| -
Introduction |
| -
National Spatial Data Infrastructure
initiatives in Central America |
| -
National Spatial Data Infrastructure
initiatives in other parts of the world |
|
- Papers and links related
to NSDI and its components. |
| -
CIAT - IGAC Survey of
the state of national spatial data infrastructures
in Central America, South America and the Caribbean
|
| -
Links to other surveys
on National Spatial Data Infrastructure |
| -
Authorities on Intellectual Property |
|
| Introduction |
| National
Spatial Data Infrastructure encompasses the policies,
standards and institutional arrangements involved
in delivering spatially-related information
from many different sources to the widest possible
group of potential users. |
|
Spatial
Data infrastructures - Introduction
|
| The
development of national infrastructures for geographic
(spatial) data has received considerable attention
by government data producers, the private sector,
academic organizations, and the user community in
various countries in the Americas,
Europe, Asia,
and Africa. The term NSDI originally referred
to the first national efforts for data exchange between
official national entities that produce geographical
information. Currently, the term NDSI encompasses
the producers, systems, connections to Internet, standards,
and institutional elements involved in the development
and delivery of geographic or georeferenced information
generated by various organizations to satisfy the
needs of the widest group of potential users.
|
| These
infrastructure components are being implemented in
different forms and at different speeds worldwide
depending on the circumstances in each nation. The
particular data mixture, access mechanisms, tools,
laws, policies
and institutions and the needs derived from the environmental
and socioeconomic conditions of each country determine
the national requirements for spatial information,
the characteristics of the market, and ultimately,
the concept and priorities of each NDSI. |
| Technological
advances and the efforts of the most developed countries
are playing an important role in changing traditional
approaches for acquisition, organization, distribution
and diffusion of geographic information at domestic
and transnational levels. These changes have been
occurring intensely since 1996, when an initiative
for the development of a global spatial data infrastructure
(GSDI) came into being. This global initiative depends
upon the interconnection and harmonization of all
national infrastructures (NDSI'S). In conjunction
with the global effort, regional spatial data infrastructure
initiatives have also be formulating in Europe, Asia/Pacific,
Africa and, recently, in the Americas. |
| If
you would like to know more about this topic, you
can go to link to documents at this site or consult
a document in Spanish (SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE
- Definitions and Experiences) at http://www.igac.gov.co/icde/documentos.htm |
| If
you have any comments or additions for this site,
please contact Kate Lance (lancekt@aya.yale.edu) |
|
|
