[SDI-AsiaPacific] NSDI for India ? To be or not to be...?: The Goa Communiqué – Part 2

[Kate Lance]

India National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) workshop “NSDI: Realities and Challenges”
Goa, June 2007

EDITORIAL in GIS Development Weekly July 9, 2007, by Dr. Hrishikesh Samant, GIS Development, hrishikesh at gisdevelopment.net
NSDI for India ? To be or not to be...?: The Goa Communiqué – Part 2
The data is available, infrastructure (base) is in place but the networking among the various governmental departments is to be set-up. In the last six years, the Node Design and meta Data Standards, Village Level Mapping, initiatives like 'Neighbourhood mapping', release of the Aerial Photography, High Resolution Imaging and Mapping policies along with grass-root level capacity building exercises have been completed. The new map policy needs to be interpreted, at least by the governmental organisations in an 'open' context. The very ethos of setting up a NSDI is lost if legal beagles are used or needed to understand and interpret policies.
The multitude of man hours and efforts spend on nurturing the NSDI cannot be thrown on horns of uncertainty resulting from a bureaucratic fear psychosis - all due to a matter of interpretation... 
The report from Stanford University depicting a 300 percent increase in urban areas between 1988 and 1996 in some environmentally sensitive areas should jolt our town planners from their complacent slumber. The very nonchalant attitude by the world's nations towards Gaia is due to the absence of a surveillance and monitoring mechanism. The historic international treaty on climate change mooted in 1997 and finally 'entered into force' from 2005 will now have a watchdog. The GOSAT is JAXA's offering in support of the Kyoto Protocol. The Michaelson interferometer on-board GOSAT will measure global CO^2 at more than 18,000 sample points everyday. The launch of this monitor is sure to consolidate the position of Climate Exchange Plc. the principal behind the Chicago Climate Exchange and the European Climate Exchange.
Philanthropic activities of Google Earth like the Outreach Programme and the postings of air pollution values for every industrial unit in North America by environmental agencies using Google Earth, if merged with data from the GOSAT when it becomes operational will influence the stock markets in the coming years. It will also impact the real estate values around most industrial areas. In a tagged world, who knows, their may be ways of monitoring 'Personal Carbon Allowances' too... Mayer Hillman will be happy .


       
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