Pooling data for European realities

Geography is about space and place. Ninety per cent of all geographical data is environmental. Access to this information across Europe through a new EU directive will help decision-makers at the political level, home buyers and civil protection agencies.

Spatial planning for effective policy formulation is all about people. In a Europe that faces an increasing risk of flooding, shortage of drinking water, air pollution and many other problems, geographic information can help member states make better decisions.

The Malta Association for Geographical Information, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Malta Institution of Surveyors (MIS) are networking toward implementation of a directive on sharing and harmonisation of data. At a seminar they organised last Thursday week on setting up geographic data infrastructures, the emphasis on climate change was high. Participants heard how ice melt at the poles is accelerating as the sea under it is getting warmer.

Full potential for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can only be reached after governments have created national infrastructures for harmonising and handling spatial data that can be accessed across boundaries.

An infrastructure for spatial information in Europe through the INSPIRE directive may set the base for a worldwide model. Adopted by the European Parliament in April the directive is now at the co-decision phase with parallel discussions on implementing rules underway.

Dr Joanna Drake, head of the Permanent EU Representation in Malta, praised the initiative of the three associations, saying that in a European scenario they could not afford to remain fragmented. The directive aims to encourage dialogue between institutions at national level bringing Malta's realities closer to the attention of Brussels and enabling integration of the Maltese into the mainstream of EU activities.

Compatibility

European Democrat MEP Frieda Brepoels, the rapporteur for the directive, noted that good governance and policy-making requires a base of sound information. She stressed the importance of accuracy and the need for regional differences to be taken into account. The directive had come about because there were islands of data of varying standards and quality but no way of connecting them.

Infrastructures for spatial data must be compatible to allow the exchange of data by different users throughout the EU. This would improve understanding of events such as floods, drought, air pollution and windstorms while allowing for better forecasting, policies, and swifter intervention. Benefits will outweigh the costs tenfold according to the European Commission.

Malta took part in drawing up the directive between 2005 and 2006. Eurostat, DG Environment, and the Joint Research Council involved member states and spatial data interest communities as well as the general public through broader consultation.

Any information indicating an effect on the health or well-being of humans linked to the quality of the environment falls under Annex 3 due in 2013. The mapping of data on geographical distribution of dominant pathogens (respiratory diseases, cancers etc.) must also be in place by this date. The directive does not oblige the data to be collected although other directives, or the World Health Organisation, may require it.

The first step is preparing Metadata, which makes it easier for the user to discover data and judge the fitness of use depending on how it is to be applied. For example data on air quality can be combined with population density to assess the impact of air pollution on public health. Existing sets of data are to be translated to new models within five years while all new data should be compatible by 2009.

A progress report is to be submitted in 2010 on how well the public sector is providing data to the user with data-sharing agreements between public authorities in place.

Attention must be given to balancing a top-down approach of standardisation and uniformity to a bottom-up approach promoting diversity, while commitment would vary with different cultural views toward data-sharing. The extent to which the common vision of shared ownership will come about depends on how each member state interprets and implements the directive.

Flood risk to drinking water

The European Commission and Parliament are encouraging much wider public access to information. Executive director of EuroGeographics, Nick Land spoke of a Europe united through geographical information. The main demand is at national level but bringing together data from member states will help create pan-European products and services for anyone who has an interest in looking beyond national borders.

Disastrous floods along the banks of the Danube in 2002 served as a reminder that water does not stop at borders. Mapping high-risk areas is a key element of the river management plan based on an integrated approach as required by the EU Water Framework Directive. The Soil Directive is another link with its requirement for risk assessment.

Countries sharing data across national boundaries are now in a better position to co-ordinate a response, restore power more quickly to areas badly hit, and plan future flood prevention measures.

Cadastral surveys produce information about property. Foreign buyers can check how their new home might be affected by utility services, possible boundary disputes, proximity to contaminated land and demographic profiles before investing in real estate in another country. Cadastre (comprehensive property registers) includes details of ownership, tenure, location, the dimensions and value of individual parcels of land.

Seeing the bigger picture of Europe-wide transport networks, such as the TEN-T route connecting ports, is another function of GIS and mapping. Environmentally protected sites and residential houses along the proposed network are identified.

Mapping the global changes has shown a 40 per cent shrinkage of the Arctic ice cap. Greece broke a 100-year record for high temperatures with resulting forest fires this past summer. Britain saw the worst flooding in 60 years and people in some areas had no access to clean drinking water for up to 13 weeks. GIS came in very useful in this case as agencies used their Websites to inform the public from where they could get fresh drinking water.

Lower fuel bills and improved turnaround has been achieved by DHL global shippers through use of GIS. While profit is still their bottom line, the challenge to reduce fuel consumption was seen as an opportunity to make a difference on a global level.

Reliable data depend on the setting up of good quality administrative units. Global Monitoring for Environment and Security, a joint initiative of the European Commission and European Space Agency, needs to integrate satellite imagery with different sources of data.

All public agencies will have to make data available as well as connecting to a national and European portal. Entities which hold data are to provide better information about what data and services are available. Many member states and organisations have already activated these services.

Integrating policies

The Research, Science and Innovation Unit of DG Environment sets the directive in a sustainable development context. EC Inspire Team member Hugo De Groof spoke on integrating environment into policies with the understanding that that policy making should be based on the best available knowledge.

"We are living in enormously complex systems where a wide range of data needs to be taken into account" Biodiversity trends are rather negative, coastal erosion and risk of forest fires are increasing and rising sea levels will be a serious problem."

At a 2005 UN world conference on disaster reduction it was decided to build a spatial planning infrastructure to help communities become more resilient to disaster. The directive offers a broader vision for a European shared environmental information system. "Transposition need not be difficult", he added, "You can refer to existing law."

Commenting on sustainable indicators used by Eurostat, he questioned whether these were based on reliable data which meet minimum criteria. Due to the likelihood of future flooding in Europe, impacts need to be assessed and flood risk management plans need to be prepared.

Data sets not handled by national agencies are often held by the private sector. Efforts are needed to build up support with partners in industry. Air quality limits exceeded in central Ireland in a particular weather episode had been traced to the industrial Po Valley region of Italy. Such incidents show that data from environmental monitoring facilities needs to be shared to become more inter-operable.

Lack of effective information sharing is proving to be a barrier to implementing coastal zone management strategies. A Marine Strategy Directive in the pipeline will establish European marine regions on the basis of geographical and environmental criteria and co-ordinate monitoring programmes.

Environmental health is a key priority in the sixth Environment Action Plan. Air quality does not stop at national borders and correlating air pollution with cancer cases promotes a clear understanding of how poor air quality affects society.

Environmental policy has moved up a notch from controlling the source of pollution to a risk-based approach in which the type of investments are weighed. The directive is a tool to implement and monitor environmental policies in a more timely and cost efficient manner. The benefits are tangible to all levels of society with cohesion and structural funds providing an opportunity for projects within the research fund programme.

Data should be available in real time and, according to the directive, will be disseminated to the public.

European Geo-Portal

From a veritable Tower of Babylon for different databases Europe is aiming for the EU Geo-Portal, now under construction, to be fully in place by 2011. The president of the Council of European Geodetic Surveyors, Henning Elmstrom, stressed that countries in which all data on property systems is freely available have benefited. "Let data flow freely... this allows you to go into the digital future much faster", he advised.

Denmark is well ahead on establishing Metadata which makes it possible to discover and use data. The country is a forerunner in e-government with the Danish administration now ready to go fully digital by next April. "INSPIRE and e-government are two sides of the same future".

In a panel session facilitated by MIS vice-president Mario Azzopardi, speakers discussed how dissemination of data across member states could be ensured.

MEPA has been given legal mandate as the national contact point for an infrastructure for spatial information in Europe. The authority's Assistant Director of Corporate Services, Antoine Zahra, spoke of the directive as an opportunity to look at geographic information in a holistic manner and come up with better standards. Discussions on how to implement the directive with an infrastructure for improving existing flows of data between different levels of government, private enterprises and academia now need to take place.

The role of a legally mandated organisation is to distribute technical details on implementing the directive and provide feedback on the costs and benefits. MEPA must now identify the needs of general users and stakeholders and prepare them for the changes needed to implement the directive. The authority was involved in the drafting stage of the directive. Since it has come into force an internal working group is needed to monitor how it is being implemented.

Increasing participation in the planning application cycle through e-applications has already provided users with information that can be quickly understood. Mr Zahra suggested an approach similar to the EIONET structure which connects national focal points.

Proposing and implementing a number of projects to set up the required infrastructure is the next step. "An intelligent approach is needed in areas such as transport and hydrography (aquifers) - all stakeholders must be part of this process." Data on protected sites falls under the same annex with a target for 2009.

The directive will only help improve the existing infrastructure when all owners of data make them available to others who want to use them. Custodians and owners of a wide range of datasets addressed by the directive will have to be identified. On a national level it is still unclear what data exist within different organisations. Administrative units must be identified within two years under Annex 1. The final set is due in 2013 under Annex 3, which includes data from all environmental monitoring stations.

The former head of the national mapping agency, now Chief Operations Officer at MITTS, Matthew Gatt spoke on information and communication technologies as an essential tool for putting the infrastructure in place.

EU Multilateral Affairs co-ordinator Suzanne Gauci said that the new directive would change the way MEPA monitors and reports. Poor standards, gaps in data sets and lack of co-ordination would be tackled and as a result policy makers would be better informed.

Prevention or adaptation measures will be identified as environmental policies are integrated into other policies. Member states can set up their own funding mechanisms, make use of national funds or access funding through the e-Content plus programme for European digital content on the global networks. It is important that Malta does its own assessment of the costs.

The main challenge is to involve ministries and agencies in a single network consisting of the Ministries of Environment, Home Affairs and Resources, the Departments of Health and Agriculture, Occupational Health and Safety Authority, Enemalta, Water Services Corporation, Malta Tourism Authority and Malta Resources Authority and possibly others.

Responsibilities

Carol Agius, co-founder and chair of MAGI, said that INSPIRE would engage government co-operation. The holder of the data would be responsible to update and maintain the data set. Collecting data once for sharing and use by different users would promote greater efficiency. Presently data exists in "silos" walled in by pricing and licensing issues. Policies on how users are going to be using data, paying for copyright, etc., need to be set.

Ms Agius stressed the importance of geo-communities and networks to ensure that INSPIRE would work. The joint role of the associations involved is that of a pro-active and informative Spatial Data Interest Community which will liaise with the legally mandated organisation (MEPA) and the geo-community.

Another co-founder, and vice-chair of MAGI, Saviour Formosa, noted that most local people trained in GIS had gone abroad and it was necessary to set up specialised courses. A regulatory impact assessment of different options is needed and as a small country Malta needs to liaise with others.

Information would be shared with the public with viewing and discovery services provided free of cost as a minimum requirement and the rest left up to the member state. The ideal would be for all data to be online in real time in a scenario with data analysis, knowledge and action on the widest front. This would allow public entities to focus more on their role as regulators.

In a closing speech by Miniser George Pullicino participants heard of government's investment in GIS at MEPA since its inception and the country's advancement in IT services. Both have put Malta in a good position for early compliance. He urged other departments and ministries, who might see the directive as a threat, to maintain effective communication for the benefit of all.

Randolph Camilleri, president of the Malta Institute of Surveyors, closed the seminar which raised awareness on INSPIRE by preparing all for the challenge ahead.