Project “European CDDA and INSPIRE”: scope, transformation workflow and mapping rules

INSPIRE Conference 2014Workshop: Implementing Existing European Spatial Data of Designated Areas Based on the INSPIRE Protected Sites – Transformation Workflow

Darja LihtenegerAalborg, 16.06.2014

Outlines

• Project information• Topic, objectives and scope• Transformation workflow• Specifically on conceptual mapping:• Mapping between CDDA

and INSPIRE PS data models• Open issues• Lessons learnt

• Initiated, financed and led by the European Environment Agency

• Time period: September 2013 – October 2014• Project team composition (thematic domain, IT and GIS,

INSPIRE):– EEA experts– Experts from European Topic Centre on Biological Diversity

(ETC/BD)– External consultancy: Tracasa

• Additional involvement of Eionet is planned for specific testing with the outcomes of this project

Project information

• Common Database on Designated Areas:– European inventory– it holds information

about protected areas and the national legislative instruments, which directly or indirectly create protected areas

• INSPIRE Protected sites:– area designated or managed within a framework of

international, Community and Member States' legislation to achieve specific conservation objectives

– Update of INSPIRE PS Technical Guidelines was published on April 2014

Project topic

Project objectives

• through the prototype provide the CDDA data sets (European database) in conformity with the INSPIRE Protected sites data specifications (Implementing Rules and Technical Guidelines)

• knowledge building of INSPIRE implementation - share experiences within Eionet, with wider community implementing INSPIRE and with INSPIRE MIG

• proposals for the updates of the CDDA data flow and for the updates of relevant INSPIRE data specifications, if applicable

• to provide an input for the EEA workflows

Project scope

• evaluate the existing European CDDA data sets with the INSPIRE Protected sites Simple application schema

• design and follow the transformation workflow• develop and document the conceptual mapping rules• transform the European CDDA data sets into GML• provide the approach to validation• identify open issues and draft proposals for updates• Outcomes:

– Initial study– Model of the transformation workflow– Mapping rules and matching table– Proof of concept for transformation and data sets transformed into GML– Report on validation with examples of tests– Open issues

http://forum.eionet.europa.eu/nrc-nature-and-biodiversity-interest-group/library/bdc/cdda-and-inspire-implementation

CDDA data flow and project scope

Process

Conceptual level

Data

Project scope

AnalysisMapping

TransformationValidation

Input data

GML file(s)Output

data

CDDA data model

(sub-set)

INSPIRE PS data model

Target data model

Source data model

CDDA data flow is not changed!

CDDA data flow is not changed!

Published spatial data set in EEA data service (Shapefile + tabular data)

Countries’ contributions (data)

Existing spatial data =

European CDDA

CD

DA

data

m

od

el

Transformation workflow

Transformation basis

• INSPIRE Directive Art.7(3):– Spatial data sets shall be made available in conformity

with the implementing rules either through the adaptation of existing spatial data sets or through the transformation services referred to point (d) of Article 11(1)

• Transformation workflow is generic and applicable to any spatial data set to be transformed with regard to the required data specifications

• In this project, transformation workflow presents the way how to transform the existing European CDDA data sets with regard to the INSPIRE Protected sites

Transformation workflow – harmonisation process

• Initial/feasibility study of the transformation

• Identification of source and target data models

• Conceptual mapping• Development and documentation

of mapping rules

• Data transformation into GML

• Validation and testing of GML

• Publication of GML files

Relevant Data Model

(harmonised)

Relevant Data Model

(harmonised)

Transformation workflow – experiences from the project on complexity & time allocation

Complexity (Low, Medium, High) Time

- Identification of source and target data models is relatively easy

- No need to (re)create source data model- Both data models are well described!- Initial study improved understanding

L10%

- Content discussion in forming the mapping rules is highly important!

- Matching table = document the mapping- Data evaluation and examples - Guidelines – mapping rules

H40%

- Choose of software, data preparation, testing, initial validation, transformationM

15%

- Uncertainties: how to execute tests, tools, evaluating approach, selective testingH

30%

- Publication of GML files (simple way)L

5%

Conceptual mapping

• Focus: to fulfil the complete INSPIRE PS Simple application schema (including voidable elements)

• Questions to answer:– Are the concepts the same – definition, purpose?– Which spatial objects, attributes and value domains can I map?– What are the gaps?– Is it possible to cover the gaps?– Do I need an extension to INSPIRE PS to keep the CDDA purpose?– What do I have to do if I don’t have data in my database, but this

is required by INSPIRE PS data specifications?– How to map between data formats?

• Check the mapping rules with real data from CDDA!

Conceptual mapping: focus and questions

Conceptual mapping: CDDA data model sub-set used for mapping to INSPIRE PS

Identified tables and attributes for mapping with INSPIRE PS Simple application schema

- set of interrelated tables, tabular data- geometry of spatial objects is provided separately

Conceptual mapping: INSPIRE PS data model – complexity of mappingINSPIRE PS

Straightforward (easy) mappingComplex mapping requires additional thematic and INSPIRE PS discussions

Simple application

schema - limited set of

fundamental attributes

INSPIRE PSGeometry

CDDAGeometry: polygons, multi-polygons polygons can overlap

Conceptual mapping: details 1 / 7

INSPIRE PSinspireID

CDDA

Conceptual mapping: details 2 / 7

Several attributes are used: SITE_CODEPARENT_ISOISO3

Additional work is needed to generate the values of INSPIRE attribute namespace

Inspire identifier is generated temporarily, as data providers might create their own in the future!

Formula =EU.EUROPA.ENVIRONMENT.PS.CDDA.

<PARENT_ISO>.<ISO3>

Not relevant and not mapped

localId

namespaceversionId

SITE_CODE

INSPIRE PSlegalFoundationDate

CDDA

Conceptual mapping: details 3 / 7

Attribute: YEAR year of establishment; the year the site

was first time designated

Type DateTime

yyyy-mm-ddTxx:xx:xx

Provide correct format! Proposed: 1st January of related year at 00:00:00

INSPIRE PSlegalFoundationDocument

CDDA

Conceptual mapping: details 4 / 7

INSPIRE PS: a reference to the legal act that created the protected site!

CDDA: reference to the legal act establishing a designation type! Two attributes include information: Law and Lawreference

Different concepts between INSPIRE PS and European CDDA!

Mapping is not possible for European CDDA!

Data providers might have information at protected site level about the legal act that created protected site, which could correspond to INSPIRE PS legalFoundationDocument

Provided as voidable

INSPIRE PSsiteDesignation

CDDA

Conceptual mapping: details 5 / 7

Information on national designations is important part of CDDA

National designation schemes are not in INSPIRE PS Simple application schema!

National designations shall extend the INSPIRE PS code list Designation SchemeValue !

Attribute: IUCNCAT Make conversion between IUCN code

list in INSPIRE PS and CDDA! IUCN category is management category!

extend

national designation type category – attribute: Category

national designation type code – attribute: DESIG_ABBR

nationalDesignationTypeCategorynationalDesignationTypeCode

INSPIRE PSpercentageUnderDesignation

CDDA

Conceptual mapping: details 6 / 7

The corresponding attribute is not explicitly provided in the CDDA

Implicit (default) value based on the CDDA purpose could be used for different designation types

For nationalDesignationTypeCategory and nationalDesignationTypeCode the default value is 100 (100% of site under the designation)

Information about the % of site under IUCN categories in not provided – this information is not known. Default value -1 is used (workaround!)

Difficulties in the case information is not known – how to respect no data, INSPIRE definition and voidable?

If a value is not provided for this attribute, it is assumed to be 100%.

INSPIRE PSsiteNamesiteProtectionClassification

CDDA

Conceptual mapping: details 7 / 7

Attribute: SITE_NAME- Follow complete INSPIRE data type GeographicalName!

- Correlated attribute doesn’t exist in CDDA!- Default value from INSPIRE PS enumeration is appropriate to use in addition:natureConservation

Conceptual mapping: extended INSPIRE PS for CDDA purpose

Minimum extension of INSPIRE PS for the purpose of European CDDA keeps the important information on national designations together with the INSPIRE PS!

Working with INSPIRE voidable properties

• “voidable” in INSPIRE means:– for an attribute or association role a value of ‘void’ may be made

available if no corresponding value is contained in the spatial data sets maintained by the Member States or no corresponding value can be derived from existing values at reasonable costs.

• 2 types of voidable / nil reasons: INSPIRE and ISO (GML):

• ISO data types follow ISO NilReason

ISO 19136: NilReason typeINSPIRE

Conceptual mapping: summary on open issues

• Gaps in logical mapping – different concepts:– legislation related to the protected site in both data

models: European CDDA doesn’t require information on legal act creating the protected site, but at national or sub-national level information on legal foundation document might be needed and available

• Definition of INSPIRE PS attribute percentage of protected area under designation causes difficulties when this information is not known / not available in a data set

• Clear guidelines are needed how to use voidable / nil reasons: ISO nil reason and/or INSPIRE voidable reason!

• Important to involve experts from the thematic domain(s)!• Conceptual mapping is time demanding, ensure enough time for

this transformation workflow step!• Don’t force mapping if the meaning / purpose of concepts is too

different!• The current CDDA data model is highly compatible with the INSPIRE

Protected sites Simple application schema• Recommendation: to fulfil and keep the CDDA purpose, the

minimum extension to INSPIRE PS is recommended to provide the national designations and categories

• All the code lists used in the extended CDDA-INSPIRE PS data model are already available:– http://dd.eionet.europa.eu/vocabulary/cdda/designationtypecategory/– http://dd.eionet.europa.eu/vocabulary/cdda/designations/

Conceptual mapping: summary - main lessons learnt

Thank you

eea.europa.eu