What is an SDI?
The term Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) if often used to describe the mechanisms or the enabling environment, that supports easy access to, and utilization of, geographical data and information (UNECA, 2005).
SDI’s are more than just data repositories. SDI’s store data and their attributes, and their related documentation (metadata), offering a mean to discover, visualize, and evaluate their fitness to different purpose, and finally provide access to the data themselves. In addition to these basic services, there are often additional services OR software supporting the use of the data. Finally, to make an SDI work efficiently, it is necessary to include all the organizational agreements needed to coordinate and administer.
- SDIs cannot be realized without coordination (especially by governments).
- SDIs must be user driven, supporting decision-making for many different purposes.
- SDIs implementation involves a wide range of activities, including not only technical topics such as data, standards, interoperability, and delivery mechanisms, but also institutional arrangements, policies, financial and human resources.
Components of an SDI Local and Global SDI
