The need for assessing costs of inefficient access to fundamental spatial datasets in least developed countries

Mwaikambo, E.E. & M. M. Hagai

Awareness on the benefits of a Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI) for sustainable development is strategic in convicting Policy Makers and administrators to accept it and support its development. Contemporary formal approaches of raising SDI awareness have not been successful enough to convince decision makers especially in developing countries to accept and support SDI development initiatives.This paper suggests a slight shift from formal approaches used for raising awareness among policy makers which are based on evaluation of benefits of SDI. Basing on studies from fields of human psychology and economics, the paper argues that negative information such as the damage caused by failing to put in place an SDI is much more effective in convincing decision makers to accept and support SDI than positive information regarding tangible benefits of SDI. The paper reports on how the ability to evaluate costs that spatial data intensive government organizations incur as a result of inefficient access to fundamental spatial datasets would be an important step towards development of the National Spatial Data infrastructure (NSDI). The paper further identifies and clarifies issues that influence these costs and how such assessments can benefit government organizations.

Event: Advances in Geomatics Research : Proceedings of the First Conference 2011 in Uganda

Document type:The need for assessing costs of inefficient access to fundamental spatial datasets in least developed countries (1902 kB - pdf)