This paper sets out the vision of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP) for a regional spatial data infrastructure that comprises fundamental data, standards, institutional arrangements and access mechanisms.

The PCGIAP's vision for the Asia-Pacific Spatial Data Infrastructure (APSDI) is of a network of databases, located throughout the region, that together provide the fundamental data needed by the region in achieving its economic, social, human resources development and environmental objectives.

Those distributed databases include geodetic, topographic, hydrographic, administrative and environmental data. They may, in the future, be linked electronically so that they appear, to the user, as a virtual database but, in the meantime they will be linked through:

• an intra-regional institutional framework;
• the use of common technical standards;
• the adoption of common policies and inter-governmental agreements; and
• a comprehensive and freely accessible directory.

Studies have revealed that there is a benefit:cost ratio for spatial data usage of approximately 4:1. Benefits are distributed across the broad spectrum of economic activities ranging from the operation of electricity, gas and water utilities to projects involving agriculture, mining and environmental management.

The PCGIAP believes that the nations of the region should reach agreement on what regional fundamental datasets are required to meet their common interests, to what standards they should be collected and maintained, which agencies should have custodianship of those data, and what the priorities are for their collection.

If all nations adopt a regional perspective they will not only avoid wasting resources but will be able to provide users with consistent, reliable data that can be used to address issues such as land use conflict, environmental issues and locating mineral deposits.

The APSDI will build upon national spatial data infrastructure initiatives in the region and will be closely linked to other relevant international initiatives including Agenda 21, Global Map and the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure.

This paper sets out the vision of the Permanent Committee on GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP) for regional fundamental spatial datasets, and the information derived from them, that are required to support activities undertaken by nations of the region to achieve their common economic, social and environmental objectives. It proposes a model of spatial data infrastructure, describing the broad scope and characteristics of those fundamental datasets which must be collected for the common good of the region.

The concept of national infrastructures is not new in the region. In all nations, the major road and telecommunications networks, and basic health and education facilities, have been funded by governments. The rationale is that it is a legitimate role of government, on behalf of the community, to provide a common, consistent infrastructure upon which a variety of government, private sector and community activities can take place. The same principle can be applied to regional needs.

The PCGIAP views spatial data as an infrastructure, with the same rationale and characteristics as roads, communications and other infrastructure. As the regional coordinating body for the management of geographic information, the PCGIAP believes that a spatial data infrastructure is needed to support the region痴 economic growth, and its social and environmental objectives, backed by international standards, guidelines, and policies on access to those data.

The PCGIAP's vision for the Asia-Pacific Spatial Data Infrastructure (APSDI) is of a network of databases, located throughout the region, that together provide the fundamental data needed to achieve the region痴 economic, social, human resources development and environmental objectives.

Those distributed databases include geodetic, topographic, hydrographic, administrative and environmental data. They may, in the future, be linked electronically so that they appear, to the user, as a virtual database, but they will also be linked together in a number of other important ways:

• they will be linked by an intra-regional institutional framework that provides mechanisms for sharing experience, technology transfer and coordination of the development of the regional fundamental datasets;
• they will be linked by the use of common technical standards, including a common geodetic reference frame, so that data from numerous databases can be brought together to create new products and solve new problems, both regionally and globally;
• they will be linked by the adoption of common policies on data access, pricing, privacy, confidentiality and custodianship;
• they will be linked by the implementation of inter-governmental agreements on data sharing;
• they will be linked through a comprehensive and freely accessible directory of available datasets containing descriptions and administrative information that accords with agreed standards for metadata.

A significant proportion of the region痴 economic development and social and environmental well being is heavily dependent upon the use of land and water resources. For example, mining, farming, forestry, transport, tourism, fisheries and the planning of services for the community to name a few.

Many of the things that nations of the region want to achieve together can only be achieved if good, consistent spatial data is available and readily accessible. This is especially important when planning for the future.

Geographic (or spatial) data describes information that can be related to a position on the earth's surface whether that be on the land, sea or in the air. Information about vegetation, minerals, road networks, property ownership, soils, air quality and population distribution can all be spatially related. Regional issues such as catchment management, land development and transport planning all require good, consistent spatial information. There are few areas of cooperation between nations which do not rely either directly or indirectly on this kind of information.

Spatial information can be used for a variety of purposes. For example, land use and population data is important for the development of Government policies on a wide range of issues, but it also supports local decision-making processes such as determining the most appropriate location for an infant health centre, a fire station or a school.

The precision or scale of spatial data used for national or local applications may not be necessary for regional applications. For instance a vegetation study which produces site specific datasets with a lot of detail may have to be generalised for application to regional planning use.

The PCGIAP believes that resources should not be wasted on duplicated effort. The Permanent Committee also believes that the nations of the region should reach agreement on what fundamental datasets are required to meet their common interests, to what standards they should be collected and maintained, which agencies should have custodianship of those data, and what the priorities are for their collection.

Using data that have been collected for one purpose (elevation data for topographic mapping) in another application (elevation data applied to the design of telecommunications networks) is cost efficient. However to take full advantage of this principle the data must be consistent, to acceptable standards, their existence widely known and they must be accessible.

It is also important that the data are referenced to a common geodetic reference frame, administrative boundaries, topography, geographic names, and so on. If this framework of core data is in place then it will be much more simple and efficient for data users to integrate data from different sources.

The PCGIAP believes, that the region can benefit from better management of its spatial information by taking a perspective that starts from the national level and works up to the regional level. Studies have revealed that there is a benefit:cost ratio for spatial data usage of approximately 4:1 (ANZLIC (1995) Report on Australian Land and Geographic Data Infrastructure Benefits Study - Price Waterhouse, Canberra, Australia). Benefits are distributed across the broad spectrum of economic activities ranging from the operation of electricity, gas and water utilities, to projects involving agriculture, mining and environmental management.

The availability of consistent regional datasets, based on the integration of national datasets will improve our ability to reduce land use conflict, resolve environmental issues, manage large scale natural disasters, manage our land and ocean resources in a sustainable way, develop our communications and transport infrastructures, undertake population studies, and support international treaties.

Currently, however, considerable effort is required to integrate the separate national datasets to produce a consistent regional dataset. This is because the datasets have been produced for the specific needs of each nation, with a lack of common standards. This narrow focus can also occur within nations, where different government agencies collect data in an uncoordinated manner to meet their specific needs. Such datasets are difficult to integrate with other similar datasets, leading to multiple datasets covering the same phenomena but to different criteria.

If all nations adopt a regional perspective they will not only avoid wasting resources but will be able to provide users with consistent, reliable data that can be used to address issues such as land use conflict, environmental issues and locating mineral deposits.

In recent times, national competition policies in some countries have reinforced the concept of a single, consistent, accessible, government funded information infrastructure as a basis for developing a competitive private sector and facilitating value-adding services. The PCGIAP is of the opinion that the APSDI can improve business competitiveness by assisting in building a viable geographic information industry in the region.

Better management of our spatial data means:

• Understanding the importance of having good, consistent data readily available.
• Understanding the need to manage our data in a consistent, known manner so that they can be used for a variety of purposes.
• Maximising the access to and sharing of those data, where appropriate.
• Agreeing on what data are important, what standards are appropriate, who should be responsible for ensuring the collection occurs, to what precision, accuracy and currency, and what are the priorities for those data.

It is important that the information needed to support regional activities be identified and where it exists, for it to be made widely available. Gaps in the availability of data should be identified and priorities for filling those gaps determined. A spatial data infrastructure addresses these issues.

The focus of APSDI will be upon "framework" data, that is data that provide a spatial framework within which other types of data can be built. They are the data that are common to, and essential for almost every application of spatial data. They provide the common reference frame that will ensure that data from many sources can be brought together, integrated and interpreted consistently.

Framework data includes:

• the geodetic survey control network that underpins the coordinate system that other data rely upon; and
• elevation data that describe the terrain.

Administrative boundaries provide another framework that adds meaning to data such as statistical data, land use data and population distribution. The transportation and river networks are also systems to which other data are linked.

The establishment of an APSDI with its associated fundamental datasets, standards and data management guidelines will assist in maximising the return on the region's investment in this vital resource of spatial data.

The primary objective of the APSDI is to ensure that users of geographic (or spatial) data who require a regional coverage, will be able to acquire complete and consistent datasets meeting their requirements, even though the data are collected and maintained by different agencies. The issue, therefore, is to determine what is required of member nations and their datasets, to enable the data to meet regional needs.

The PCGIAP envisages a distributed network of databases, linked by common standards and protocols to ensure compatibility. Each database would be managed by custodians with the expertise and incentive to maintain the database to the standards required by the nations of the region and who are committed to the principles of custodianship.

The PCGIAP believes that the APSDI will provide the institutional and technical framework to ensure the required consistency, content and coverage to meet regional needs. The infrastructure also ensures that national efforts are focussed and coordinated, thereby maximising investment in data collection and maintenance from a regional perspective. Finally, such an infrastructure will help achieve better outcomes for the region through better support for economic, social and environmental decision making.

The PCGIAP has developed a spatial data infrastructure model that comprises four core components - institutional framework, technical standards, fundamental datasets, and access networks. These core components are linked as follows:

Institutional Framework

These four components are further developed below to aid public discussion of the PCGIAP痴 proposals.

In the PCGIAP model for a regional spatial data infrastructure, the Institutional Framework defines the policy and administrative arrangements for building, maintaining, accessing and applying the standards and datasets. It comprises several key elements:

Leadership

It is essential that an institutional structure (or operational arrangements) be identified to lead the development of a regional spatial data infrastructure. That structure is provided by the PCGIAP through its various working groups and sub-committees.

The Permanent Committee believes that its leadership responsibilities include:

• identifying fundamental spatial datasets;
• offering a communication framework to prove a coordination mechanism for the data production and maintenance programs of the custodians;
• facilitate the development of a regional directory for the fundamental datasets;
• facilitating the use and implementation of technical standards; and
• assisting each national government to define and coordinate their respective areas of responsibility for fundamental datasets, and to coordinate related international policies, standards and programs.

Sponsorship

To ensure that the development of spatial data infrastructures meets the needs of the community, the PCGIAP supports the concept of sponsors for the individual fundamental datasets. A sponsor is defined as follows:

In doing so the sponsor would be encouraged to:

• liaise and cooperate with the PCGIAP and other sponsors in order to ensure that the Asia-Pacific Spatial Data Infrastructure is assembled, maintained, delivered and accessible in a consistent way;
• consult with the members of the PCGIAP to determine specifications, standards and priorities for collection and maintenance of the data;
• consult with and assist in coordinating the activities of the custodians of the individual datasets comprising the regional dataset to the extent required to ensure that those datasets are collected, maintained and delivered in conformance with standards, specifications and priorities that enable a regional dataset to be assembled from the component parts in accordance with the overall model for the Asia-Pacific Spatial Data Infrastructure.

Until such time as appropriate sponsors are identified for each of the fundamental datasets, the PCGIAP will undertake these functions.

In the future, a need may emerge for a new fundamental dataset; one that has not yet been produced. The sponsor for such a dataset would be encouraged to:

• consult with known and potential users in defining the initial data; and
• set specifications and production priorities that may be possible through harnessing or sharing of resources.

A key feature of the infrastructure model is the emphasis on custodianship. The Permanent Committee actively supports the concept of custodianship and has developed the following definition;

Typically, the responsibilities of custodian bodies would include some or all aspects of data acquisition, storage, maintenance, quality assurance, security, access, documentation and distribution. Custodians would be encouraged to consult with sponsors in the administration of their functions and the PCGIAP would work with sponsors and custodians to assist in the development of custodianship responsibilities.

In return for these responsibilities, custodians may retain certain clearly defined rights. These rights would be developed with assistance from the PCGIAP and may include the right to:

• charge a fee for data access;
• market and distribute the data to certain classes of users; and
• access and use the data administered by other custodians.

Criteria which may be considered in the allocation of data set custodianship include operational and business needs, technical capability and availability of resources. Where many organisations have an interest, capability and capacity, the organisation that requires the highest standards of quality may be the most appropriate custodian. This does not preclude development of partnerships or joint custodianships between organisations that effectively harness resources to achieve the required outcomes.

Data Access

Data access involves institutional issues of establishing directories and policies to make the data affordable. A directory contains metadata for the spatial datasets comprising the APSDI. Metadata is "data about the data" and includes the key technical characteristics of the data, access conditions and procedures, and how to obtain further information.

A regional spatial data infrastructure should include such a directory, or directory system, through which all potential users can determine the availability and suitability of datasets for their purpose. The directory may include both the regional fundamental datasets that are part of the infrastructure, and other datasets that may be available. The addition of a 'data forecasting' capability, that identifies datasets currently in planning or production, would increase the value of the directory.

The PCGIAP supports the concept of a regional directory of spatial data and believes it is important that there is free access to metadata.

Custodians with data distribution responsibilities must administer licensing conditions for the access and use of data by external parties. Access policies are generally based on either a 'public interest' or a 'commercial' approach. Access policies will be developed by the PCGIAP, having due regard to current government policies and the relevant laws regarding copyright and government information, for consideration by member nations.

Key issues to be considered in establishing the data access policy will include:

• the basic conditions of access that will be applied;
• whether or not conditions of access should be varied according to the nature of the user or use; and
• what restrictions if any should be included in the licences.

In designing and developing the infrastructure, it may be determined that there is a shortage of appropriately educated and trained people and that this is an impediment to successful implementation of the infrastructure.

The PCGIAP is in an ideal position to address these issues with governments of the region, funding agencies and academic institutions.

Applications

The PCGIAP has a key role in raising the awareness to the broad community to the value of spatial (or geographic) data when applied to real economic, social and environmental issues. This can be achieved through support for projects that demonstrate the application of spatial data through GIS and associated technologies, to deliver the required information.

The relevance of spatial information required to support the implementation of Agenda 21 resolutions provides an appropriate mechanism from which to educate and influence this broad community through available communication channels.

Multi-organisation/Multi-Nation projects that build on the data integration and analysis strengths of GIS technology for example, would be particularly appropriate. Such projects help develop international cooperation, provide valuable experience on which infrastructure policies and priorities can be considered, develop technical skills, and provide cost/benefit data to support funding proposals for major spatial information infrastructure programs.

In the context of an APSDI, Technical Standards define the technical characteristics of the fundamental datasets and enable them to be integrated with other environmental, social and economic datasets.

Standardisation Processes

A regional spatial data infrastructure requires standards in each of the following areas: reference systems, data models, data dictionaries, data quality, data transfer, and metadata.

Considerable work has already been done in the development of standards in many nations of the region and it may be neither necessary nor appropriate to develop completely new standards. Time and effort may be saved by adapting existing standards to national needs, with the added advantage of support by the major GIS vendors.

PCGIAP believes that the essential thing that must be done is to:

• identify areas where standardisation is required;
• identify or develop appropriate standards; and
• encourage the adoption of those standards.

The essential component of the APSDI is the Fundamental Datasets which are produced within the Institutional Framework and are collected as primary data sources, from which other data and information are derived by integration or value-adding. A fundamental dataset is defined as follows:

There are three principal issues associated with the provision of regional fundamental datasets:

• identification and prioritisation;
• production and integration; and
• data maintenance

Identification and Priorities

A key activity in defining the APSDI is to identify the national spatial data priorities - ie. what are the fundamental datasets that should be produced by governments of PCGIAP member countries and what are the priorities?

It is the PCGIAP's aim to facilitate the determination of an APSDI that contributes to the achievement of common regional objectives.

The Permanent Committee aims to:

• identify the fundamental datasets comprising that infrastructure,
• identify custodians of those data; and
• facilitate the development of priorities and standards for those data.

This does not mean that the PCGIAP will sponsor the collection of new datasets; rather, the APSDI will build upon existing, national data collections, supporting the development of effective national spatial data infrastructures.

The PCGIAP anticipates that the technical characteristics of those datasets would include the spatial accuracy, associated attributes, attribute accuracy and currency.

The following is a draft list of fundamental datasets; the suggested resolution of these datasets is 1:1 Million. Note that this table is only intended to indicate the type of data that may be required at the regional level. The PCGIAP will give further consideration to this matter.

In developing this list of fundamental datasets, the PCGIAP recognises the need to collaborate with other relevant regional and global initiatives where data needs are being identified. The Global Map project, for example, has identified Elevation (DEM), Vegetation, Land Use, Drainage System & Shorelines, Transportation, Administrative Boundaries as the key datasets. This issue is further considered under "Implementation Issues", below.

Production and Integration

After the contents of the regional fundamental datasets have been identified and prioritised, the issues of data set custodians and funding of production and maintenance programs can be addressed. Cooperative arrangements will be needed to ensure that the fundamental datasets can be spatially integrated. That is, where a real world entity, such as a river, is a component of two or more datasets, such as the drainage network and a land use map, the spatial representations should be coincident.

Coordination and consultation mechanisms will be needed to ensure that standards and priorities are determined for the greatest benefit of the region as a whole. The PCGIAP will offer its broadly based coordination structures to assist in this process but will look to custodians and special interest user groups to take a lead in developing standards and priorities on a regional basis.

Data Maintenance

Collection of spatial data requires a significant investment of time and resources and, while there is an economic benefit accruing from that investment, the returns can quickly diminish if custodians do not have the resources or strategies needed to maintain the quality and currency of the data.

A parallel strategy is needed for archiving data of historical significance. Many decision-making processes can be enhanced if data is available that show changes over time. For example, data showing past patterns of flooding can provide a basis for developing flood mitigation plans and for planning emergency relief measures.

Member nations of the PCGIAP will work together to identify data management needs and to develop business plans for data management and archiving strategies.

The Access Network is the final component of the APSDI and is the means by which the fundamental datasets are made accessible to the community, in accordance with policies determined within the Institutional Framework, and to the agreed Technical Standards. There are two issues to consider:

Technological Framework

The Access Network is the technological framework established to give the community access to the fundamental datasets. The model does not propose a single central database. Rather, it anticipates that datasets will be held on a number of independently maintained systems by the respective custodians, and that they will be linked by common standards and policies. Physical linkages between those systems will be through a range of mechanisms including dedicated telephone lines, local area networks, wide area networks and integrated-services networks.

Data Directory System

The APSDI will be a part of the developing, more general global infrastructure for information distribution and access. A key element of the APSDI is the data directory system which should be freely accessible and contain highly accurate metadata for the fundamental datasets, including advice on gaining access to the data.

The PCGIAP痴 aim in developing the Access Network is to foster the integration of fundamental datasets into the network and to coordinate with other infrastructure coordinating bodies to develop a regional consensus. The Permanent Committee will encourage the adoption of standard data transfer protocols and national policies for access and pricing, and will ensure that the particular needs of the APSDI are taken into consideration when data access networks are being designed.

Linkages with National Programs

Governments throughout the world are coming to recognise that information is one of the most critical elements underpinning decision making for economic, environmental and social development, and that there is a need to assign resources to establishing an effective information infrastructure.

For example, in April 1994 the President of the United States of America issued an Executive Order which implemented a national spatial data infrastructure. The European Community has developed detailed policies and strategies for a European Geographic Information Infrastructure. Similar steps are being taken at a national level in Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and other countries in our region.

The APSDI will build upon these initiatives, supporting the development of effective national spatial data infrastructures.

Linkages with Global Programs

To maximise benefits achievable from the implementation of spatial data infrastructures, the PCGIAP Geographic Data Program will be closely linked to other relevant regional and global development initiatives. Examples of programs where mutual objectives are being achieved are:

• Agenda 21. Development of the APSDI by the PCGIAP is in keeping with the goals of Agenda 21.

1. To develop guidelines for the nature of legislative and administrative procedures and orders appropriate to the acquisition and sharing of spatial data;
2. To define the nature of a regional geographic information infrastructure that each country in the region can make available to meet regional mapping requirements as they relate to global mapping requirements, principally consisting of a regional geodetic framework, topographic features and geographic names;
3. To define a framework for the documentation of the status of fundamental datasets and key agencies in each member nation, and for the exchange of such information;
4. To design a strategy for the development of a regional geodetic framework and topographic databases as the basis for regional GIS activity;
5. To prepare guidelines and strategies to assist member nations in the development of digital cadastral databases and where necessary for the implementation of cadastral reforms to meet individual member nation needs; and
6. To determine the need for research, training and technology exchange in relation to the beneficial impact of geographic information on the social, economic and environmental objectives of member nations of Asia and the Pacific region.

• Global Map. Global Map is a concept calling for global geographic data sets of known and verified quality, with consistent specifications which will be open to the public. It is an opportunity for every nation and all concerned organizations to work together to develop and provide easy and open access to global geographic information. It is planned that the project will provide vector data at a scale of 1:1,000,000 and raster data with a ground resolution of about one kilometer. The identified datasets for Global Map are Elevation (DEM), Vegetation, Land Use, Drainage System & Shorelines, Transportation, Administrative Boundaries.

• Global Spatial Data Infrastructure. The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) is an initiative that began with a conference in Bonn, Germany, in 1996 and was further developed at a second conference at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA in 1997. The PCGIAP will host the third GSDI conference in Canberra, Australia in November 1998.

The development of the APSDI is an undertaking of immense proportions but the PCGIAP believes that the potential benefits to the region are so great that it must be addressed. The resolve, good will and cooperation exhibited by the members of the Permanent Committee will ensure that their vision will be realised.

Over time, the detailed implementation plans for the APSDI will develop, evolve and mature. They will adjust to the continually changing technological environment. Technical and administrative hurdles will be overcome. Investment in spatial data collection, management and development will increase as the importance of this resource is recognised. A vigorous spatial data industry will emerge, servicing the needs of governments, industry and the community.

The knowledge shared, the experience gained, the synergy generated and the benefits flowing from this cooperative initiative will yield an outcome that is far greater than nations of the Asia and the Pacific region could have achieved acting alone.

This document has been compiled through the efforts of the PCGIAP Executive and Secretariat and a PCGIAP working group. The model for the regional spatial data infrastructure draws on work done by the Australia New Zealand Land Information Council (ANZLIC).

The PCGIAP welcomes comments on this document and encourages readers to contact the Secretariat.