Access to Governmental GIS Data versus Private Sector Data for the Benefit of Environmental Modelling: the Aarhus Impact

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1 Access to Governmental GIS Data versus Private Sector Data for the Benefit of Environmental Modelling: the Aarhus Impact Carol Agius -- Malta Association for Geographic Information Dr Saviour Formosa University of Malta

2 The Århus Convention What is it? The Aarhus Convention grants the public rights regarding access to information, public participation and access to justice, in governmental decision-making processes on matters concerning the local, national and transboundary environment. It focuses on interactions between the public and public authorities.

3 Access to information Article 4 Access to Environmental Information Public authorities must make information available in the form requested unless this is unreasonable or the information already exists in another form

4 Access to information Article 5 Collection and dissemination of environmental information Public authorities must: Posses and update environmental information relevant to their function Establish mandatory systems to ensure flow of information about existing and proposed activities that may significantly affect environment Make what information is held transparent and accessible (eg free lists of information)

5 Access to information Make progressively available on electronic databases: State of the environment reports Environmental legislation Policies, plans and programmes Regularly publish information on state and pressures on the environment (3 or 4 years) Encourage operators to regularly inform about their activities or products where these have significant environmental impact Ensure sufficient product information is available to enable informed consumer choices

6 The Information Dilemma - Tower of Babel or Valhalla? Today we are facing a period unprecedented in history: information is available, it is easy to decipher and is accessible to all Or is it? Are we going down the Babel way? The most brilliant architects got together with the brightest inventions and plans.. But there were too many languages and they couldn t communicate. That killed the tower not the technology

7 How to Harmonise? Environmental Needs Better information needed to support policies Improvement of existing information flows Revision of approach to reporting and monitoring, moving to concept of sharing of information Situation Lack of co-ordination across borders and between levels of government Lack of standards incompatible information and information systems Existing data not re-usable fragmentation of information, redundancy, inability to integrate Environmental data 90% is linked to geography INSPIRE

8 INSPIRE Directive What does it all mean? INSPIRE is a Framework Directive INSPIRE is a Directive which mandates Member States to provide their public authority datasets and services so that they can be used more easily by other public organisations in the country concerned, in adjacent countries if required, and by the EC itself for policy making, reporting and monitoring. It is a set of principles and rules that each country must now choose how to implement - it will not necessarily need legislation. Datasets will, by set dates, be capable of being discovered, viewed, and downloaded (where allowed) through common interfaces. Exactly how these services should be provided (other than the EC s own geoportal) is left to individual countries.

9 INSPIRE Directive What does it all mean? There is no requirement for new data collection, though it will be necessary for future data collection to comply with standard specifications now being drafted. It is required that metadata and, for the most part viewing services, will be available free of charge, but there is specific allowance for intra-governmental agreements for the use of data even if they involve a charging regime. There is a general aspiration to remove obstacles it will be achieved by public authorities following Implementing Rules (IRs) that will specify standard metadata, data specifications, data sharing, and interoperable services. Member States will monitor and report on progress

10 Environmental Modelling Two Categories of Data The first category referencing data (annex I and II data): have the status of "multi-purpose" spatial or basic data place high demands on harmonisation The second category thematic data (annex III data): are needed in order to build models, trends etc including air, water, soil, demographic data and limited demands on harmonisation

11 Privately held data Private data is not governed by the Aarhus or INSPIRE Private companies require a return on their investment Do not have a requirement to harmonise their datasets, tend to be vendor specific

12 The Aarhus Impact Recall : Aarhus: Public Agencies must posses and update environmental information relevant to their function INSPIRE: future data collection must to comply with standard specifications

13 The Aarhus Impact Often the collection of new data is outsourced Different public agencies Private enterprises Transference of knowledge, standards and interoperability best practice to the private sector.

14 Benefit to Environmental Modelling Better access to data that is compliant to known standards Better discovery services More informed data choices

15 Thank you for your attention