with standardisation, establishment of metadata services, co-ordination with
other producer's (e.g. the Geological Survey, the National Board for Shipping and
Navigation, the National Road Administration and the municipalities) production plans and
technical specifications for fundamental datasets, establishment of new forms for
co-operation (mainly concerning efficient methods for up-dating geographical data) and
establishment of efficient routines for data deliveries.
The NSDI is not – and will not – consist of one single solution, but of a
network of supporting services. There is, for example, one national catalogue system,
where metadata can be published, and a number of regional systems with more detailed
information about regional datasets. There is also a clearinghouse for environmental data
run by the Environmental Data Centre in close co-operation with the National Land Survey,
the Environmental Protection Board and the Swedish Space Corporation. A similar solution
is under establishment for road information in co-operation between the National Land
Survey and the Road Administration.
Mailing Address: National Land Survey of Sweden, S-801 82 Gavle, Sweden
E-mail Address: ulf.sandgren@lm.se
Telephone Number: +46 26 633000 (direct: 633092)
Fax Number: +46 26 618980
UNITED KINGDOM
Agency/Organization Name: National Geospatial Data Framework (NGDF) Management Board
Mailing Address: Ordnance Survey, Romsey Rd, SOUTHAMPTON SO16 4GU
E-mail Address: bnanson@ordsvy.gov.uk
Telephone Number: (+44) 01703 792550
Fax Number: (+44) 01703 792078
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Bryan W Nanson, Programme Director
UNITED STATES
Agency/Organization Name: Federal Geographic Data Committee
Mailing Address: U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National Center, Reston, Virginia 20192 USA
E-mail Address: GDC@USGS.GOV
Telephone Number: 703-648-5514
Fax Number: 703-648-5755
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: John Moeller, Staff Director, FGDC
INTERNATIONAL / REGIONAL EFFORTS
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND LAND INFORMATION COUNCIL (ANZLIC)
In Australia, ANZLIC is providing national leadership for the development of the
Australian Spatial Data Infrastructure (ASDI). It has stimulated discussion and developed
standards. It will continue to provide a forum for coordination and consultation.
Implementation of the ASDI is through ANZLIC member jurisdictions (States, Territories and
the Commonwealth (federal) Government). Each jurisdiction is developing its own SDI in
accordance with common standards. Each is implementing its own node of the Australian
Spatial Data Directory (ASDD) - our version of a clearinghouse. Among the jurisdictions,
the Commonwealth is taking a lead in coordination of the ASDD.
Agency/Organization Name: ANZLIC
Mailing Address: PO Box 2, BELCONNEN, ACT, 2616, Australia
E-mail Address: anzlic@auslig.gov.au
Telephone Number: +65-2-6201 4299
Fax Number: +65-2-6201 4366
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Graham Baker, Executive Officer, ANZLIC
PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON GIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC(PCGIAP)
In the Asia and the Pacific region, the PCGIAP has taken lead responsibility for
coordinating the development and implementation of the Asia and the Pacific Spatial Data
Infrastructure (APSDI).
Contact Details
Agency/Organization Name: c/o AUSLIG
Mailing Address: PO Box 2, Belconnen, ACT 2616 AUSTRALIA
Telephone Number: +61 2 6201 4267
Fax Number: +61 2 6201 4366
E-mail Address: permcom@auslig.gov.au
URL: http://www.permcom.apgis.gov.au/
Name of Primary Contact Person: Bob Irwin, PCGIAP Executive Officer
EUROPEAN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (EUROGI)
Agency/Organization Name: European Umbrella organization for Geographic Information
(EUROGI)
Mailing Address: 6-8 avenue Blaise Pascal, 77455 MARNE LA VALLEE CEDEX 2 France
E-mail Address: cchenez@euronet.nl
Telephone Number: +33 1 64 15 32 95
Fax Number: +33 1 64 15 32 97
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Christian Chenez
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION - GI2000
Mailing Address: EUFO1180, Euroforum Building, 10 rue Robert Stumper,
L-2557 Gasperich, Luxembourg
E-mail Address: martin.littlejohn@lux.dg13.cec.be
Telephone Number: (+352) 4301 83187
Fax Number: (+352) 4301 32847
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: Mr. Martin Littlejohn, DG XIII/E.3 GI
Section head
COMITé EUROPéEN DES RESPONSABLES DE LA CARTOGRAPHIE OFFICIELLE (CERCO)
The structure for an EGII will shortly be formulated by a "high level working
group" which will comprise representatives of the European
GI industry. More information may be obtained from martin.littlejohn@lux.dg13.cec.be
For the details of CERCO activity the contact is:
Agency/Organization Name: CERCO
Mailing Address: Dellbrook, Hubert Road, St Cross, Winchester, UK.
E-mail Address: johnleonard2@compuserve.com
Telephone Number: +44 1962 866273
Fax Number: +44 1962 849696
Name of Agency Head or Primary Contact Person: John Leonard (Secretary General)
5. AVAILABILITY: What are the primary types, categories or forms of
spatial digital data being made available through your nation’s NSDI?
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Antarctica 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 12
Australia 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13
Canada*
Columbia 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14
Finland 1, 2, 6, 15, 16
France 2, 5, 6, 17
Germany 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Greece 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 18
Hungary 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, 16, 19
Indonesia 1, 2, 5, 6, 10, 13
India 1, 21
Japan** 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
Kiribati 2, 6
Malaysia 1, 2, 6
Netherlands 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 20
New Zealand 1, 2, 6, 8, 12, 15
Northern Ireland 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 19
Pakistan -
Russian Fedrtn*** 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
South Africa 5, 6, 8, 11
Sweden 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21,22
United Kingdom -
United States 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10
____________________________________________________________
TOTALS 16, 19, 1, 8, 12, 18, 7, 9, 3, 6, 5, 4, 8, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1
Results are very inconsistent in that some nations that have very extensive and
detailed mapping coverage responded with only their core or framework data sets while
other nations listed a much broader range of data sets being made avialable or to be made
available through their NSDI. Regardless, some datasets definitely show up more than
others as potential candidates as core data sets for a GSDI.
* remains with custodians
** refers to U.S. model
*** “vision similar to US”
PRIMARY TYPES OF SPATIAL DATA IN THE NSDI
1. geodetic
2. land surface elevation / topographic
3. bedrock elevation
4. digital imagery
5. government boundaries /administrative boundaries
6. cadastral / land ownership
7. transportation / roads
8. hydrography / rivers and lakes planimetric
9. ocean coastlines
10. bathymetry
11. physical features / buildings
12. place names
13. land use / land cover / vegetation
14. geology
15. real estate price register / land valuation
16. land title register
17. postal address
18. wetlands
19. soils
20. register of private companies
21. gravity network
22. zoning and restictions
6. MECHANICS OF ACCESS: Through what technical and organizational mechanisms are spatial data being made available through the NSDI?
Antarctica goal - clearinghouse nodes
Australia goal - clearinghouse nodes
Canada all access through web site http://cgdi.gc.ca
Columbia contact government agencies, goal - move to web
Finland web server to “citizen’s map site” and “professional’s map site”, service center acts as a broker to several databases
France goal - develop access by the internet
Germany through individual mapping agencies or Federal Office for Cartography and Geodesy if more than one state is concerned, metadata at websites of AdV and BKG
Greece contact agency, some available through internet
Hungary visit land offices and mapping agency, some web server experimentation
India contact Survey of India, data made available to GOs and NGOs
Indonesia goal - nodes at data centers linked electronically
Japan goal - spatial data clearinghouse
Kiribati contact agency - Land Management Division
Macua contact agency - Users can obtain information about the relief of Macau through CD-ROM and maps which are issued by DSCC.
Malaysia goal - clearinghouse nodes but studying alternatives
Netherlands probable central clearinghouse
New Zealand -
Northern Ireland contact agency, central electronic node likely
Pakistan contact the Survey of Pakistan
Russian Federation - none yet
South Africa adopting FGDC metadata standards so datasets may be found, goal is website and use of internet to find suppliers of data directly
Sweden several - internet, on-line services, CD distribution, clearinghouse nodes
United Kingdom use existing channels - signed contracts typically required United States goal - clearinghouse nodes
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC) metadata being promoted, goal - government data nodes
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP) goal - APSDI data nodes
European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI) metadata services being implemented, traditional mechanisms for distribution still prevalent Geographic Information in the European Union - GI2000 pan-European metadata systems being promoted
10. COMMERCIAL INVOLVEMENT: Please describe how private commercial firms are involved in helping to build the NSDI.
ANTARCTICA None
AUSTRALIA Government contracting out data production, value-adding
CANADA Contracts to work on NSDI initiatives; sit on standards committees; contracts to develop concepts, designs, systems and software; contracts to create and update govt datasets and products; development of services; sale of compatible data sets in private sector, development of services using NSDI interfaces
COLUMBIA About 50 percent of data collection contracted out; installation of software and hardware often contracted, few firms involved in value-adding and sales of data
FINLAND Major private firms have provided metadata compatible with the NSDI and some compatibility for retreiving data, large-scale mapping contracted out
FRANCE Commercial firms are involved in value added product or as primary producer as private surveyors for cadastre.
GERMANY The NSDI in Germany for official core data is developed by the surveying, mapping and cadastral administration. Commercial firms are collecting their own data, because they need NSDI as soon as possible. Digitizing topographical maps and developing software. All GI-disciplines try to improve the GI-situation by membership and common activities within DDGI.
GREECE Private commercial firms take the initiative to digitize non digital original data or to develop applications. Some of them present the result to Internet. They also undertake to produce digital data bases for Public Authorities after tender procedures.
HUNGARY Indirect involvement as subcontractor e.g. in the implementation of the National Cadastral Programme in competition environment.
INDIA The ultimate aim is that responsibility of generating, maintaining and supplying data will be of Government organisation while Non-government groups will use the data as per their requirements for developmental processes of the Nation.
INDONESIA At this stage, various issues related to the legal and economic aspect of royalty, licensing, patent and intellectual property rights are still studied nationally to meet the international standard practices. The reference in setting up the cost structure at present are those issued by the National Development Planning Agency.
JAPAN In Japan, the National Spatial Data Infrastructure Promoting Association (NSDIPA) was established in 1995 to promote the NSDI and its related activities in both public and private sectors. Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren) has also organized a working group to study new business opportunities, etc. related to GIS. Commercial involvement mean spatial data is defined as commodities. In this sense geopositional accuracy data and 3 D data will have growing future in Japanese market. Particularly, well spread car navigation systems (already more than 5 million sets have been sold) and ITS will demand more and more precise spatial data series.
KIRIBATI No commercial involvement at present.
MACAU None.
MALAYSIA The NaLIS Convention 1997 recommended that the Government continue to hold the custodianship of NaLIS and its assets, while at the same time, encouraging the private sector to participate in the development of the NSDI, the value adding of products and services, the dissemination of data and information and promotion of the NSDI.
NETHERLANDS The government produces most data sets. The government provides the data sets and the NSDI while non-profit groups, citizens and the commercial sector are free to use this base as they see fit ranging from public goods to profit generation purposes. The private sector is involved: á As subcontractor á In value adding and developing information products based on the
government data sets, e.g. route planners, digital atlases, retail marketing, etc. Due to the high quality of the government data sets there is but a few commercial data sets and the market for commercial data sets accordingly small. As an exception to the rule the fundamental geometric data set Large Scale Map is a public-private-partnership initiative. There are very few business to business activities. Commercial data sets are meeting the NEN standards, Dutch standard for GI developed within the Ravi. Also they are willing to adopt CEN 287 and ISO/TC211.
NEW ZEALAND -
NORTHERN IRELAND The membership of the two NIGIS Committees consist of a mixture of Government bodies, public utilities and companies with commercial interests. The topographical data is available for purchase and use in commercial ventures subject to legal restrictions (copyright, royalties etc). As a result of both of these, Commercial companies have an influence in the structure of the data and on the time tabling of data availability.
PAKISTAN Presently there is no role for private commercial firms.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION We plan that the commercial firms will share the expenses required to create elements of the NSDI and will cover their expenses according to special conditions of the NSDI data use.
SOUTH AFRICA Private sector participating in NSIF working groups. Ad hoc collection of data by private sector for own use.
SWEDEN In Sweden private commercial firms are involved in helping to build the NSDI in several and different ways. They can be contracted for development works or production works, but also as vendors. Normally, private commercial firms are making ”value-added” products out of core data. Those products are often tailored to suit a specific user group.
UNITED KINGDOM The NGDF Management Board comprises both public and private sector data providers all of whom make a modest annual subscription. Private sector organisations participate in working groups
UNITED STATES FGDC/NSDI standards and principles being supported by the general vendor community, private companies interested in compatibility with NSDI and ability of NSDI search engines to locate their commercial data set offerings. Government contracts out many data collecton and mapping tasks.
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND LAND INFORMATION COUNCIL (ANZLIC) The ANZLIC vision for the ASDI does not preclude the involvement of the private sector in building the ASDI and many jurisdictions operate under the principle that all value added services should be provided by the private sector rather than government.but there is no clear strategy for how the private sector should be involved in the ASDI. There is strong industry support for the implementation of the ASDI and ANZLIC is developing its views on the relationship between public and private sectors in the ASDI.
PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON GIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC(PCGIAP) The private sector is involved in a number of ways in the development of the APSDI. Firstly, it acquires data under contract to a number of government agencies in PCGIAP member countries. In some countries industry has expressed support for SDI concepts. PCGIAP expects that by improving the access to regional fundamental data there will be a stimulus to the spatial data industry. The private sector may also be invited to participate in SDI development projects and seminars that are being identified by a PCGIAP Development Needs Taskforce.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION - GI2000 First, there is no single "ESDI spatial data set" nor will there ever be one. The GI2000 initiative foresees an information infrastructure (the EGII) which would permit all existing spatial data sets to be located via standard metadata and pan-European directory services. These datasets could then be accessed (unless restricted by law, for example for national security purposes) or acquired by users under a range of terms, ranging from completely freely (as with some local and national government spatial data today, especially in the Scandinavian Member States) to full market cost (travel maps, demographic data, etc. from private companies and public organisations operating government department "cost recovery" schemes).
In Europe today, very few commercial companies collect or offer cross-border or truly pan-European spatial data, except for remote sensing firms (for which "cross-border" data goes hand-in-hand with the technology) and certain travel and transport related organisations (travel clubs, in-car navigation systems integrators, air and marine transport operators, etc.).
Two attempts by EUROGI to foster creation of commercially oriented pan-European associations which could then join EUROGI both failed. EUROGI is an "association of associations" only - individual companies and agencies cannot belong. GIVE (GI Vendors in Europe) and GISPE (GI Service Providers in Europe) were both proposed by EUROGI, but the firms who should have become members of these two new associations were not forthcoming, so the initiative died after about one year.
EUROPEAN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (EUROGI) As Roger Longhorn (GI 2000) mentioned, we are partly missing the involvement of an organized private sector in our process. Of course, the private sector is represented in the national associations that are members of EUROGI. Some of them are active, trying to influence the definition of new national GI policies. But at the European level, they have not yet succeeded to have one voice and consequently are speaking to the European Commission and to us (EUROGI) as individuals. In general they agree with the idea of creating this series of infrastructures (local, National, Regional and Global) and some of them believe that the work will be done by others.
COMITé EUROPéEN DES RESPONSABLES DE LA CARTOGRAPHIE OFFICIELLE (CERCO) Several private sector companies have signed agreements to distribute SABE data.
11. PUBLIC DOMAIN DATA SETS: Please describe those digital spatial data sets for jurisdictions within your nation that are available to anyone without any licensing or intellectual property restrictions imposed on the data sets and the data sets are available at no cost or little cost.
ANTARTICA SCAR member nations that currently have public domain digital data over Antarctica include:
US (National Imagery and Mapping Agency - NIMA) - Digital Bathymetic
Data Base 5-Minutes for information and email contact: gleasond@nima.mil
Italy (National Research Programme for Antarctica - PRNA) - Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica (Place Names). Available on-line http://www.pnra.it/SCAR_GAZE
AUSTRALIA There is no definitive list available however a number of datasets are made publicly available in Australia.
CANADA At present there are relatively few geospatial data sets in the public domain are accessible through the CGDI. At present most geospatial data distributed by governments in Canada is copyrighted and of these that are copyrighted there are also restrictions on the use and redistribution with royalties payable.
There is a general belief and will that more Canadian geospatial data should be freely available (probably meaning that though still copyright there will be no restrictions on use or re-distribution and no royalties payable).
At present, a few agencies in Canada may make data freely available. In most cases these free data sets are highly refined views of much larger, more comprehensive data bases. In the context of CGDI today, GeoGratis (a CEONet subsystem) has been established to distribute geospatial data free of charge. The Canada Land Inventory (1:250k scale digital maps of land capacity) appears in GeoGratis. Very soon all the base maps and thematic files of the National Atlas of Canada will be freely accessible through GeoGratis, This is first manifestation of a new policy of Geomatics Canada making all data at scales of 1:1M and smaller, available free of charge.
COLUMBIA There are not any geographic data sets available to the public without copyright restrictions. All the analog data sets are sold at a little cost. Digital data sets are sold at a varying fraction of its acquisition cost, depending on the producer, but it is a small fraction.
FINLAND
There are no public domain data sets available. The "Citizen's MapSite", as described earlier, provides browsable topographic maps to all users in Finland free of charge. But these are copyright protected. Thus, a user may print one copy for personal use.
The National Metadata Service for Geographic Information is public domain.
FRANCE
We don't have such public domain data sets: even the charged cost will strongly decrease the only way to finance the update of data is to maintain a licensing process.
GERMANY
No public domain data sets available. Certain data sets are sold on CD-ROM that are distributed by the mapping agencies of the States of the Ferderal Republic of Germany.
GREECE
The number of such datasets is unknown.
HUNGARY
There is very few data sets available without any licensing or intellectual property restriction and no or nominal costs. Majority of data are state owned or commercial proprietary products. In international comparison, the some as the base data prices can be seen as still nominal.
INDIA
No data is made available free of cost as per existing policy.
INDONESIA
The desired data sets could be search through many Bakosurtanal home pages, as well as other sectoral agency.
JAPAN
Currently, virtually no data sets are available as public domain data sets./p>KIRIBATI
Cadastral information hard copy plans are available at low cost. As yet there is little or no demand for data in digital form.
MACAU
Public domain data sets are only available to government departments, non-profit organizations and education.
MALAYSIA
As the NSDI is still in its infancy stage and work on policy matters are still on-going, a decision has yet to be reached on the datasets that will be made available to the public without any licensing or intellectual property restrictions imposed. The Environment and Land Resources Management Technical Committee setup by the National Mapping and Spatial Data Committee (NMSDC) has been given the task of determining the fundamental dataset that is required for national land resources management and planning.
NETHERLANDS
In the Netherlands there are no public domain data sets. All data sets can be copyright owned. As mentioned before (7. Legal and economic framework) 80% of all public sector data sets is use by other public sector bodies, of which 70% copyright is reserved. This however does not implicate anything about prices.
NEW ZEALAND
-
NORTHERN IRELAND
Not applicable
PAKISTAN
Shortly a topographic Data Base at Scale 1:50,000 leaving the border belt area will be available at a little cost.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Public domain spatial data sets are not typical for Russia. Only some spatial data samples like small-scale digital maps or some spatial images can be available at no cost. Such data can be found only by searching through many firms or via the GIS Association.
SOUTH AFRICA
None
SWEDEN
Many public domain spatial data sets are available. For instance, consult a web site such as http://www2.echo.lu/gi/en/intro/mapslist.html. The public domain data is, however, normally either small-scaled data or covering small parts of the country. It is also often not up-dated.
UNITED KINGDOM
In general products must be purchased at commercial prices. In some cases of "statutory use" where use of Ordnance Survey mapping is mandated, for example in property transfer, then it is provided by the agency or utility concerned to the public at no additional charge.
UNITED STATES
Many thousands of public domain spatial data sets are available. For instance, do a search for desired data at http://www.fgdc.gov/ or consult a web site such as http://www2.echo.lu/gi/en/intro/mapslist.html
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND LAND INFORMATION COUNCIL (ANZLIC)
The decision as to which data are made available at no or little cost is a matter for individual jurisdictions to determine. ANZLIC, however, promotes the view that identified fundamental datasets should be made available at minimum cost.
PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON GIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC(PCGIAP)
Yet to be determined by PCGIAP
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION - GI2000
In Europe, there are no significant digital spatial datasets available without licensing and IPR restrictions - often onerous ones, at that! For example, geo-demographic statistical information collected for the European Statistics Office (Eurostats), including the administrative boundary information covering the whole of Europe down to commune level (the smallest political sub-division) which was created specifically for Eurostat by MEGRIN, is NOT available to users outside the Commission, except at great cost. Pan-European land cover data collected under the CORINE programme of the EC's DG XI and now under control (including updating responsibility) of the European Environment Agency (EEA) is NOT available to commercial use and is very difficult to acquire for even personal use. The agricultural land use information collected by the EC's DG VI (Agriculture) under the MARS programme (Monitoring Agriculture by Remote Sensing) is NOT available for general release, even to other EC institutions or Directorates.
The main problem with these "public domain" data sets at European level (as opposed to purely national level) is that they are commissioned and created to meet the needs of a specific EU Institution or Directorate of the EC, often by special legislation, with little or no regard or thought being given to "public access" at the time that the data collection provisions are made. The actual data collection is then carried out by national bodies (there is no pan-European institution mandated to collect spatial data across Europe) under individual contracts. These contracts tend not to be harmonised, reflecting the different cultures of "access to information" which prevail in the Member State concerned. The resulting situation viz a viz access by the public to these important data sets is confusing to potential users, obstructive, expensive and non-transparent.
EUROPEAN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (EUROGI)
A single user license for the administrative boundary information down to commune level (SABE) is available to anybody for 9 146 ECU. It is debatable if this is a 'great cost' but it is clearly not public domain.
COMITé EUROPéEN DES RESPONSABLES DE LA CARTOGRAPHIE OFFICIELLE (CERCO)
None within CERCO
14. AUTHORITY: Do the laws or formal orders of any legislative or executive branches of government explicitly recognize the need to establish or further develop the NSDI?
ANTARCTICA No
AUSTRALIA Yes - Unlike in the US, there are no specific laws relating to the development or management of the ASDI. AUSLIG has been given the responsibility for ASDI implementation federally.
CANADA None. CGDI is a collegial, co-operative initiative to which most Canadian providers of geospatial data and services in the private and public sectors have subscribed. Direction of the CGDI is developed by consensus within the Interagency Committee on Geomatics and the Canada Council on Geomatics.
COLUMBIA No.
FINLAND Yes. National Land Survey of Finland given responsibility
FRANCE We try to obtain that. We hope that the first step will be during the last quarter of 98 in a new law "AmmŽnagement du Territoire": this law would include a text with an obligation to reference any information to the national system.
GERMANY Yes. The AdV is an organization of the surveying, mapping and cadastral authorities of the German states. It was established by executive branches of government. Surveying and Cadastral Acts of the German states include the order to the surverying, mapping and codastral administration to develop and maintain a basic information and providing system of official core data. The government of the FRG has recognized the importance of spatial data and has organized - initiated by DDGI - a committee of some ministries for geo-information (IMAGI). One order to the IMAGI is to improve the building up and coordination of a spatial data infrastructure.
GREECE For the moment, there is not a special policy towards these matters. The development of the NSDI is based on the initiative of each provider. Nevertheless the need is high, and for that reason HEMCO has proposed the “Geospatial Information Infrastructure”.HUNGARY Yes. Governmental Committee for Informatics and Telecommunications Decision made on 15/10/1997
INDIA Yes. `Restriction' policies with regard to supply of data is taken care of by Ministry of Defence.
INDONESIA YES. Recently by a presidential decree, aNational Coordination Team on telematics has been established. this team has been given the task to formulate government policies on telematics as a synergy between telecommunication and information.
JAPAN NO. GIS-related activities are recognized as one of the major tasks in the context of promotion of “Electronic Government”, however, spatial data distribution as part of NSDI is discretion of each organization
KIRIBATI No.
MACAU Yes. According to Macao government law, Decreto-Lei n.¡ 3/94/M, of January 1994, and Urban Construction General Regulation(RGCU), Decreto-Lei n.¡ 79/85/M, August 1985. The DSCC responded to establish local mapping.
MALAYSIA Yes. No law has yet been enacted, but the Chief Secretary to the Government has issued a Public Administration Development Circular (1/1997), which provides guidelines to the Secretary General, Heads of Federal/State Departments, and Local Authorities on the establishment of NaLIS. The circular effectively established the NaLIS Coordinating Committee (NCC) at the federal level under the chairmanship of the Secretary General to the Ministry of Land and Cooperative Development and the State NaLIS Coordinating Committee (SNCC) under the chairmanship of the respective State Secretaries. Besides, the coordinating committees the circular also established the National Land Information Clearinghouse
NETHERLANDS No, not as a whole, although the Structure Outline for Geographic Information (SVI, 1992) has been laid down by the Cabinet and guidelines for further development have been established. However, for some elements of the NSDI the need has been recognized for further development, partly by laws and partly by agreements made between the government agencies, e.g.:
á The Act for Valuation of Real Estate (WOZ) set up various standards and regulated the Large Scale Base Map of the Netherlands (GBKN), the public-private-partnership mentioned earlier.
á The Commercial Register Act 1996 for regulating the Chambers of Commerce Register.
á The Land Registry Organization Act 14 February 1994 Stb 1994, 125, Land Registry Act, Stb 1994, 640, the Land Registry Tariffs Decree 18 July 1995, Stb 1995, 376 concerning the Cadaster and the Commercial Tariffs Decree for the Land Registry Service.
NEW ZEALAND -
NORTHERN IRELAND YES. A recent policy change by the DOE (Department of the Environment) in Northern Ireland (NI) requires the department to take actions to progress the development of Geographic Information Systems (e.g. having a common electronic format for holding names and addresses and to take account of the need for data sharing). The DOE is the biggest government department in NI. The NI Central Information Technology Unit takes a role of policing relevant standard use within NI government departments.
PAKISTAN No
RUSSIAN FEDERATION No. There is a draft proposal for the review of the President of Russia and of the Russian government concerning NSDI.
SOUTH AFRICA Not at this stage - concept in process
SWEDEN NO, but the ideas concerning the establishment of the NSDI have been described in governmental proposals and budgets.
UNITED KINGDOM No
UNITED STATES Yes. The FGDC was established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in its 1990 revision of Circular A-16, "Coordination of Surveying, Mapping, and Related Spatial Data Activities." FGDC is composed of representatives from 16 Cabinet level and independent Federal agencies. OMB assigned lead coordination responsibilities to specific Federal agencies based on themes while FGDC working groups play a crosscutting role.
Executive Order 12906, April 1994, signed by President Clinton called for the establishment of a coordinated National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) as part of the evolving National Information Infrastructure (NII) and FGDC was charged with coordinating the federal government’s development of the NSDI.
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND LAND INFORMATION COUNCIL (ANZLIC) YES. There are no orders, regulations or laws recognising ANZLIC's role but in a few jurisdictions, individual agencies have been formally recognised as having a lead role in the implementation of SDI.
PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON GIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC(PCGIAP)
UNRCC-AP recognised the need for a regional SDI and recommended its implementation as part of Resolution 16 of its 13th meeting held in Beijing, May 1994.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION - GI2000
NO. The GI2000 draft Communication has no force in law and is merely a "communication" to the European Council of Ministers (who represent the governments of the Member States at ministerial level) and the European Parliament (who are directly elected or otherwise selected by Member State citizens to represent their interests at European level). A Communication can lead to a Directive (but quite often does not do so), and that Directive can then require enacting legislation at Member State government level (but does not necessarily do so!). This process usually takes many years (e.g. the Data Protection Directive was more than 7 years in the preparation and certain Member States are exempt from enacting national legislation for up to a further decade after the Directive was accepted by the Council of Ministers and European Parliament).
EUROPEAN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (EUROGI)
NO. I hope that one day it will come ... The next generation will have to follow this issue ...
COMITé EUROPéEN DES RESPONSABLES DE LA CARTOGRAPHIE OFFICIELLE (CERCO)ANTARTICA
The paper referred to above "Geographic Information in Europe: A Discussion Document - August 1998" may form the basis of a "communication" that would be announced by the European Council of Ministers. As such it would become an EU policy statement.
17. COMPONENTS: Please indicate whether the vision of an NSDI for your nation incorporates the following components or concepts.
A. METADATA
Yes NO
Antarctica
Australia
Canada
Columbia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
Japan
Kiribati
Macau
Malaysia
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Pakistan
Russian Federation
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP)
European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI)
Geographic Information in the European Union - GI2000
Comité Européen des Responsables de la Cartographie Officielle (CERCO) - not decided yet
Antarctica
Australia
Canada - fully FGDC interoperable
Columbia
Finland
France - for metadata
France - for data
Germany - clearinghouses in agencies
Greece - unknown
Hungary
Indonesia
Japan
Kiribati
Macau
Malaysia
Netherlands
Northern Ireland - not yet
Pakistan
Russian Federation
South Africa - still in development
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP)
European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI)
Geographic Information in the European Union - GI2000
Comité Européen des Responsables de la Cartographie Officielle (CERCO) - not decided yet
C. DATA STANDARDS
Yes NO
Antarctica
Australia
Canada - international stds by persuation
Columbia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
Japan
Kiribati
Macau
Malaysia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Northern Ireland
Pakistan
Russian Federation
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP)
European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI)
Geographic Information in the European Union - GI2000
Comité Européen des Responsables de la Cartographie Officielle (CERCO) - not decided yet
Antartica
Australia
Canada
Columbia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
Japan
Kiribati
Macau
Malaysia
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Pakistan
Russian Federation
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC)
Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific(PCGIAP)
European Umbrella Organisation for Geographic Information (EUROGI)
Geographic Information in the European Union - GI2000
Comité Européen des Responsables de la Cartographie Officielle (CERCO) - not decided yet
ANTARTICA
To ensure that all SCAR member countries cooperate and contribute in the development of
Antarctic SDI policies, and development of the SDI core datasets.
AUSTRALIA
Ensuring cooperation of all levels of government in the development and implementation of
ASDI policies.
CANADA
The vision that the entire geomatics community shares is that someday our data and tools
will easily and widely used for management and operations in a wide variety of
disciplines. To date this has been elusive. There are many challenges, but stepping far
enough back to see the grand challenge is possible and almost all viewpoints seem to
present a landscape with one prominent feature.
The challenge is the creation of a group of people who truly understand what geospatial
information is (the very fundamentals), how it can be represented, organized, and used.
There are very few of these people in all of Canada and very few receptor organizations
that are attuned to the potential, and we are as well supplied as anywhere. The
"system" produces plenty of people who work in the area of primary data
production, lots of GIS mechanics, some tool builders, data base engineers etc.
Nevertheless, in all this there are very few people who carry the big picture with enough
breadth and depth to understand what it is that they are really doing, what the current
limitations are and what the opportunities are in a new way of doing things. These are not
just philosophers or theoreticians, they have the technical skills and management support
to take their ideas to a stage of implementation that is convincing to other parts of the
geomatics community.
There is an enormous gap between what can be done in the science-technology-art of
geomatics and the organizations which could benefit strategically and operationally. The
opportunities are not always perceived as benefits to an organization in its present
state. Thus part of the challenge is to also develop the appropriate receptors throughout
the geospatial information community, receptors that can, in turn, influence the alignment
of the community to the new opportunities.
COLUMBIA
Almost permanent coverage of clouds over some portion of the national territory has
prevented to acquire basic data (i.e. topographic maps)required for NSDI development. Our
challenge is to find a feasible alternative to photographic images in order to get the
basic data for the whole nation.
FINLAND
Ensuring the consistency of data to enable successful integration and adequate quality of
the data and the formal coordination of data collection.
Realising the "Core for Geographic Information" may well be the grand challenge
for the near future.
FRANCE
Definition and production of reference data
GERMANY
Demand of data-provider and user with the same intensity to get more transparency on the
geo market (usefulness and availability of geodata).
Telecommunication
GREECE
Coordination of the NSDI efforts
HUNGARY
To accelerate the production of standardized core data and products (National Cadastral
Program, National Topographic Program)
To face the application challenge: Parcel-based Information System (to be implemented till
year 2002 as required by the agricultural and agro-environmental purposes related to the
Common Agricultural Policyof the European Union.)
To find the mutually beneficial solution for the National Spatial Data Clearinghouse
INDIA
High level committees with members from various disciplines have been formed for this.
INDONESIA
The legal and economic aspects of NSDI are the priority issues.
JAPAN
Standardization, effective development and distribution of framework data
Development of incentives for the practitioners in central and local governments that they
will join in the effort of framework data development and data distribution.
KIRIBATI
Poor resources.
MACAU -
MALAYSIA
Commitment and cooperation of the participating agencies, at both the state and federal
levels, is vital for the success of this venture and constitute one of the biggest
challenges. NaLIS' own budgetary allocation, as well as the budgetary allocation that each
participating agency can commit to this project, especially so in the climate of the
economic downturn now prevailing, would be crucial.
NETHERLANDS
The further development of access - to everybody, any time, any place, anywhere -, the
knowledge infrastructure and a nation wide Building Register. Please take a look at the
chapter on the Netherlands in 'Government and Geographic Information' (1998) written by
Ian Masser.
NEW ZEALAND -
NORTHERN IRELAND
Effective Delivery and Communication Systems. NIGIS partners will be responsible for their
own databases and control their availability to other users on agreed terms. There will be
a need for users to transmit information internally as well as externally therefore
effective communication links are essential.
Files containing complex topographic information are typically large making high speed
reliable telecommunication links essential. Since NIGIS was formed in 1983 the bandwidth
available to users has increased enormously and transmission times have reduced
accordingly. These improvements must continue.
PAKISTAN
Different Data formats/ their conversions
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Due to economic crises in the country the NSDI development is highly problematic.
Significant impediments must be overcome and workable incentives must be developed to
allow the generation of compatible spatial data among local, state, and national agencies
and organizations.
SOUTH AFRICA
Institutional cooperation. Core data sets complying with standards
SWEDEN
The establishment of an efficient NSDI is an on-going process. Even if the technical
solutions needed for the NSDI must be further developed (concerning standards,
clearinghouse functions, etc), I believe that the greatest challenges deals with
administrative questions (concerning financing and pricing, responsibilities etc).
UNITED KINGDOM
Lack of resources
UNITED STATES
Significant impediments must be overcome and workable incentives must be developed to
allow the generation of compatible spatial data among local, state, and national agencies
and organizations.
AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND LAND INFORMATION COUNCIL (ANZLIC)
Maintaining a shared vision between nine participating governments.
PERMANENT COMMITTEE ON GIS INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC(PCGIAP)
Ongoing participation of PCGIAP’s member countries and availability of funding
support.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION - GI2000
Easy - getting the attention of even one high-level European official who truly
understands (or is willing to investigate and accept!) the key role of spatial information
in the rapidly evolving Information Society. But I'm not holding my breath!
EUROPEAN UMBRELLA ORGANISATION FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (EUROGI)
Identify an ESDI Champion
COMITé EUROPéEN DES RESPONSABLES DE LA CARTOGRAPHIE OFFICIELLE (CERCO)
At a European level a unified political will and commitment must be found to empower those
with the vision to realise a spatial framework that will enable improved decision making
for the welfare of all European citizens.
DISCUSSION ACCOMPANYING THE LAST SLIDE
Implications from the Survey Results
1. The concepts of metadata, core data, data standards and clearinghouse appear to be well
accepted as constituent parts of NSDIs across the globe.
2. Agreement among nations on metadata standards for spatial data may make sense and be a
realistic possibility. Although works in library collections across the globe vary widely
and are often of greatest interest locally, conformance to widely accepted international
standards for electronic cataloging in libraries allows others across the world to become
aware of those local works. In a similar fashion, information about spatial data sets
might be made available to the rest of the world.
3. If numerous nations could agree that at least metadata for most NSDI datasets may be
made available on-line, the concept of a coordinated GSDI becomes much more realistic.
Search engines then could be developed to discover whether spatial data meeting user
requirements exist somewhere in the globally distributed and highly decentralized GSDI.
4. Agreement among nations on a small number of core data sets at specified scales to
serve as a data framework for a GSDI may be a realistic possibility.
5. Any vision for a workable GSDI probably will need to involve networks of decentralized
geographic data clearinghouse nodes. Depending on the nation, such data collections might
be made available by government agencies at various levels, by the commercial sector, or
by both government and private suppliers.
6. Wide variations exist among nations in regard to the legal and economic policies being
pursued in support of NSDI efforts. These national and local policies affecting geographic
data affect many other forms of data as well. Therefore, forums other than the GSDI would
appear to be more appropriate and productive in resolving conflicts in data policies among
nations.