ABSTRACT
The advent of geographic information systems (GIS) technology has transformed spatial data handling capabilities and made it necessary for governments to re-examine their roles with respect to the supply and availability of geographic information. This chapter deals with some thoughts as to which countries are most likely to be candidates for inclusion in the next generation. The starting point for the Japanese National Spatial Data Infrastructure initiative was the government’s reaction to the Kobe earthquake of January 1995. Where there is little existing GIS activity and/or there is a lack of basic skills and resources, the establishment of a national centre can play a vital role in creating an National Spatial Data Infrastructure as was the case in Portugal and Qatar. One outcome of the rapid expansion of spatial data infrastructure is the changes that have taken place in the organisations that reflect the field.
