PROMISING STEPS TOWARDS AN INTERNATIONAL ON-LINE
DATA SERVICE
Dr. Szabolcs MIHÁLY and Katalin TÓTH, Hungary
Key words: on-line, real-time service, up to date
administrative boundary data, interoperability, ABDS for the CEEC
project.
Abstract
Introduction
The transition towards the Information Society - it is the
challenge of the new Millennium. Geographic Information Systems play a
special role in forming the new infrastructure, as 80% of any kind of
information can be linked to its location.
For a big deal of users the co-ordinate systems are too specific,
linking information to administrative territorial units suits much
more their requirements.
Administrative territorial units can be represented by their
boundaries, the addition of attributes may widen the circle of
interest to them. The data capture and compilation of the
administrative boundary database in Central-East Europe is mainly the
task of the National Mapping Agencies; and forms part of the National
Geographical Data Infrastructure (NSDI). However the globalisation and
the increasing number of cross-border co-operations require unified
interoperable data for entire regions. This awareness led to the
creation of SABE (Seamless Administrative Boundaries of Europe) and
then - as a kind of geographic extension and in the same time a
technological innovation - the ABDS for the CEEC (Administrative
Boundary Data Services for Central and Eastern European Countries)
project.
ABDS as Part of the E-government
The service of reliable up-to date essential data is the task of
the government. Administrative boundary data - being the base for
different kind of analysis when spatial reference is required - are
core part of the NSDI. Therefore the key requirements for the ABDS are
the following:
- Service of ABD exactly reflecting their actual legal status
- Relatively cheep, accessible for a wide range of users (with
certain products to be served free of charge)
- Interoperable in respect of the data sources and user friendly
in such way, that the user could specify the product to be
purchased
Obviously, such criteria can be met only by an on-line real-time
service, accessible via the Internet.
ABDS for the CEEC Project
The ABDS for the CEEC project, supported by the INCO Programme of
the European Commission was launched on 1st December 1998 and the
preparatory phase was finished on 31 December 2000. The purpose of the
preparatory phase was to
- clarify the legal structure and hierarchy of administrative
territorial units of the region
- identify the data owners and providers
- trace the process of changes of the boundaries and their
registry
- identify the existing AB data
- elaborate the technical specifications for the international
service
- identify and test the possible methods for on-line model
generalisation
- define the standard products for the future service
- launch a pilot service using Hungarian data
- define the framework for the implementation of the future
service
These tasks were implemented by a project consortium representing
National Mapping Agencies (Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary,
Greece), National Statistical Offices (Latvia, Estonia, Hungary),
national GIS umbrella organisations (Poland, Hungary,) Universities
(Czech Republic, Bulgaria), state owned research institutes and other
organisations (Romania, Hungary), a private firm (Finland) and
international organisations (MEGRIN, GISIG). The project was co-ordinated
by the Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing (FÖMI),
Hungary.
As a result of the inventory of the existing situation the project
consortium defined the commonly acceptable resolution (scale) of AB
data, which is available for the countries of the region. This
database called as consolidation level database will serve as the base
for the standard and user-tailored products of the future service.
On-line Service of Administrative Boundaries
The data content, data model, service mode land metadata
descriptions has been elaborated on basis of existing GI standards.
The elementary datasets of the participating countries must be
transformed to the consolidation level (master database) according to
the following specifications:
- Projection system: national, UTM and 2D geographical
co-ordinates without projection system
- Reference system: ETRS89 (GRS 80 ellipsoid)
- Generalisation method: Douglas - Peucker algorithm with Duda -
Hart extension
The master databases are stored on the server of the national
portal in each country. Depending on the technological possibilities
the database system can be fully, or partially distributed. The
national portals will communicate with the international portal, which
is intended to consist of two units, the data server and the client
server. The client server will provide the facilities or browsing,
querying and ordering the standards products, and also will contain a
module for individual ordering, according to the specifications of the
user.
The methodological elaboration of the consortium were tested and
implemented in frame of the pilot service based on Hungarian data. The
positive experiences of the pilot have proven, that we took a
promising step towards the implementation of a modern international
on-line service of the base data infrastructure. Our results were
highly appreciated by the European Commission.
CONTACT
Dr. Szabolcs Mihŕly
Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing, Hungary
Bosnyák tér 5
H-1149 Budapest
HUNGARY
Tel. + 36 1 222 5111
Fax: + 36 1 222 5112
Email: szabo@fomigate.fomi.hu
Katalin Tóth
Institute of Geodesy, Cartography and Remote Sensing, Hungary
Bosnyák tér 5
H-1149 Budapest
HUNGARY
Tel. + 36 1 251 0775
Fax: + 36 1 222 5106
Email: katalin.toth@fomigate.fomi.hu
23 March 2001
This page is maintained by the
FIG Office. Last revised on 05-11-25.
|
