the second session of the committee on development information, science and technology codist-ii 2-5...

The Second Session of the Committee on DevelopmentInformation, Science and Technology

CODIST-II2-5 May 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia



ECA Geoinformation Activities – Regional Databases and Online Applications

Aster Denekew Yilma

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

ICT and Sciences & Technology Division

E-Applications Section





Outlines

Background Selected Geo-information activities of ECA:

Standards & InteroperabilityMetadata ClearinghouseSALB,GeoNyms Application

Regional DatabasesPIDAAfrica Fiber Optic Connectivity DatabaseClimate Database

Online applicationsE-Health ApplicationSouth Sudan Water Clearinghouse,…

Conclusion/Way Forward





United Nations Economic Commission for Africa MandateSupport regional development priorities Undertake activities to advance social and economic

development in Africa One Programmatic Area: Harnessing information for Development

ICT, Science and Technology Division (ISTD) is devoted to the program area

ISTD Division endeavors to improve the capacity of African countries to formulate and implement policies and strategies designed to harness information for development.

Background

Background





Background…

ISTD also promotes visibility of geospatial information activities on the continentLeveraging Geo-information for Development Assist member States to develop geospatial Sciences

and Technologies for priority regional initiativesMake Africa more spatially enabled, ensuring that

spatial data, products and services are available for informed decisions-making.

Background …





Principles: Put in place Policies, Infrastructures & Institutional arrangements

Promote and lead the concept of SDI at national, sub-regional and regional levels

Implement SDI at national, sub-regional and regional levels

Make information available to decision makers and the community

ensure widest possible dissemination of available information Empower users to make informed decisions

Background…





Policies and Coordination Assist member states in the implementation of NSDI (technical / policy

component) and link with National Information and Communication Infrastructures (NICI) Formulation of sectoral e-strategies,

Data Fundamental, Core Datasets, Regional Thematic Data, Regional databases

Standards and interoperability Promoting harmonization and standards (e.g. AFREF project, SALB (Second

Administrative Level Boundary Map), Metadata Standard (Africa Metadata Profile)…

e-Services (find and share data) Streamlined electronic delivery of services to achieve improved user service,

faster response times, efficient operations, lower transaction costs, more informed decisions (Regional Databases, and online applications)…

ECA Activities :





Selected Activities of ECA

Standards and Interoperability Metadata “Country Spaces” SALB Database GeoNyms - Africa Gazetteer African Geodetic Reference Frame (AFREF) CODIST-Geo Working Groups –Africa Metadata Profile, Fundamental

datasets Regional Databases

Transport infrastructure Database Programme of Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) Climate Change Database, …

Online Applications, Services and visualization tools: Health and Emergency Management Systems South Sudan Water Clearinghouse, …





Standards and Interoperability

Standards and InteroperabilityMetadata “Country Spaces”SALB DatabaseGeoNyms - Africa Gazetteer





ECA Activities : Metadata and Clearinghouses

UNECA continues to provide/maintain on-line metadata clearinghouse services Search and discover existing

datasets; what exists, where and how to access

There are five Metadata nodes: ECA, AWICH, MAFA, RECTAS, and RCMRD)

During CODI-V, a review committee was formed to evaluate tools available: to have an open source tool

readily available that supports the African Metadata Profile

ECA recently identified an open source metadata collection and dissemination tool, Geonetwork metadata tool

ECA then acquired, tested and deployed GeoNetwork

All clearinghouse nodes have been moved from the old system to Geonetwork.

http://geoinfo.uneca.org:8080/metadataexplorer/explorer.jsf





Second Administrative Level Boundary (SALB) project:

Aims at harmonization Produce a comprehensive digital database

of Second Administrative Level Boundaries

Provide a flexible and intuitive coding scheme that can be applied to any country, independently from administrative structure

Editing work completed for more than 20 countries, and 17 validated by NMAs

ECA Activities : SALB Database





ECA Activities : African Gazetteer

GeoNyms application (African Gazetteer) ECA is developing the GeoNyms application to provide African

countries with open source solution for capturing and validating geographical names (toponyms).

to help member states to manage their gazetteers of place names using a common standard . GeoNyms is an open source desktop tool provide free and robust application to collect, validate and disseminate their respective

geographical names.





ECA Activities : African Gazetteer…

A working prototype is already available





Regional Databases

Several regional geospatial databases are being developed to support regional initiatives.

Programme of Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) databases are covering all existing and planned infrastructure facilities in the continent.

African Fiber optic connectivity database The African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) Climate Change Activities

Database.





ECA Activities : Regional Databases

Programme of Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) ECA sourced and collected data, and developed the geospatial

database depicting features on Transport and Energy Infrastructure The database for PIDA covers all existing and planned infrastructure

facilities in the continent including all networks and development corridors (roads, railways, airports, ports & harbours, waterways, power plants,

gas and oil pipelines, oil refineries, etc) The Commission also developed a fully interactive web-based

application enabling navigation and online visualisation: http://geoinfo.uneca.org/africaninfrastructure/

Expected to be used by the AUC for systematic planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects on infrastructure systems in Africa

http://geoinfo.uneca.org/africaninfrastructure/





ECA Activities : Regional Databases…

http://geoinfo.uneca.org/africaninfrastructure/





ECA Activities : Regional Databases…





ECA Activities : Regional Databases

The African Fiber optic connectivity database: Describes international Sea connectivity and current as well as planned connections within and between African countries. An African fiber optic

map was generated from the database.





Online Applications & Services

Online applications and services developed:Geoinfomation Applications Inventory Tool (GAIT)E-Health applicationSouth Sudan Water Information Clearinghouse





ECA Activities: Online Applications & Services

Geoinfomation Applications Inventory Tool (GAIT) ECA has developed a Geoinformation Applications Inventory

Tool (GAIT) assistance to Cote d’Ivoire to develop their National Geospatial

Plan (PGNCI ) help to document geoinformation applications in a standard way to assign geoinformation custodianship responsibilities in Côte

d'Ivoire http://geoinfo.uneca.org/GAIT/

GAIT tool is developed as a generic application, can be implemented for any member states with some customization.

http://geoinfo.uneca.org/GAIT/






South Sudan Water Information System: ECA in collaboration with the Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD) are assisting the Government of Southern Sudan to establish a water information system, based on a GIS developing a Water Resources Information Clearing-house that is

fully functional equipment and infrastructure, and, skilled and qualified personnel.

The South Sudan Water Information ClearingHouse (SSWICH) was developed for dissemination of the system resources (www.sswich-mwrigoss.org)

http://www.sswich-mwrigoss.org/






Health and Emergency Management Systems (e-Health Application) ECA is setting up a monitoring, evaluation and response management system to

support preparedness, planning and operations for security and health emergencies.

GIS application, with geodatabase, aims showcase the application of vulnerability mapping to better understand human and environmental impacts.

http://geoinfo.uneca.org/ehealth/

Currently, data collected only for Ethiopia

the system allows to locate health centers in Ethiopia

Countries expected to contribute to the effort of collecting the data through the online interface

http://geoinfo.uneca.org/ehealth/





Institutional Frameworks African Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure

- A cooperative, multi-stakeholder approach to production, management, and dissemination of spatially enabled data: Regional and National level

CODIST-Geo Executive Working Groups : - MAfA,

- Capacity Building,

- Fundamental Datasets, - Developing Common Geodetic Reference (AFREF)

ECA Activities : Promoting Continent-wide Geoinformation Governance





Conclusion / Way Forward

ECA will continue to support the efforts of member States to develop their National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) and Spatially Enabled Sectoral e-strategies & Applications.

Making the geo-information available for decision makers to effectively tackle the challenges of African nations.





Thank you!Je Vous Remercie!

[email protected]

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