THE UGANDA SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK

1. 1 THE UGANDA SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE FRAMEWORK Karatunga Ali Mohammed Karamoja Data Centre Office of the Prime Minister Kampala – Uganda

2. 2 Introduction The Government of Uganda is currently implementing a number of Programmes all geared towards achieving the objective of poverty eradication

3. 3 Most of these programmes are a result of policies based on ad-hoc and inadequate information. Though the National Constitution recognizes the right to information, there is no national policy addressing the role of geo-spatial information in the nation’s sustainable development process.

4. 4 SDI Policy GuidelineUganda shall have the spatial data infrastructure needed to support its economic growth, its social and environmental interests, backed by national standards, guidelines, and policies on access to data and information.

5. 5 This presentation gives an overview of current initiatives towards the establishment of a Uganda Spatial Data Infrastructure (USDI). Emphasis is placed on the following aspects of the SDI framework;

6. 6 Institutional Categories and Existing GIS Initiatives Core Institutions (These are sectors that fall within the government’s Priority Programme Areas (PPA) - Education - Water - Health - Works Transport and Communication - Agriculture Supporting (These have functions and mandates to provide information that are essential to the functions of the core organizations). - Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development - Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) - Department of Land and Surveys - National Biomass Study, Forest Department - Ministry of Local Government - Karamoja Data Centre, Office of the Prime Minister

7. 7 Peripheral Institutions(These do not have a direct impact on the operations of the main focus institutions but deliver premises to the central policy and are essential users in the SDI environment).

8. 8 Institutional Framework/National Coordination Use of GIS in Uganda can be characterized as user or project driven and not due to any government policy.

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10. 10 Core/Fundamental Datasets There are no defined datasets to be considered of common interest or part of a common infrastructure. Some of the executed donor projects have established data of common interest, and thus initiated an informal infrastructure. The National Biomass Study Project. In addition to the Landcover dataset, the project developed a digital database of six additional layers, and has since established itself as a major source of basic geo-spatial data layers. The major problem is the maintenance and updating of these data since they do not fall within the sphere the NBS activities, and as a result the layers have deteriorated with time. There is no defined set of aggregated data for national planning

11. 11 The Institutional Mandates for Data Ownership, Acquisition, Maintenance are not in line with the present situation. Mandates

12. 12 The ownership and thus the responsibilities for each dataset should be clearly defined.

13. 13 Recommended Data Owners/Custodians Administrative Units; Ministry of Local Government Protected Areas; Forest Department/Uganda Wildlife Authority Hydrology (lakes + rivers); Department of Land and Surveys Transport Infrastructure; Ministry of Works, Transport and Communications Manmade Structures;  Land and Surveys Topography (elevation); Land and Surveys Department Aerial photographs and satellite Imagery; Department of Land and Surveys Land Cover (Land Use); Forest Department Water Points; Directorate of Water Development Population; Uganda Bureau of Statistics Health Data; Ministry of Health Education Data; Ministry of Education and Sports Land holdings/Parcels; Department of Land and Surveys

14. 14 Standards and Data Exchange Mechanisms There is no formal or common data exchange mechanism. Data exchanges are commonly done on institution-to-institution basis on demand by use of CD-ROMS or PC-PC cable connections and sometimes on floppies. The Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) has developed a number of standards which are for commercial goods and services but not for geographic information. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has initiated some standardisation but there is lack of focus. Development of comprehensive geographic information standards is not a simple task and would require a lot of investment in time and human resources. Under the World Bank initiative, Preliminary Data Exchange Specification for Uganda were developed to; - Promote the efficient and effective use of Basic digital geographical information, - Enable the integration, combination and interchange of datasets and to facilitate the national standard for geographic data exchange future development and implementation.

15. 15 Standards and Data Exchange Mechanisms (Cont.) It is to serve as one of the first steps in the range of measures and activities directed to the implementation of Spatial Data Infrastructure in Uganda These specifications were developed in accordance with the recommendations of Open GIS Consortium and are in harmony with ISO/TC211. This specification consists of three main parts: - Establishment of basic principles of geographic data exchange, - Requirements for a transfer format - Prototype Feature Catalogue. The prototype Feature Catalogue is limited to the existing datasets that were digitized by the National Biomass Study Project from topographic maps of scale 1:50,000 The specification is to cover, to some extent, the immediate needs in geographic information exchange, integration and its use. It is a subject to change and is open for further development, modification and improvement in accordance to the needs of the society. These specifications have not yet been adopted by any institution due to lack of a formal coordinating body.

16. 16 There is no central policy or MoU for data access or exchange in the country however, some MOU exist among the various institutions. There is no national principle for pricing of data, but a practice of charging for datasets exists in some institutions The Biomass data are charged around US$ 20 per layer of 1:50 000, a price considered high by the users. Under the World Bank assignment, an SDI decree was formulated stipulating that; - Organisations should reach agreement on what fundamental datasets are required in the national interest, - To what standards they should be collected and maintained, - Which agencies should have custodianship of those data, - What the national priorities are for collection of those data. Policy and Memoranda for Sharing Data

17. 17 Metadata Initiatives There exists some internal documentation describing the data in some institutions. However, there is no Metadata for national use. There is no formal Metadata distribution system. NEMA has developed a Metadata for its GIS datasets and is available at www.nemaug.org. The World Bank assignment also developed a Metadata for the institutions considered relevant in the establishment of the Uganda Spatial Data Infrastructure, Developed using Active Server Pages (ASP) language to make it dynamic on the Web, and is hosted at www.blom.no/Uganda the consultants server. In order to develop a national metadata, The Standardisation Committee shall have the mandate to make a national profile for Metadata of ISO 19115, or adopt any existing profile on Metadata. This Standardisation Committee shall identify the metadata elements required in Uganda, based on the core Metadata elements in ISO 19115. Every organisation that is an owner or a custodian of spatial data shall be responsible to organise Metadata for their data sets. The Metadata owner shall be responsible for the quality and the updating of Metadata and to disseminate the Metadata on Internet according to the rules and procedures set up by the Standardisation Committee.

18. 18 Obstacles to SDI Implementation in Uganda The following have been identified as bottlenecks in the implementation of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure in Uganda. Lack of adequate capacity both at the Central and Local Government levels Lack of appropriate national policy and legislation on access to data or information Lack of a national driving force Absence of a Competent Authority to handle GIS initiatives Weak government institutions – technically, politically and financially Undefined, overlapping and sometimes conflicting mandates Disjointed and scanty data providers – lack of a one stop Information Centre Tendency to re-invent the wheel Job mobility Temporary and donor driven initiatives Empire building

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20. 20 Conclusion The basic framework exists for the implementation of the Uganda Spatial Data Infrastructure however; there is a general lack of awareness among planners and policy makers on the role of SDI as key to improving the efficiency of service delivery. Lack of a central SDI coordinating body will drive all SDI initiatives in the country to waste.

21. 21 YOU ARE A VERY NICE AUDIENCE=== THANK YOU ===