76208 Spatial Data Infrastructure and INSPIRE technologies, data, and people that enables the sharing and Rumyana Tonchovska, Victoria Stanley, and Samantha effective usage of geographic information by standardizing De Martino formats and protocols for access and interoperability. Key Messages1 The goals of SDI are to (i) reduce duplication of efforts  Sound public policy depends on high-quality among governments, (ii) lower costs related to geographic information and informed public participation. information while making geographic data more accessible, There is a current explosion in the availability of (iii) increase the benefits of using available spatial data, geographic and spatial information, as well as the and (iv) establish key partnerships between states, counties, tools to use it for diverse public and private cities, academia, and the private sector. SDI should be seen purposes. Measures are needed to reduce as part of wider e-Government initiatives. duplication of data collection and to promote the harmonization, dissemination, and use of spatial What is INSPIRE? data. Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European  The private sector increasingly utilizes readily Community (INSPIRE) is a European Union (EU) available spatial information to create new products Directive that came into force on May 15, 2007, binding by customizing the information, thereby adding EU members to establish a spatial data infrastructure via value to the basic data at minimal cost. the Internet that facilitates the sharing of geographic  Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is defined as a information in a standardized way. INSPIRE addresses framework of policies, institutional arrangements, technical and nontechnical issues, ranging from standards, technologies, data, and people that enables the organizational and procedural issues, and data policies, to sharing and effective usage of geographic the creation and maintenance of electronic services. information. SDI allows information to be integrated from a variety of disciplines for a variety INSPIRE is a legal framework for developing SDI of uses. throughout the EU in order to facilitate interoperability, that is, the improvement and sharing of information across  The INSPIRE initiative is a major effort to various levels of government in all EU countries (see box establish a European-wide SDI, and requires below). Multiple kinds of spatial data provided by different European Union (EU) member states to create and organizations are used simultaneously and joined as layers provide geographic data in a standardized way. in various user applications. Making this information  The countries in the Europe and Central Asia widely accessible enables many industries and public (ECA) region are already actively involved in the agencies to add value and reduce costs. establishment of SDI, and the ECA Land Team is supporting this initiative through several investment A national SDI (NSDI, and for EU candidate and member projects and technical assistance. states, INSPIRE) is a foundation for producing, sharing, and consuming geospatial information, thus improving What is Spatial Data Infrastructure? decision making and service delivery across many sectors. As all types of spatial data depend on the orthophoto maps Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is defined as a created and maintained by the cadastre and mapping framework of policies, institutional arrangements, authorities, more capacity is required within the cadastre agencies. 1 This knowledge brief is part of a series on the land administration and management portfolio in ECA. ECA Knowledge Brief INSPIRE is based on the following principles:2 o Data should be collected only once and kept where it can be maintained most effectively. o Seamless spatial information from different sources across Europe should be combined and shared with many users and applications. o Information collected at one level/scale should be shared with all levels/scales—detailed for thorough investigations, general for strategic purposes. o Geographic information needed for good governance at all levels should be readily and transparently available. o Geographic information should be easily available, as should tips on how it can meet a particular need and under which conditions it can be acquired and used. The World Bank can support its clients in creating SDI provide spatially enabled services that allow users to (i) capacities and meeting requirements under INSPIRE by identify properties for sale or rent that meet their specific strengthening the IT components of the land administration requirements, (ii) obtain an estimated market value, and projects as well as assisting in strategy development. (iii) select and contact a range of professional and financial services to support their transaction. NSDI requires governments to: Figure 1.  Designate appropriate structures and mechanisms for coordinating the contributions of all those with an interest in NSDI Actively form a national policy for data sharing within the nation, and develop practical tools for this goal (e.g., national geoportal)  Monitor and report annually on the progress of the implementation to government, civil society, etc. Economic Benefits NSDI aims to create significant economic and public gains through consolidation of various types of spatial data. Studies in Australia have shown that its SDI has helped to generate a “spatial� industry worth $A 1.4 billion, which in Source: http://www.zoopla.co.uk/ turn generates $A 12.6 billion for the Australian GDP. Studies in the EU estimate that meeting the INSPIRE As a public sector example, one of the most advanced and directive would benefit member states by more than €1 participatory e-planning portals is Denmark’s “Plansystem� billion per year through efficiency gains alone.3 (see http://plansystemdk.dk), which provides public access to all statutory land use plans, such as municipal and ECA governments are strongly encouraged to understand development plans, both adopted and proposed. Once the and benefit from these possibilities. Information provided citizen has identified the development plan of interest, the for easy Internet access will have a significant impact on system provides direct access to an electronic copy and can transparency, service provision, and economic growth. display and generate a list of all properties (cadastral parcel numbers) impacted by the plan. The e-planning portal also Benefits to Citizens enables citizens to provide direct feedback on proposed development plans during the statutory eight-week A number of spatial tools and services are being developed consultation period and determine what planning by the private sector based on spatial information provided constraints apply when preparing to build or extend their by the public sector. For example, “Zillow� in the United homes. States (see http://www.zillow.com/) and “Zoopla� in the Going Forward United Kingdom (see http://www.zoopla.co.uk/) 2 With the aim of improving the quality of services to According to the European Commission for INSPIRE citizens, ECA countries are requesting help in three key (http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/index.cfm/pageid/48). areas in the field of land administration and management: 3 Max Craglia, “Contributions to the Extended Impact Assessment of INSPIRE,� (Rotherham: Environment Agency for England and Wales, 2003), http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu/reports/fds_report.pdf. ECA Knowledge Brief  Improving services and reducing corruption through compliance with INSPIRE. The Law on Real Estate e-Government initiatives: submitting forms online for Cadastre authorizes the National Cadastre Agency to automatic processing allows for greater transparency and establish and maintain public access to the NSDI. access.  Developing the e-cadastre: ECA countries may require Moldova: Moldova has initiated the establishment of its technical assistance in uploading digital cadastre data. NSDI with the support of the Norwegian Mapping  Meeting the INSPIRE Directive’s terms: examples of Authority. The project aims to support the development of assistance include infrastructure, technical assistance, e-Governance by providing access to reliable and up-to- human capital, training, strategy development, etc. date geographical information for governmental institutions at all levels, the private sector, and the public. Analysis of SDI in ECA Countries national needs for graphic data has been completed and an NSDI act is being developed to transpose INSPIRE into Several ECA countries have already begun the national law. implementation of their own NSDI. Many are still in the inception phases, and the work completed is often part of Russia: Russia is taking steps to create an SDI. The larger government programs that involves other donors. Russian Federation agency responsible for registration, However, SDI legal/regulatory base implementation has cadastre, and mapping – Rosreestr – included an NSDI in commenced in Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, its Information and Communication Technology Strategy and Turkey, and has also been planned in Kosovo and for 2010–12, which is part of the Russian Federation e- Montenegro. SDI coordination mechanisms are established Government strategy. NSDI implementation is progressing in Albania, Croatia, Moldova, Serbia, and Turkey, and and the geoportal is operational with view and download planned in Montenegro, FYR Macedonia, and Kosovo. SDI services. Metadata have been developed and published, strategies are developed in Serbia and Turkey, and planned based on International Organization for Standardization in Croatia, FYR Macedonia, and Montenegro. Geoportals (ISO) standards. The progress of Rosreestr in ICT have been implemented in Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, development has been recognized nationally and Turkey, and Moldova, and are planned in FYR Macedonia. internationally and Rosreestr has received several prestigious awards. Albania: The Albanian Geoinformation Board , established in 2004, and the Military Geographic Institute started work Serbia: The leading agency for creating an NSDI in Serbia on the development of a National Geographic Information is the Republic Geodetic Authority. NSDI implementation System (NGIS) in collaboration with various ministries, is supported by the Norwegian Mapping Authority. A good municipalities, institutes, and organizations. Currently the start has been made with changes in the Law on State Ministry of Innovation and ICT is responsible for the Survey and Cadastre, setting up an NSDI, its content, and implementation of the Albanian SDI. The amended Law on related bodies, as well as a national geoportal. The Geodesy and Cartography defines the NGIS as a state government has developed and approved the Spatial Data register of standardized databases holding information Infrastructure Strategy of Serbia 2010-2012, and a proposal about objects on and below the Earth’s surface in the whole for transformation to the European Terrestrial Reference country. It also defines their location as well as procedures System 1989 (ETRS89) has also been developed. The work and methods for systematic data collection, updating, on the initial geoportal and the metadata is underway. An processing, and accessing. NSDI council has been established, as well as several working groups. The national cadastre agency is the NSDI Croatia: The Government of Croatia has requested World coordination body. Bank support to build an NSDI. The Law on Cadastre defines the NSDI in line with the EU INSPIRE Directive, Turkey: The responsible institution for NSDI and establishes three levels of NSDI management structure: implementation in Turkey is the National Mapping a council, NSDI committee, and several working groups. Authority. Two studies on the establishment of an NSDI, The State Geodetic Authority (SGA) (the national mapping emphasizing core data, technical standards, metadata authority) serves as the coordination body. The SGA services, and institutional and legal frameworks, were geoportal has been implemented. completed, and an NSDI strategy prepared. The development of standards for geographic data, and a FYR Macedonia: The government of FYR Macedonia has nationwide geographic information infrastructure to enable also requested Bank support to develop an NSDI strategy public institutions and organizations to supply that data to and legal framework. The government is also seeking the common infrastructure, are underway. training to build capacity for NSDI implementation, and to develop and implement a government geoportal, both in ECA Knowledge Brief New Western Balkans Regional SDI Project: A regional No two NSDIs are identical anywhere in the world. It is SDI project proposal has been prepared by the cadastre important that each country develop its own strategy at the authorities of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, national level, studying experiences of countries with an Kosovo, FYR Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia, and has advanced NSDI. For the creation of an NSDI, four been approved for financing by the European Commission conditions are important from an organizational (EC) under the 2011 Instrument for Pre-Accession perspective: leadership, vision, communication channels, Assistance (IPA) Multi-Beneficiary Programme. The and coordination. project is to increase institutional capacities for SDI development in the countries involved (in accordance with  In order to implement NSDI, the institution/authority the INSPIRE guidelines and other EU legislation), responsible for adopting standards and monitoring specifically focusing on capacity to collect, process, institutions needs to be established. The first task of the exchange, and create available spatial data, thus better committee will be to develop an NSDI strategy. preparing these countries for EU membership.  In order for online services to work satisfactorily for multiple users simultaneously, accepted IT and Web Key Recommendations standards need to be followed. To this end, there are a series of ISO standards focused on different  Coordination at all levels. The political level is of key components of the SDI infrastructure. importance, as it must provide the priorities and  Harmonization of technical solutions, exchange direction, and make the financial commitment. formats, and data content is important, as is the need to Collaboration with the private sector is also crucial. stimulate national organizations to develop commonly  Sufficient ICT systems, infrastructure, and human agreed and durable data models and classification capacity. For the implementation of an NSDI, not only systems. adequate infrastructure and ICT systems are needed,  Achieving interoperability of data within a theme, but also suitable institutional and human capacity. between themes, for different applications, and at  Good data availability and quality. Creation of different resolutions will require basic transformation digital data in various strategic sectors and data services to be in place, including coordinate conversion where digital data does not exist are key transformations, generalization, and edge-matching. factors for success. Geodetic networks and coordinate systems should be open for public and private use. The EU’s INSPIRE Directive for establishing European National standards for digital data can ensure data SDI is a unique example of a legislative, “regional� quality. approach to developing an SDI. In a time when data are  Financial sustainability. The coordination can work abundant, better data organization and data harmonization only if the necessary financial resources are available. are needed. SDI plays a key role in this process, focusing  Payment policy. The main principal is that the spatial on actions that promote interoperability and make data data needed for good governance should be available available when it is most needed. under conditions that do not restrict its extensive use. However, government authorities or private surveyors About the Authors in some countries have to provide their data via self- Rumyana Tonchovska is a Senior Land Administration financing. Officer specializing in Information Technology with the Land Tenure team of the Food and Agriculture Conclusions Organization of the United Nations. Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) plays a key role in Victoria Stanley is a Senior Rural Development Specialist avoiding unnecessary duplication of data collection and in the Agriculture and Rural Development Unit of the assisting and promoting the harmonization, dissemination, Sustainable Development Sector of the Latin America and and use of data. SDI improves quality, reduces costs, Caribbean Region of the World Bank. makes geographic data more accessible, and establishes Samantha De Martino is a Junior Professional Associate partnerships between key entities, thereby increasing data in the Environmental and Natural Resources Management availability. Unit with the Sustainable Development Sector of the Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank. “ECA Knowledge Brief� is a regular series of notes highlighting recent analyses, good practices , and lessons learned from the development work program of the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Region , http://www.worldbank.org/eca .