Efforts towards,and Status of‘SDI Africa’

6th Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Conference, Budapest, 16 – 19 September 2002

By Dozie Ezigbalike

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

Ou

tlin

e• Pretoria Initiative of 1999

• UNECA and the Committee on Development Information

• CODI-2 SDI Recommendations

• ECA’s SDI activities

• Other relevant initiatives

• Conclusion

Pre

tori

a In

itia

tive

• Conference of ‘Earth Data Information Systems’ (EDIS) in Pretoria in July 1999

• Workshop to consider a spatial data infrastructure for Africa

• Organised by NSIF and World Bank Programme on Environmental Information Systems for SSA (now EIS-Africa)

• Four Areas:– Networking– Incentives and Obstacles– Technology– Framework for African SDI

Net

wo

rkin

g• To share, assist, participate, learn

and link-up with other initiatives worldwide (GSDI)

• Identified Initiatives:– The Program on Environment

Information Systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (EIS)

– The Food Security Programme/ Regional Remote Sensing Unit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC)

– The South African National Spatial Information Framework (NSIF) Directorate – as host of the Network

Ince

nti

ves

• Money saving

• Transfer of tools and knowledge among countries

• Trans-boundary decisions

• Disaster mitigation and prevention

• Multi-disciplinary approach

• Alignment of regional projects

Ob

stac

les

• Lack of awareness

• Perceived control of SDI by national mapping agencies

• Political systems and legacies

• Initiatives driven by donors with different agendas

• Financial constraints– Coordination of the initiative– Travel for meetings and conferences

• Leadership and trust

Tec

hn

olo

gy

• Need to use standards and technology endorsed by GSDI

• Internet and network connectivity across Africa

• Need for a test project involving traditional and non-traditional mapping agencies

• Short term: Metadata and clearinghouse, with virtual nodes

• Long term: Education, software access, metadata and permanent clearinghouse nodes

Fra

mew

ork

• Role of CODI-Geo recognised– Request a standing committee on

African SDI

• Request NSIF to provide tools and initial coordination

• Interim task team until GSDI-4 in Cape Town

• Bottom-up approach using existing initiatives

Wh

at w

ent

wro

ng

?• Identified individual ‘champions’

did not necessary commit their organisations

• No resources–human and financial–to run the initiative

• Not enough time for activities planned before Cape Town 2000

• Outside CODI meeting cycle– No CODI meeting by time of Cape

Town 2000 for report

Wh

at is

CO

DI?

• Committee On Development Information• Established in 1997 by the Conference of

African Ministers responsible for Planning & Development

• Therefore it is one of the parliamentary organs of ECA– Makes recommendations to the Conference

of ministers for implementation

• Provides policy and technical guidance for the implementation of the program on “harnessing information for development”– Resolutions influence design of ECA/DISD

work programmes

CO

DI …

• Brings together practitioners in – Statistics– Geoinformation– Libraries and documentation– Information and communications technology

• Official delegates are government officials in these fields

• Observers from academia, private practice, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, etc

• Before CODI, different United Nations Regional Conferences– E.g., UN Cartographic Conference

Du

al F

un

ctio

n• CODI meetings have two

functions

• Parliamentary:– Make resolutions and

recommendations for governments and ECA to implement

• Educational:– Intellectual think-thank and

exposure to new concepts and technology

Su

bco

mm

itte

e S

tru

ctu

re• Divided into discipline-based

subcommittee– CODI-Geo– CODI-Stats– CODI-ICT (incorporating librarians)

• Targeted workgroups in subcommittee• Report back in plenary for interfaces and

synergies• CODI-Geo assumes functions of

UNRCCA– With information society focus on the issues

• Current emphasis on SDI developments

CO

DI I

I Res

olu

tio

ns

on

SD

I• Priority should be given to

establishment of NSDI• Also establish RSDI, with an African

Geographic Database• ‘Permanent Committee’ on SDI in Africa• Participate in international

developments and efforts• National GI policies should be integral

part of national information and communications policy

• Appropriate legal, institutional and technical framework for integrated SDI

• Adapt ECA model policy guidelines

EC

A R

esp

on

se• Pre-CODI II, prepared position paper on

“Future orientation of GI activities …”– Adopted by CODI II

• Participation in workshops and seminars to raise awareness– FIG, AfricaGIS, UNEP meetings, GISD,

US/NRC, OOSA’s disaster management and GNSS workshops, etc

• Study on use of GIS in statistical offices• Study on status of SDI in Africa and way

forward–ongoing• Group of experts meeting to produce

SDI Africa handbook

EC

A R

esp

on

se …

• Planned symposium to set up regional

body for coordinating SDI activities– Similar to permanent committees of Asia-

Pacific and Latin America

• Clearinghouse node for search and discovery of spatial data resources with African content– With country spaces for interim hosting of

metadata on behalf of member states

• Mapping services for dissemination of ECA information

• Continuing efforts on AFREF

Sta

tus

of

‘Per

man

ent

Co

mm

itte

e’• CODI Secretariat – ECA Geoinformation

Team – has studied and adapted statement of PCGIAP, PC-IDEA, EUROGI and GSDI Association

• Will make proposals to the ‘Way Forward’ experts meetings on structural positioning of the body– Funding and continuity are big issues– Reporting and supervisory arrangements

• Symposium in 2003 to adopt recommendations

• CODI-III in May 2003 to ratify and operationalise

Oth

er M

ajo

r In

itia

tive

s• EIS-Africa

– Successor to World Banks EIS-SSA– Grew out of need to harmonise spatial

data resources for NEAPs in the 1980 – including institutional arrangements and partnerships

• UNEP’s African Environmental Information Network

• FAO’s Africover project• US State Dept’s GISD• Forum on Information for

Sustainable Development

Co

ncl

usi

on

• ‘SDI Africa’ is on track– Slow but making progress– May or may not be called PC– Structure likely to be ratified at CODI-III

• What has changed?– More understanding and communication

between several initiatives– More understanding and cooperation among

national mapping organisations and other national agencies

– More willingness among donors to cooperate

– More targeted assistance from GSDI, FGDC and FIG towards SDI initiatives in Africa and the ‘PC’

CO

DI I

II• CODI III planned for May 2003• Theme will be on “Information for

Governance”– To feed into 4th African Development

Forum (ADF IV) theme of Governance

• Usual pre-meeting and side workshops and seminars

• Suggestions for workshop themes welcome

• Expression of interest to organise or sponsor workshop or seminar welcome

Co

nta

ctin

g u

s• Karima Bounemra

– Director, Development Information Services Division

– kbounemra@uneca.org

• Orlando Nino-Fluck– Team Leader, Geoinformation Team– onino@uneca.org

• Dozie Ezigbalike– Development Management Officer– ezigbalike.uneca@un.org

• Web site:– www.uneca.org/codi– www.uneca.org/disd/geoinfo

ThanksThanks