Developing Botswana spatial data infrastructure : from concept to reality
Manisa, Michael & Boipuso Nkwae
There is general agreement that spatial data is a key to sustainable resource management and overall economic development of a country. It follows therefore that the development of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) provides an underlying information base for the decision-making process. While the basic concepts behind SDI might be understood by a fair majority of the people, there is still confusion as regarding the relationships among such terms as cadastres, geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data infrastructures. Hence there is a need to clarify these concepts. We need to ask ourselves whether cadastres are really part of SDIs, or whether SDIs are nothing more than some kind of improved or advanced GIS network. These terminological confusions are not helping to raise the political support and level of awareness needed for the introduction of SDIs in developing countries. Although the attributes of SDIs are well defined and agreed upon, achieving such an ambitious concept has not been easy in Botswana and beyond. This paper describes the concepts of a national spatial data infrastructure. It also reviews the developments in SDI that have taken place in Botswana, and assesses specific Botswana opportunities, challenges and implementation issues. The paper reviews SDI developments in the country using selected examples. The paper argues that even though Botswana is not prepared for a full online SDI implementation, organizational arrangements should be put in place to ensure full participation when the physical infrastructures become available.
Event: XXX FIG Working Week and General Assembly : Strategic Integration of Surveying Services
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