The document discusses the key components and concepts of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). An NSDI aims to integrate distributed geospatial data through partnerships between different levels of government and private organizations. It establishes standards, frameworks and metadata to facilitate discovery and sharing of geospatial data. Central to an NSDI is a clearinghouse that allows users to search metadata from distributed servers according to common protocols. When properly implemented through the coordination of stakeholders, an NSDI can help reduce data duplication, lower costs and make critical spatial information more accessible.

1. National Spatial Data Infrastructure.
Concepts and Components
Jayantha Samarasinghe
Survey Department of Sri Lanka

2. Outline…..
• What is NSDI ?
• Partnership Via NSDIs ( Problem identification)
• Who needs to access Geographic Information?
• Strategies to Create NSDI
• NSDI Components
• Global SDI
• NSDI & GIS in Emergency Management
• Summary

3. What is a
National Spatial Data Infrastructure?
“The technology, policies, standards, and human
resources necessary to acquire, process, store,
distribute, and improve utilization of geospatial
data.”
Source:
Presidential Executive Order #12906 (1994):
“Co-ordinating Geographic Data Acquisition and Access: The National Spatial Data Infrastructure” W. Clinton.

4. Partnerships via NSDI
The problem:
• Too much data duplication = waste
• Not enough data duplication = respond to emergencies
• Ad hoc data sharing.
• Data often tailored to one application.
• Detail at local level but not accessible to Regional or National Level.
• Indexes/ Metadata.
• No general protocols for any of this until NSDI…

5. Who needs access to Coordinated Geographic Information?
• Land Records Adjudication
• Disaster Response
• Transportation Management
• Water, gas & electric planning
• Public Protection
• Defense
• Natural Resource Management
• Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Economic Development
• Civic Entrepreneurs
• Forest Management etc..

6. So Why build NSDI?
• Build data once and use it many times
for many applications.
• Integrate distributed providers of data.
• “Place-based management”.
• Share costs of data creation and
maintenance.
• Support sustainable economic,
social, and environmental
development.

7. Strategies to Create NSDI
STRATEGY I: Conceptual steps
• Explain GIS benefits to the Nation and other
communities.
• Include GIS in the curriculum of Universities and other
academia.
• Organize seminars and symposiums where new
developments in GIS are addressed.
• Exchange GIS technology and ideas through instructional
Web sites and online forums.

8. • Form leading committee at the federal level to start this
initiative.
• Involve Central and local governments in the development
and implementation of this initiative.
• Utilize the expertise of academia, the private sector,
professional societies, and others.
• Physically develop, implement NSDI and its components.
Strategies to Create NSDI
STRATEGY II: Logical and physical steps

9. NSDI COMPONENTS
STANDARDS
SPATIAL DATAFRAMEWORK
METADATA
CLEARINGHOUSE
PARTNERSHIPS & ORGANIZATIONS
WEB
PORTAL
GIS DATA
SERVERS
Technology Policies People

10. These elements are linked in a veryThese elements are linked in a very
explicit way to assure the function of theexplicit way to assure the function of the
enterprise.enterprise.
NSDI COMPONENTS…….

11. The data provide a core...
Spatial DataSpatial DataSpatial DataSpatial Data

12. Categories of Geospatial Data
• Community-developed data sets usually derived for a
single purpose but made available for potential re-use
• Data sets developed to a common content specification
for high re-use potential. These are known as
“Framework” data.

13. Spatial DataSpatial DataFrameworkFramework
What Frameworkprovide…..

14.  A foundation to which spatial information and
attributes can be added.
 A base on which other themes of data can be
compiled.
FrameworkProvides…..

15. Federal
State
Local
Private
Utilities1.Hydrology:
Lakes, River, Streams, Channels
2.Cadastral:
Parcel, Land use, Zoning
3.Transportation:
Roads, rails,
4.Elevation:
Contour lines, spot elevation
5.Administrative Boundaries:
Town ,County, State lines
6.Geodetic Control Points:
Reference points
7.Orthoimagery:
Referenced orhtophotos and
aerials
FrameworkData

16. Spatial DataSpatial DataFrameworkFramework
MetadataMetadata
Describing YourData...

17. • Provides documentation of existing internal
geospatial data resources within an
organization. (inventory)
• Permits structured search and comparison of
held spatial data by others. (advertising).
• Provides end-users with adequate information to
take the data and use it in an appropriate
context. (liability)
The Use of Metadata

18. Spatial DataSpatial DataFrameworkFramework
MetadataMetadata
Making data discoverable...
Clearinghouse (catalog)Clearinghouse (catalog)

19. • Discovery of spatial data.
• Distributed search worldwide.
• Uniform interface for spatial data searches.
• Advertising for available Data.ur data holdings
Clearinghouse (Search service)
Provides..

20. Clearinghouse operates as...
• Entry point to constellation of servers.
• Collection of distributed servers, using a common
protocol
• (e.g., Z39.50)

21. • used for searching and retrieving full-text documents,
bibliographic data, images and multimedia in a
distributed network environment.
• The FGDC has developed a Z39.50 application profile
for geospatial metadata, called GEO.
• Z39.50/GEO identifies a set of base standards, and
parameters necessary to accomplish identified
functions.
WHAT IS Z39.50 SEARCHPROTOCOL

22. Spatial DataSpatial DataFrameworkFramework
MetadataMetadata
Clearinghouse(catalog)Clearinghouse(catalog)
StandardsStandards
Consistent approaches...

23. Who builds standards?
• ISO – International Standards Organization
• FGDC Standards working group
(Federal Geographic Data Committee )
• Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC)
• Concerned organizations
• Producers and users of geospatial data

24. Types of standards
• Data content
 Common classifications
 Common collection criteria
 Data models, data structures (fo rm ats),
query languages.
• Data management
 Metadata
 Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS)
• Data transferprotocols (e.g., WMS)

25. Partnerships hold it allPartnerships hold it all
togethertogether

26. Partnerships
Spatial DataSpatial DataFrameworkFramework
MetadataMetadata
Clearinghouse(catalog)Clearinghouse(catalog)
StandardsStandards

27. Lots of people involved…
• Federal government (many agencies)
• Central government
• Local government
• Private sector – contractors, value-adders, exploiters
• Non profit organizations
• Citizenry
• Others…
• No one is in charge…

28. and is a model for development of a
Common Spatial Data Infrastructure
The NSDI is built through the actions ofThe NSDI is built through the actions of
thousandsthousands
of participantsof participants

29. A Global Spatial Data Infrastructure?
• Difficult enough to get national players to work
together…
• Is GSDI a process, a general framework or a
product?
• Who are the stakeholders?
• Who needs it? (military doing what they need
themselves?)

30. International Coastal Atlas Network

31. www.gsdi.org

32. NSDI & GIS Approach in Emergency
Management
• Because of its visual and spatial functionality, GIS technology
provides better and faster statistical analyses for decision
makers (emergency managers)
• HOWbig is the hazard area and people live in.
• WHAT are the best roads the hospitals outside of the hazard
zone?
• WHERE are the areas and the buildings with the most damage?
• WHICHroads are damaged or blocked by debris?

33. Web Browser (Thin Client)
@ users
GIS Software (Thick Client)
@ portal
host site
Web Portal
WMS WCSWFS
Geospatial Web Services
Gazetteer
Place
Names &
Attributes
Catalog
Data & Service
Metadata
Clients
Maps Features CoveragesLegend:
@ provider
organizations
Framework Data
WEB PORTAL ARCHITECTURE

34. SUMMARYSUMMARY
 With NSDI,
• Implement Social, economic and critical decisions and Country will
understand the necessary steps to create, access and share spatial data.
• User community aware of the importance of spatial data.
• Eliminate the duplication of spatial data.
• Reduced the cost and time.
• Data accessible from a central portal and will make information readily
accessible.
• Countries can become an integral partner in the world‘s GIS community.

35. My most sincere gratitude goes to:
ITC
The Netherlands
Nuffic
The Netherlands
University of K.N.Toosi
Tehran, Iran
Survey Department
Sri Lanka
Govt. of The Netherlands Govt. Of IranGovt. of Sri Lanka
Thank you for your attention!