GEOSPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE (GDI) FOR DEVELOPMENT PLANNING: The Case of the Census
1.0 Introduction
The significance of efficient and effective data management system in development planning cannot be overemphasized. The basic tool for planning is data. Most decisions in policy making and development planning are related to an issue at a place or space. That is, they are geo-located. Geo-spatial information is information about place and space. There can be no effective development without geo-spatial information (Clarke, 2013). He stressed that the three essential requirements of usability, accessibility and availability can be achieved through Geospatial Data Infrastructure (GDI), which involves bringing relevant geo-spatial information to the user, reliably and consistently within a governance framework. It is called by different names such as Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and may be preceded by to signify that the SDI is being developed at the national level. (Ikhuoria, 2013).
Efficiency of the planning system needs accessible, affordable, adequate, accurate and timely spatial and non-spatial information. Information sharing in turn needs an efficient route that can give possible access to the needy. The potential route can be achieved and accessed through the implementation of a well – structured GDI as a remedy and wheel towards good information management and governance (Ikhuoria, 2013). Billons of dollars are invested annually in producing geospatial data. Many of these data collection activities are redundant – data already exist but they are hard to find, frequently undocumented, and in incompatible formats (USGS, 1996).
African nations have many serious development challenges – economic, national security, infrastructures, energy, agriculture and food security, water provision, good governance, disasters (drought, landslides, flooding wild fires, erosion and environmental degradation). The solution requires integrated multidisciplinary approach. Use of geospatial technologies to supply reliable, accurate & relevant information
The significance of efficient and effective data management system in development planning cannot be overemphasized. The basic tool for planning is data. Most decisions in policy making and development planning are related to an issue at a place or space. That is, they are geo-located. Geo-spatial information is information about place and space. There can be no effective development without geo-spatial information (Clarke, 2013). He stressed that the three essential requirements of usability, accessibility and availability can be achieved through Geospatial Data Infrastructure (GDI), which involves bringing relevant geo-spatial information to the user, reliably and consistently within a governance framework. It is called by different names such as Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) and may be preceded by to signify that the SDI is being developed at the national level. (Ikhuoria, 2013).
Efficiency of the planning system needs accessible, affordable, adequate, accurate and timely spatial and non-spatial information. Information sharing in turn needs an efficient route that can give possible access to the needy. The potential route can be achieved and accessed through the implementation of a well – structured GDI as a remedy and wheel towards good information management and governance (Ikhuoria, 2013). Billons of dollars are invested annually in producing geospatial data. Many of these data collection activities are redundant – data already exist but they are hard to find, frequently undocumented, and in incompatible formats (USGS, 1996).
African nations have many serious development challenges – economic, national security, infrastructures, energy, agriculture and food security, water provision, good governance, disasters (drought, landslides, flooding wild fires, erosion and environmental degradation). The solution requires integrated multidisciplinary approach. Use of geospatial technologies to supply reliable, accurate & relevant information
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