United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure Dr Kristin Stock Social Change Online and Centre for Geospatial Science, University of Nottingham

Introduction The UN has many important goals:The UN has many important goals: –the quest for peace; –advancing health, education, well being of children, women, the disadvantaged; –reducing poverty and improving food security; –safeguarding the environment and –advancing sustainable development. Big challenges, and potentially big rewards…Big challenges, and potentially big rewards…

Outline Background to the UNSDI – why does it matter?Background to the UNSDI – why does it matter? Major issues in the architecture of the UNSDI.Major issues in the architecture of the UNSDI. The UNSDI: a hierarchy of SDIs.The UNSDI: a hierarchy of SDIs.

UNSDI Business Drivers Provision of spatial data and information:Provision of spatial data and information: –cartographic data, imagery, GIS services; –thematic data to support sustainability; –global and regional environmental observation and assessment –emergency response and disaster preparedness. Development of common data services to:Development of common data services to: –promote reuse; –adopt/develop data standards and infrastructure. Capacity building:Capacity building: –internal and with member states. Promotion of partnerships and cooperation.Promotion of partnerships and cooperation.

Key Stakeholders Users and generators of spatial data sets – global down to local/village scale.Users and generators of spatial data sets – global down to local/village scale. UN Secretariat and various programmes, agencies, funds, members states, regional organisations, academia, not-for-profit.UN Secretariat and various programmes, agencies, funds, members states, regional organisations, academia, not-for-profit. UN Geospatial Information Working Group (UNGIWG).UN Geospatial Information Working Group (UNGIWG). Main agencies (but there are many more):Main agencies (but there are many more): –Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO); –UN Environment Program (UNEP); –World Food Program (WFP); –Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); –Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO); –UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR); –World Food Program. Many of these agencies have different requirements.Many of these agencies have different requirements.

How is the UNSDI Unique? A loose collection of agencies – no central authority.A loose collection of agencies – no central authority. Must be collaborative.Must be collaborative. Across jurisdictional boundaries.Across jurisdictional boundaries. No budget, limited resources.No budget, limited resources. Must be scalable.Must be scalable. Must allow different implementation at different levels of capability.Must allow different implementation at different levels of capability. Not just about data sharing and technology, also promotion of cooperation and capacity building.Not just about data sharing and technology, also promotion of cooperation and capacity building.

UNSDI Architecture Objectives Aims to establish a coherent umbrella architecture containing essential interoperable components.Aims to establish a coherent umbrella architecture containing essential interoperable components. Reuse! Reuse! Reuse! - by different agencies at different times, scales and for different purposes.Reuse! Reuse! Reuse! - by different agencies at different times, scales and for different purposes. No one-size fits all solution – different implementation paths and solutions for different participants.No one-size fits all solution – different implementation paths and solutions for different participants.

UNSDI Issues - Governance Governance of each component is very important given the autonomy of participants:Governance of each component is very important given the autonomy of participants: –Who maintains this component? –For what purpose? –What is its lifecycle? –What resource dependencies exist? –What resources are available to support use? –What technical risks are involved in use? –What are the risks associated with change? –Who else is likely to use the same component? –What are the costs now?

UNSDI Issues – Digital Rights Management Data captured by many different agencies, for many different purposes, funded by donors.Data captured by many different agencies, for many different purposes, funded by donors. Agencies are responsible for ensuring:Agencies are responsible for ensuring: –legitimate use of restricted data; –intellectual property; –providence is well described; –accreditation for contributed content and –fitness for purpose.

UNSDI Issues – Data Requirements Must involve reusable, standardised data models.Must involve reusable, standardised data models. Should be modularised to allow extension and reuse.Should be modularised to allow extension and reuse. Must ensure semantic interoperability, particularly important due to heterogeneity of data users.Must ensure semantic interoperability, particularly important due to heterogeneity of data users. Semantically rich Feature Type Catalogues.Semantically rich Feature Type Catalogues.

UNSDI Issues – Capacity Building Important to propagate SDI principles to new domains.Important to propagate SDI principles to new domains. Nations vary widely in their levels of development.Nations vary widely in their levels of development. It must be possible for nations with little existing infrastructure to join in an evolutionary or revolutionary way.It must be possible for nations with little existing infrastructure to join in an evolutionary or revolutionary way.

The UNSDI: A Hierarchy of SDIs (1) There are many existing SDIs: local, regional, national.There are many existing SDIs: local, regional, national. The UNSDI will not duplicate these SDIs.The UNSDI will not duplicate these SDIs. The UNSDI will be a multi-tier SDI, creating a hierarchy of existing national, local and domain- specific SDIs.The UNSDI will be a multi-tier SDI, creating a hierarchy of existing national, local and domain- specific SDIs.

The UNSDI: A Hierarchy of SDIs (2) Data and DRM will be available through all of the SDIs, as well as the global UNSDI.Data and DRM will be available through all of the SDIs, as well as the global UNSDI. Tools and data standards will propagate downwards, but not necessarily enforcing conformance. For example:Tools and data standards will propagate downwards, but not necessarily enforcing conformance. For example: –Discovery tools will cascade downwards to interrogate the content of registries of sub-SDIs. –Mappings among data standards will be stored in relevant sub-SDI registries to ensure that data from different sub-SDIs can be interpreted and integrated.

The UNSDI: A Hierarchy of SDIs (3) Hierarchical Registries:Hierarchical Registries: –Each resource publishes to only one registry and is subject to only the governance of that registry. Inheritance:Inheritance: –Some standards and governance rules may be inherited from SDIs in a higher tier. –This will only be appropriate in some situations, as some sub-SDIs will already exist and have their own governance and standards in place.

UNSDI – Key Standards None of this will be possible without standards.None of this will be possible without standards. Especially important for the hierarchical architecture:Especially important for the hierarchical architecture: –Standards for registry structure (ebRIM, CSW, WRS); –Standards for Feature Type Catalogues (ISO 19109, 19110) – currently working to extend these standards to expand semantic richness. –Standards for data content (GML Application Schemas). –Ontologies...

Conclusions A hierarchy is the most appropriate architecture for the UNSDI:A hierarchy is the most appropriate architecture for the UNSDI: –takes advantage of independent SDIs; –provides flexible options for participation; –light touch –allows for local ownership and capacity building and –maximises reuse. Standards are key.Standards are key.