ABSTRACT
Spatial Data Infrastructure at the global level (Global SDI) is promoting a global and open process for coordinating the organization, management and use of geospatial data and related activities, primarily by linking national and regional initiatives. The chapter will explore the growing role of the regional SDI level, the ‘pivot’ between the State and National SDI’s and the possibilities to attain the Global SDI vision. The chapter demonstrates current global initiatives such as Global SDI and Global Map and their relationships with each other as well as with other SDI initiatives. It traces the history and the background of both initiatives, analyses both in terms of components and organizational models, documents their current stage of development and presents some issues and challenges confronting Global SDI and Global Map and their likely future direction. The chapter concludes with a comparison of both activities in terms of key features and related strengthsweaknesses-opportunities-threats.
