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Spatial data infrastructure initiatives in africa by Dr Derek Clarke

Spatial data infrastructure initiatives in africa by Dr Derek Clarke Chief Director of Surveys and Mapping, South Africa Vice-President of International Cartographic Association Convenor of ICA WG on Mapping Africa for Africa Convenor of CODIST-Geo WG on Fundamental Datasets.

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Spatial data infrastructure initiatives in africa by Dr Derek Clarke

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  1. Spatial data infrastructure initiatives in africa by Dr Derek Clarke Chief Director of Surveys and Mapping, South Africa Vice-President of International Cartographic Association Convenor of ICA WG on Mapping Africa for Africa Convenor of CODIST-Geo WG on Fundamental Datasets Map World Forum 2009

  2. Two basic statements:1) HALFWAY THROUGH THE PERIOD FOR THE MDGs IT IS REPORTED THAT PROBABLY NO MORE THAN THREE AFRICAN COUNTRIES WILL ACHIEVE THEIR MDGs. 2) THERE CAN BE NO EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT PLANNING WITHOUT GEO-SPATIAL INFORMATION

  3. SOME SDI INITIATIVES IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES: • Evidence of digital mapping in some countries as early as late 1970s • National geo-spatial information management starting by mid-1980s • Evolved to SDI in late 1990s • Evidence of participation in GSDI meetings by some African countries from GSDI 1 • Most early efforts about data capture and attempts to share data – includes data transfer • National committees for GIS, and later for SDI, formed – main objective to coordinate efforts

  4. SOME SDI INITIATIVES IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES (cont): • By early 2000s there was little progress and questions were asked whether Africa was ready for SDI • Good progress in national SDI evident in some countries (8): Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, South Africa • Others making some progress include (15): Libya, Egypt, Niger, Ghana, Chad, Ethiopia, Burkino Faso, Uganda, Malawi, Madagascar, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zambia, Zimbabwe

  5. OTHER SDI INITIATIVES IN AFRICA: • UN-Economic Commission for Africa: main continental body driving SDI. Previous UN Regional Cartographic Conference, changed to Committee for Development Information (CODI) (now Committee for Development Information, Science and Technology – CODIST). Meets every two years. Provides continental coordination and support. • Regional Centre for Mapping for Resource Development: serves eastern and southern Africa. Good at capacity building and technical support.

  6. OTHER SDI INITIATIVES IN AFRICA (cont.): • Other UN bodies: mainly serving their own needs e.g. SWALIM, SDI East Africa, UN-SDI • Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS) • Donor agencies: interest is project based. No evidence of long term data collection and maintenance – no continuation (hand-over) at end of project. Does not support national SDI. Generally impose technology, which is often inappropriate. • Need to convert these informal and ad hoc SDIs into NSDIs – governments must play a role and take ownership

  7. OTHER SDI INITIATIVES IN AFRICA (cont.): • Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI): providing leadership, support and capacity building for NSDIs, including essential tools, SDI Africa Newsletter. • International Cartographic Association (ICA): ICAs research agenda. WG on Mapping Africa for Africa - sharing expertise, providing support • International Association of Geodesy (IAG): particularly support for AFREF • International Federation of Surveyors (FIG) and International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS): Capacity-building, sharing expertise, communication, networking

  8. SOME MAJOR CONSTRAINTS TO ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE IN AFRICA • Political support and funding • - political support minimal or non-existent • - lack of policies and legislation • - ‘nations in conflict’ • Communication • - very difficult • Institutional arrangements • - archaic models; ‘empires’ and inappropriate mandates; lack of cooperation and coordination; inappropriate positioning of NMO • Human resources • - lack of skills; poor remuneration of public officials; nepotism and cronyism; low productivity

  9. SOME MAJOR CONSTRAINTS TO ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE IN AFRICA (cont.): • Lack of fundamental geo-spatial data • - Africa is poorly mapped: inventory of available fundamental geo-spatial datasets • - where available, often data not easily accessible and usable • Technical and technology • - lack of implementation of standards for data and metadata • - expense of technology • - inadequate power supply • - inadequate communication infrastructure • - support and maintenance of technology

  10. WHY DOES SDI WORK IN SOME COUNTRIES? • Sufficient political support with government policies established • Strong SDI champions • Sufficient critical mass of skilled human resources, with local educational institutions • Inter-organisational cooperation – no fears of loss of control/mandates • Availability of sufficient quantity of geo-spatial information – with standards • Willingness to share geo-spatial information

  11. THE WAY FORWARD IN ADDRESSING THE CONSTRAINTS: a) policies, b) organisational remits, c) data, d) technologies, e) standards, f) delivery mechanisms, g) financial resources, f) human resources

  12. POLICIES • National and regional policies are required to mandate the establishment of SDIs and give direction to SDI activities • Efforts to link SDI policy with the national ICT policy • SDI policies should: • - support the sustained collection and maintenance of fundamental and core geo-spatial datasets, • - encourage cooperation and communication among all stakeholders, • - ensure accessibility, including affordability, of relevant geo-spatial information to all • Through political interest and support

  13. ORGANISATIONAL REMITS • Institutional reforms • Multi-sector cooperative arrangements, breaking down the ‘silos’ (working in isolation) and empires • Institutional willingness to share data • Delivering effective services - outcomes • Each country to establish a National SDI Committee • ‘Demilitarise’ fundamental geo-spatial data

  14. DATA • No SDI without geo-spatial data • Datasets must be relevant to the needs of the users • Maintenance of data – programmatic (systematic) approach • Mapping Africa for Africa initiative: • Determination of fundamental geo-spatial datasets • Inventory of available data

  15. Definition of fundamental geo-spatial dataset: Fundamental geo-spatial datasets are the minimum primary set of data that cannot be derived from other datasets, and that are required to spatially represent phenomena, objects or themes important for the realisation of economic, social and environmental benefits consistently across Africa at the local, national, sub-regional and regional level.

  16. TECHNOLOGIES • New technologies making it easier and speedier to implement an SDI and collect geo-spatial data • Technologies must be appropriate for the African context and be affordable • SDI must exploit the opportunity offered by these technologies • Use technology to collect data in areas which are inaccessible to undertake the collection • GIS to be integrated as a tool into the programmatic processes.

  17. STANDARDS • System interoperability and data standards are essential for an SDI • Synergistic building of new information and knowledge through the merging of datasets • Standards by the International Organisation on Standardisation (ISO) and the Open Geo-spatial Consortium (OGC) • Implementing these standards may be difficult • CODIST-Geo WG on Standards – e.g. African profile for Meta-data Standard • African Reference Frame Project (CODIST-Geo and IAG) – to provide a uniform spatial reference framework across Africa, linked to ITRF

  18. DELIVERY MECHANISM • Geo-spatial information is of no use and no value unless it is used • Geo-spatial information must be accessible and affordable – correct pricing policies • Remove the tedium of searching for and then accessing the data – clearinghouses, geo-portals etc • The right information, on-time, in the right format/presentation (usable to the user)

  19. FINANCIAL RESOURCES • Acknowledgement that the fundamental geo-spatial information are a national asset and must be funded by the fiscus – programmatic funding, not project funding • Show the value of geo-spatial information through developing value chains • HUMAN RESOURCES • Attain critical mass of skills – capacity building, appropriate support and remuneration, no ‘poaching’ by developed countries • Guard against nepotism, cronyism and fear

  20. STRONG LEADERSHIP IS REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE SUCCESSFUL SDI Which includes, but is not limited to:  - involvement by leaders in SDI from conceptualisation to implementation to ongoing operation; - engaging at the political level to obtain buy-in for the SDI; - setting clear direction for SDI and creating the framework for policy formulation; - conflict resolution of opposing views in policy formulation and implementation

  21. Mapping Africa for Africa is a bold initiative to move beyond talk and to achieve results ‘C4 Challenge’ of communication, cooperation, coordination and collaboration Thank you

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