MACGA Introduction Light

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Facilitating Regionally Consistent Geospatial Data Development, Access, and Dissemination to Support Applications and Development Objectives in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean The building of a Mesoamerican and Caribbean Geospatial Alliance (MACGA) Larry Tieszen, Eric van Praag, USGS/EROS Data Center

There are Great Opportunities for Spatial Data Development in Central America and the Caribbean: 

There are Great Opportunities for Spatial Data Development in Central America and the Caribbean PAIGH and a rich history with a promising future Existence of a regional SDI: CP-IDEA CCAD with strong environmental interests and spatial data holdings Donor Support for Diverse Projects in many sectors Land Management and Land Titling, SIAM, NASA environmental monitoring, Quality Coffee Program, Proarca, MBC, Community Development, The Ecosystem Map . . . and many others Government Agencies who need each other An understanding of the applications that require ready access to standard spatial data. The recent acquisition of SRTM level-2 data for selected countries.

MACGA Objectives: 

MACGA Objectives Provide capacity-building and technical assistance in geospatial technologies. Facilitate the implementation of geoservers in each MAC country. Promote the development of public domain digital core data sets Promote appropriate use of common standards and methods in spatial data production, cataloguing, and dissemination. Strengthen existing SDIs and cataloguing systems, and foster the establishment of new ones. Help establish a network of GIS peers in the region for professional support and development. Foster harmonization and integration of spatial data sets in the region. Link spatial and environmental data.

MACGA Beneficiaries: 

MACGA Beneficiaries MACGA benefits initiatives, agencies and specialists that take decisions that require consistently developed, easy to discover, accessible, and fully catalogued geospatial data that can be integrated and analyzed with other spatial and non-spatial information. Therefore, MACGA will benefit many existing regional efforts. For example: PROARCA Mesoamerican Biological Corridor Plan Puebla Panama Land management and land titling national programs Municipal development and planning Rural cadastral initiatives Disaster management projects . . . And many, many more regional and national efforts

MACGA: Supporting real people with real problems: 

MACGA: Supporting real people with real problems Situation: The Rio Limpio Municipality in Honduras has been recently affected by extensive flooding. The decision: Municipal authorities need to evaluate the damage, take responsive action, and mitigate the consequences of the event. The actors: Decisions are taken by municipal authorities, lead by Antonio Flores, the alcalde. The data: Decision-makers need to analyze and integrate spatial data sets from different sources and available in different formats. Can this be done in an emergency situation? Part of the solution: Municipal spatial data needs to be readily available, should be possible to integrate it with other data sets, and needs to be easy to distribute in digital and printed copies. Municipal authorities should be able to undertake simple spatial analysis on the data using available tools that are easy to use.

Decision-making at the municipal level is facilitated by MACGA : 

Alcalde Rio Limpio Decision-making at the municipal level is facilitated by MACGA

Main Alliance Partners: 

Main Alliance Partners USAID. USGS/EROS Data Center The Pan-American Institute for Geography and History (PAIGH) Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD) Permanent Committee for the American Spatial Data Infrastructure (CP-IDEA) Academy for Educational Development (AED) Ministries of environment , ministries of agriculture, coffee agencies and mapping agencies in the MAC region Organization of American States (OAS) ESRI The World Bank U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA, formerly NIMA) UNEP GRID Sioux Falls University of the West Indies (UWI), Center for Geospatial Studies

MACGA : Phase 1 (2003-2004): 

MACGA : Phase 1 (2003-2004) Training workshop for Mesoamerican participants (30 specialists attended) held in November 2003 in Panama. MACGA Planning meeting for Mesoamerica held in Panama in November 2004. Training workshop in Trinidad for Caribbean participants (30 specialists attended) held in May 2004. MACGA Planning meeting for the Caribbean held in Trinidad in May 2004. GIS Software donation for Mesoamerican and Caribbean participants. Spatial imagery provided to all participating countries. Agreements put in place for follow-up MACGA activities.

MACGA : New Activities: 

MACGA : New Activities EDC is facilitating the distribution of the ESRI GIS donation to selected Central American ministries of environment and agriculture. MACGA will undertake a project with World Bank Funding to link geospatial and environmental data (a network of geoservers). MACGA will produce a seamless dataset for Mesoamerica of elevation derivatives using the SRMT 30 meter dataset. Plans for a full MACGA II project are underway. MACGA is seeking collaboration from NASA, CCAD, CIAT, TNC, CI, RFA, and USAID to facilitate access to diverse spatial data holdings held or produced by numerous agencies.

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MACGA will produce similar high-resolution data for all Mesoamerica and for the insular Caribbean

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Comparison of an existing 90-meter DEM with the new 30-meter DEM EDC will produce

A new concept: Geoserver networks: 

A new concept: Geoserver networks

The model: 

The model

The human network already exists: 

The human network already exists

Partner Contributions: 

Partner Contributions

Vision: A Paradigm for a “Functional Global Data Infrastructure.” (How does Central America Build One?) : 

Vision: A Paradigm for a “Functional Global Data Infrastructure.” (How does Central America Build One?) Adapted from Doug Nebert, Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Secretariat, 2001.

Deliverables MACGA facilitates (1): 

Deliverables MACGA facilitates (1) Integration of cadastral and municipal data sets Some data can be open to the public through GIS Web Services and multi-viewers Biodiversity and Environmental Geographic Web Services. To be developed by the national environmental agencies, in support of initiatives such as SIAM and IABIN Coffee IMS applications to support coffee marketing and certification To be developed by agricultural agencies in Central America and the Dominican Republic.

Deliverables MACGA Facilitates (2): 

Evaluation and integration of existing data sets and applications Utilizing common standards and methodologies. Implementation of Clearinghouse nodes and data cataloguing Strengthen existing nodes and help create new ones OTHERS: Follow-up seminars, support to NSDI initiatives, establishment of standards, data dissemination, spatial data integration. Deliverables MACGA Facilitates (2) GIS and remote sensing network of peers They implement permanent communication channels, circulate news, and provide technical assistance to members

Capacity-building Workshops and Planning Seminars: 

Capacity-building Workshops and Planning Seminars Two workshops on geospatial technologies: one for Mesoamerican (completed) and one for the Caribbean 30 participants from Mesoamerica and 30 from the Caribbean Donation of GIS software to some participating agencies. Provision of spatial data sets and information (e.g., Landsat data, SRTM data) 2 day seminars for senior management to plan MACGA activities: one for Mesoamerica and one for the Caribbean MACGA workshop participants in Panama MACGA Planning Meeting Panama

Capacity-building agenda: 

Capacity-building agenda ArcGIS ArcIMS ESRI cartographic tools and methodologies to develop Global Map products Use of SRTM elevation data (30 m. and 90 m. resolution) New tools and methods for spatial data cataloguing and Clearinghouse implementation Analysis of existing regional digital maps Public Domain Internet map servers Use of new sensor data (e.g., MODIS, ASTER) Ample time to develop prototype applications. Two presentations every day by participants to show on-going projects and available data sets

A MACGA follow-up project: 

A MACGA follow-up project Undertaken with potential support from USAID, AED, PAIGH, CP-IDEA, CCAD, ESRI and EDC. The project builds on the personal alliances and friendships established during the MACGA capacity building phase in the Caribbean and Mesoamerica. The project will help establish a network of peers in the two regions, who in turn will establish communication channels, support digital newsletters and provide technical assistance. It will also facilitate the establishment of data dissemination mechanisms, i.e., GIS web services, multi-viewers, data catalogs. SDI is the unifying concept for follow-up projects. A good opportunity exists: MACGA “gets things done”. It receives support from a broad alliance of organizations Timing is appropriate due to the recent capacity-building, the ESRI donations, and the interest of PAIGH, CCAD and other regional entities to continue supporting MACGA.

What could the situation be 10 years from now?: 

What could the situation be 10 years from now? Spatial data is commonly used to assist decision-making. Easy data access is commonplace. Basic national and regional digital data sets are available for a nominal cost or free. A wide range of map services is available on the Web. Any user is able to view and analyze data without the use of specialized software. Duplication of effort in data creation is minimal. All new data is catalogued and incorporated into on-line catalogs. Data development follows common standards and guidelines. Governments encourage data production and use. The MACGA oversees and coordinates national SDI initiatives.

For more information please contact:: 

For more information please contact: Eric van Praag, EDC, evan@usgs.gov Larry Tieszen, EDC, tieszen@usgs.gov