1. THE STATE OF SPATIAL DATA AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION IN ALBANIA Pal NIKOLLI (Albania), Bilal DRAÇI (Albania) and Bashkim IDRIZI (Macedonia)

2. INTRODUCTION

4.  Spatial data and geographic information are parts of spatial data infrastructures.  Today in Albania there are a number of state institutions and private units to dispose spatial data and geographic information in different forms.

5. SOME OF THE MAIN INSTITUTIONS AND SPATIAL DATA THAT THEY POSSESS - Albanian Geographic (Military) Institute (AGMI)  This Institute is essentially responsible for the topographic mapping and geodetic works in Albania.  It is the main institution producing and providing data on Datum, projection, state triangulation coordinates, state leveling heights and networks

6. Albanian Geographic (Military) Institute (AGMI)  Topographic maps which cover all territory of Albania in topographic scales are:  1:10 000,  1:25 000 (analog, digital and vectorized)],  1:50 000 [conformed with NATO standards; Cartographic projection is TM with quadratic net by 1000 m. Based on European Data WGS-84],  1: 100 000

7. Albanian Geographic (Military) Institute (AGMI) Other Digital Cartographic Products available for any users are:  Map of Kosovo at scale 1:250 000;  Map of Albanian Roads (Transport) at scale 1:400 000;  Map of Albanian Roads (Transport) at scale 1:200 000;  Topographic Map of Albania at scale 1: 500 000;

8. Albanian Geographic (Military) Institute (AGMI)  Map of Tirana at scale 1:125000;  Map TIRANA_Durres_Kavaja Metropol at scale 1:75 000;  Map of administrative boundary of Republic of Albania at scale 1:300 000;  Marine Maps of Albania (Marine Map of Durresi Bay at scale 1:35 000; Marine Map of Vlora Bay at scale 1:35 000).

9. Albanian Geographic (Military) Institute (AGMI)  Those Maps are actually digitized, georeferenced in Alb87, and evaluated for accuracy and quality.  There are in TM and UTM format.

10. Central Office of Immovable Properties Registration (IPRO) and its branches  The main products used by (IPRO) and its branches are those called Index Maps which describe the ownership on parcels and properties of the country.  These maps are produced in scale 1:5000 and have derived from the Institute of land use and the mapping registration process during the last 20 years.  Registration of land and its ownerships are based in planimetry maps at basic scale 1:2500

11. Central Office of Immovable Properties Registration (IPRO) and its branches  The cadastral borders are in AutoCAD DWG/DXF format, while the attribute data resides partly in a relational database, and partly in hard-copy format.  The spatial data is acceptably accurate at scales of 1:500 - 1:1000 in urban areas, and at 1:2500 scale in rural areas.  The data is spatially referenced in the Albanian National Coordinate System (Gauss-Kruger, Krasowski/Pulkovo 1942).

12. Albanian Geologic Survey (AGS)  Geological event, organized in Albania began in 1922 with the creation of the office of the Ministry of geological public works and agriculture, which was under the direction of Czech-Austrian geologist Ernst Novak (Ernst Nowack).  Ernst Novak had to carry a geological map of Albania at scale 1:200 000.  Some of the most important products of this service are geological maps of Albania.

13. Albanian Geologic Survey (AGS)  Geological maps of Albania began to be developed by foreign scholars from centuries XIX.  There are 15 maps covering the entire territory of Albania, the scale 1:2 000 000 to 1:200 000 scale, of which 6 are in the script, while others are published in different countries.  From 1998 year, are compiled geological maps in 1:25000, 1:50000 and 1:200000 scale

14. Albanian Geologic Survey (AGS)  There are about 4000 plans and maps in 1:500, 1:1000, 1:2000, 1:5000, 1:10 000 and 1:50 000 scale, covering about 56.27% of the entire area of Albania.  Nearly 99% of the total number of maps is built into the system of state coordinates: ellipsoid of Krasowski, Gaus-Kryger projection and central meridian L 0 = 21°00'.

15. Albanian Geologic Survey (AGS)  AGS is an important provider for data and information through studies and maps.  For more than 40 years they recorded in topographic maps in various scales (1:5000 till to 1: 100 000) all their studies, geologic observations and monitoring, various projects and studies on separate fields of geology, geophysics, environment etc.

16. Albanian Geologic Survey (AGS)  During the last 10 years AGS established the Department of Geoinformation with the objective to create a digital Information system on Geologic Data.  Main Produser of AGS are Geologic, Hydrologic, Risk and Natural Hazards, Mineral Resources maps, etc., at range of scales 1:10000 till 1: 100 000 and in more, as 1: 200000. Those maps are implemented by GIS, build with 11 layers.

17. Agency for Legalization of Urban and Informal Zones and Buildings (ALUIZNI)  ALUIZNI is actually the main provider of digital photogrammetric data offered to the public, government and the private sector, in orthophoto maps with a resolution to provide printed reproduction in scale 1:1000.  As a public organization ALUIZNI has clearly grown rapidly during the last years.  ALUIZNI is sharing this data free of charge with other users, i.e. for citizens, the Public and governmental institutions.

18. Institute of Geosciences (IG)  Today in IG has qualitative and quantitative information timed, concerning Albanian meteorology and hydrology.  The information possessed ex-HMI has given free (up to 1995 year), while practices are now self-sustaining

19. Institute of Geosciences (IG)  Geosciences Institute has a number of targets in the field of geo-information: - Organization, scientific processing and geo-information service obtained from geological, geophysical, seismological, geodynamic studies etc., conception and organization of its electronic data base, by developing appropriate architectures, standards setting, the formalization of descriptions and the massive use of GIS systems to web services.

20. Institute of Geosciences (IG)  - Creation of a continuing stream of geo- information and service thereof, using new information technologies and Internet services, construction of a geoportal that contains general information (metadata) on information held on the structure, etc., on its format.

21. Institute of Geosciences (IG) - The use of mathematical methods to investigate and identify relationships between factors and attachment of various parameters, as well as trends change their mathematical modeling of phenomena and processes by integrating data from various sources (field observations, laboratory tests, instrumental records, aerial photographs, satellite images, DTM, etc.)

22. Central Technical Archive in Tirana  Has archived and it is provider of all local geodetic nets and topographic & mapping survey plans, Engineering Geologic Studies and maps, etc., of all Cities and Towns as well as many villages in Albania at ranges of Sc. 1:500, 1:1000 and 1:2000, done before the year ’90, from a EX- Technical Institute Geology - Geodesy. All those works or EO Data Sets are evaluated as with High accuracy standards.

23. Others institutions  Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Information and Communication – A key role in creation of a National Data Base, National geoinformation Agency or Entity, eGov etc.;  Ministry of Agriculture and Food – Agricultural planning, Policy and Monitoring, cadastral data and Information, erosion data and studies;

24. Others institutions  AKKP (Property Restitution and Compensation Agency) Old data and maps. Properties and parcels, Index maps, etc;  Ministry of Environment, Forestall and Water Management – Environmental policies, studies and project-ideas, environmental mapping, floods, Pollution;

25. Others institutions  Ministry of Public Works and Transport – Road infrastructure and transport, networks studies, projects, urban planning, illegal areas, e_Gov etc;  Urban and Regional Planning Offices and Institute, Dependent from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Works;  Private Surveying, topographic and geoinformation Companies;  Surveyors, Builders and other Real estate professionals.

26. CONCLUSIONS  Usually spatial data in Albania may be available by request and payment.  Part of spatial data collected before 1990 are published and may be available in some libraries.

27. CONCLUSIONS  In relation to data and geographic information in Albania have many problems, which are related to the variety, quality and mobility of their technical and technological level of public and private institutions that manage them, the ways of organizing there, nationwide etc.  Thus, although the geographic information is used quantitative, qualitative its features leave much to be desired.

28. CONCLUSIONS  Collect enough data to institutions and private firms are not eligible for use by their partners, because of the low accuracy of geometric science.  Thus, the data collected to meet current interests and not those of the future, thus artificially increasing the cost of works as GIS, as well as reducing their productivity.

29. CONCLUSIONS  Other problems that deserve attention are: increasing the capacity of data collection, including new sources, such as Remote Sensing and interpretation of images, GPS, etc. automated observations.  Exchange of information, such as problem solving and policy the pricing and the problem of authorship geographic information, etc.

30. CONCLUSIONS  The future direction of development of geographic information data and focus on improving coordination mechanism, filling spatial database metadata and national development and activation state office.

31. Thanks for your attention