A Regional Initiative to Integrate and Disseminate Spatial Data in Latin America and the Caribbean

. ting the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity GeoSUR A Regional Initiative to Integrate and Disseminate Spatial Data in Latin America and the Caribbean http://www.geosur.info Authors: Eric van Praag, CAF Santiago Borrero, PAIGH Rubén Vargas, PAIGH/CAF consultant 1

. ting the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity Table of contents Executive Summary... 5 About this report... 7 Connecting the dots... 7 GeoSUR: Development process... 10 GeoSUR: Building blocks... 11 GeoSUR seen through the users eyes... 15 GeoSUR, the way forward... 20 GeoSUR Program: Elements of success... 21 GeoSUR: Key messages, lessons learned and replicability... 23 Annex 1: Survey report... 25 Annex 2: List of participating institutions... 32 2011 Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH)/CAF Development Bank of Latin America 2

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity List of acronyms CAF: Latin American Development Bank CAN: Andean Community CARICOM: Caribbean Community and Common Market DEM: Digital Elevation Model EROS: Earth Resources Observation and Science Center GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility GEOSS: Global Earth Observation System of Systems GSDI: Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association IABIN: Inter American Biodiversity Information Network IGAC: Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi, Colombia IGM: Instituto Geografico Militar IIRSA: Initiative for Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America ISO: International Organization for Standardization LAC: Latin America and the Caribbean OGC: Open Geospatial Consortium PAIGH: Pan American Institute of Geography and History PREDECAN: Disaster Preparedness in the Andean Community TPS: Topographic Processing Service SIAPAD: Andean Information System for Disaster Prevention and Relief SDI: Spatial Data Infrastructure SDI LAC: Spatial Data Infrastructure Latin America and the Caribbean SICA: Central American Integration System SRTM: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission WMS: Web Map Service WFS: Web Feature Service UNASUR: Union of South American Nations UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme USGS: United States Geological Survey 3

. Acknowledgments The authors wish to express their gratitude to the persons and institutions that made this report possible. We wish to thank the GeoSUR partner agencies that filled out the online GeoSUR questionnaire and the specialists who attended the GeoSUR review meeting in Mexico City in October of 2011. We also wish to thank Michelle Anthony, Matthew Cushing and Larry Tieszen (U.S. Geological Survey Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science), Graciela Metternicht (UNEP Office for Latin America and the Caribbean), and Mick Wilson (UNEP office in Kenya) for reviewing the manuscript and providing useful feedback; Teresa Flores for proof reading and Julieta Garcia for final edition. Financial support was provided by the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, through UNEP and the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI). 4

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity Executive Summary GeoSUR is a regional spatial data network established in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to support regional integration and informed decision making, providing a model for other regional data networks to be implemented in other regions of the world. This report provides key insights into the GeoSUR experience, describes the key causative factors that have contributed to GeoSUR's success in the LAC region and discusses which elements of this experience could be used as reference for the implementation of similar information networks in other parts of the world. GeoSUR was established by the Latin American Development Bank (CAF) and the Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH) in the year 2007, building on the experience of previous attempts to develop sub regional geo information networks in South America. These pioneering efforts included the Inter American Geospatial Data Network, the Spatial Data Infrastructure Latin America and the Caribbean (SDI LAC, led by PAIGH and GSDI), and the Andean Information System for Disaster Prevention and Relief SIAPAD (PREDECAN Project). Funding is provided by CAF, a regional information user that saw the need of facilitating access to spatial data in order to properly plan and monitor its regional project portfolio. The partnership with PAIGH has been important to ensure early buy in of national geographic institutes and to keep the initiative focused on serving the needs of users. The GeoSUR Program is being developed as a decentralized network of data providers responsible for generating and maintaining geographic and environmental information necessary to make strategic decisions in the region. The network brings together spatial and environmental data producers from the region, such as geographic institutes, environmental agencies, ministries of infrastructure and planning, academia, research institutions, and NGOs, among others. GeoSUR receives technical assistance from institutions with ample experience in the use and production of geographic information and geoservices, such as the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and the geographic institutes of Spain, Colombia, Chile and Ecuador. Current geographic areas covered by this Program include South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. GeoSUR s contribution to the development of effective data dissemination mechanisms in the region is based on three premises: Making data/information available: building on existing initiatives and based on a collaborative effort, GeoSUR encourages institutions to develop geospatial services and emphasizes the need to reach interoperability of its various geoservices through the implementation of internationally accepted standards. Fostering information flow: promoting the exchange of information among individual members through the creation of tools and web services that enable the discovery and visualization of data; and, in some cases, performing of transactional operations. Providing substantive evidence illustrating the benefits of creating user centred information systems: GeoSUR plays a leading role in the development of applications showing, through concrete results, the benefits of data sharing. 5

. GeoSUR has been instrumental in developing the first geographic portal and the first regional map service in the LAC region, and in establishing what is possibly the first regional topographic processing service in the developing world. These three services provide access to regional datasets and to national data available in map services and data catalogues operated by more than 60 partner agencies. GeoSUR has been successful due to several factors including: leadership of respected institutions with a clear mandate surrounding the use and production of geographic information, technical support by international leaders in SDI, funding provided over long periods of time, an inclusive participation policy with low barriers to entry, continuous capacity building, close follow up of partner agencies development, data decentralization (keeping data and services close to its producers), and a penchant for developing practical applications in a project with very limited staffing. All GeoSUR services can be found at: www.geosur.info 6

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity The GeoSUR Program About this report This report provides insight into the GeoSUR experience describing the key factors that have contributed to GeoSUR's success in the Latin American region. Additionally, it discusses which elements of this experience could be used as reference for the implementation of similar information networks in other parts of the world. The report has been prepared by CAF and PAIGH with input from leading geospatial specialists from inside and outside the LAC region. The financial support has been provided by the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi, through UNEP and the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI). In October 2011 GeoSUR conducted an on line survey to see what data users and producers thought about this initiative (see annex I), and organized a Program Evaluation Meeting in Mexico City with a selected group of GeoSUR participants to review the advances of this initiative. All this wealth of information has been analyzed, interpreted and presented in the report bearing in mind the applicability/scaling up/transferability of this experience to other regions. The report is not prescriptive and does not try to draw final conclusions from an experience that has benefited from cultural, technological, political and social factors of the Latin American and Caribbean region. However, based on the acceptance shown by users it is possible to conclude that GeoSUR offers a relevant experience that could be replicated in other areas of the world. Connecting the dots: providing access to spatial and environmental data Ready access to reliable information is key to decision making but it has become increasingly difficult to realize due to the ever increasing volume of information produced and the difficulty producers have in making it available in adequate platforms. Since the late 90 s there has been a growing realization in the LAC region of the need to make spatial and environmental data freely available as a regional public good. PAIGH, the Andean Community (CAN), the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and other regional entities have strived to increase the volume of data that is accessible to the public and have developed several regional initiatives that lay the foundation for the development of a regionwide network: the GeoSUR Spatial Information Network. The mission of the GeoSUR Program is to facilitate access to spatial data and information and to promote the development of regional datasets. GeoSUR was originally developed under the aegis of the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America (IIRSA), which promotes the development of transportation, energy and telecommunications infrastructure. Since the Program s inception in 2007, GeoSUR has grown to serve an audience interested in using reliable information to support development related processes, both regionally and within individual countries. 7

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity GeoSUR s contribution to the development of effective data dissemination mechanisms is based on three premises:. Making data/information available: building on existing initiatives and based on a collaborative effort, GeoSUR provides technical support and encourages institutions to develop geospatial services and emphasizes the need to reach interoperability of its various geoservices through the implementation of internationally accepted standards. Fostering information flow: promoting the exchange of information among individual members through the creation of tools and web services that enable the discovery and visualization of data; and, in some cases, performing of transactional operations. Providing substantive evidence illustrating the benefits of creating user centred information systems: GeoSUR plays a leading role in the development of applications showing, through concrete results, the benefits of data sharing The role of GeoSUR goes beyond providing technical assistance or enabling institutions to organize data dissemination processes. GeoSUR s main role is to drive and create a culture of innovation and collaboration surrounding the use of spatial information. There is an urgent need to convince stakeholders that data is not an add on but is instead a crucial factor to take into consideration in diverse areas such as climate change, environmental conservation, infrastructure development, energy production, and risk and disaster reduction, among others. Our participation in GeoSUR is based on the coincidence of needs and opportunities in the following areas: the appropriate handling and use of spatial information for problem solving; the development of collaborative regional projects to integrate spatial information; enhancement and recognition of regional geospatial information management capacities; and independent management of national information platforms (Jonathan Ochoa, Director, Ministry of Environment, Venezuela) The GeoSUR Program was originally conceived to answer concrete questions related to regional integration in South America. Several regional projects needed spatial information and management tools to support planning, executing and evaluating development projects. The GeoSUR program took on this challenge and started developing its first information tools and services in topics related to environmental conservation and infrastructure planning. GeoSUR is a flexible, dynamic and collaborative program. By following a learning by doing approach the program has been able to continuously adjust its vision, objectives, and approach 8

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity to best cater to the diverse and evolving needs of its continuously growing community. The focus does not fall on the data itself, but rather on facilitating its discovery and promoting its use. 1 In the early stages of the Program (2007 2009) only key national data producers (geographic institutes and ministries of environment in particular) were invited to join, due to the role they play in developing base maps useful for many applications. During the first three years of the project, the institutional arrangements and the technological infrastructure to develop GeoSUR in South America were put in place. The network was conceived as a decentralized network to keep data close to its producers and to convince potentially reluctant agencies that participation did not mean parting from their data. More than 25 agencies from 11 countries became active participants in this first phase, and started linking their data and services through a Regional Portal. Figure 1: Countries participating in the GeoSUR Program (see annex 2 for a complete list of participating institutions). 1 2006 objective: To provide decision makers and the public with national and regional digital maps that facilitate the planning of physical infrastructure development and regional integration. 2009 objective: To facilitate access to spatial information useful for planning and infrastructure development and decision making in Latin America. 9

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity GeoSUR: Development process. GeoSUR was created jointly by CAF and PAIGH in 2007, building on the experience of previous attempts to develop sub regional networks in South America. Funding has been provided by CAF, a regional user that saw the need of having data available to properly plan and monitor development projects in the LAC region. A partnership with PAIGH, a well known and respected institution with a clear mandate to promote the production, integration and dissemination of spatial data in the region, has been key to ensure early buy in of participating agencies and to keep the initiative focused on serving the needs of users. CAF was drawn to this initiative due to the regional roles it plays as both a development bank and an information user. CAF is comprised of eighteen countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe, and lends more than 12 billion USD a year to its member countries for diverse development projects, with emphasis on initiatives that achieve regional integration. Since the early 2000s CAF had been looking for ways to have access to supranational data to assess integration projects. The development of national SDIs in several countries of Latin America and the Caribbean during this period provided the impetus needed to start thinking about a regional SDI. CAF recognized early on that spatial data was a key factor to incorporate in the planning, development and assessment of its project s portfolio. This mindset is exemplified by the development of the Condor Environmental GIS system for project impact assessment in 2002. The Condor datasets and tools were initially distributed on CDs and DVDs until the platform was migrated to a web service. Nowadays, Condor is part of the GeoSUR Regional Map Service, and its development shows some of the early thinking at CAF that lead to the launching of GeoSUR in 2007. PAIGH has been a natural partner for the development of GeoSUR. It has, for many years, been supporting member countries in the establishment of national and regional SDIs. Its members, the geographic institutes of the Americas, are the producers and/or certifiers of the spatial data developed in each LAC country. Thus, GeoSUR was first built with the support of a cradle of geographic institutes from the region. Once they accepted the methodologies and approach proposed by GeoSUR for the establishment of a regional network other agencies were invited to join the network. Institutions providing technical assistance to GeoSUR include the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center and the geographic institutes of Colombia, Spain, Chile and Ecuador. More than 60 national agencies have agreed to participate in the GeoSUR Program, with more expected to join. Current geographic areas covered by GeoSUR include South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. GeoSUR has made it possible to promote the treatment of geographic data as a common resource of mutual benefit to us all, says Larry Tieszen, Branch Manager, EROS Center The following elements exemplify the approach and methods used by GeoSUR to build an inclusive and decentralized regional network: 10

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity Support for regional integration by making data available for crossborder projects and by creating the conditions to seamlessly integrate supra national data. Data integration allows development of different type of applications fitting into the regional integration agenda. The establishment of a network of early adopters to spearhead the initiative: During the first stage of the Program key national spatial data producers, among them geographic institutes, and environmental agencies, were invited to participate. In the region, these agencies are in charge of generating and safekeeping basic national spatial information (like topographic maps and maps of protected areas) as well as validating spatial information generated by other state and private institutions (e.g., the geographic institutes). These agencies hold a legal and institutional mandate to generate spatial information and were considered key partners to be included in the Program s inception. A solid conceptual and technical design: Part of the first year of the Program was spent evaluating existing SDI architectures and selecting the standards and protocols to be used in GeoSUR, with support from a handful of partner agencies and guidance from the USGS/EROS. GeoSUR emphasizes the use of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and ISO standards and protocols to reach interoperability of its various geoservices. Participating agencies have the liberty of choosing the hardware and software platforms for sharing data with the Network, provided they adopt accepted standards. The development of concrete and useful applications leading the way by example, with the implementation of a GeoPortal, a Regional Map Service (RMS) and a Topographic Processing Service (TPS) and with a clear understanding that technology should be viewed as a means to reach a specific goal. Therefore, a key driver for GeoSUR has been the implementation of concrete applications that address the fundamental needs of its partners and stakeholders. GeoSUR: Building blocks It is arguable that building a network like GeoSUR is similar to building a Lego castle: build a strong base first and continue from there. The foundation was built early on by establishing partnerships with well respected institutions, by convincing key agencies to join and by developing key regional services to allow access to national data from partner agencies. GeoSUR services allow users to do three basic things: find, view and analyse data. Each function is served by a geoservice: a Regional Portal, a Regional Map Service and a Topographic Processing Service, correspondingly. The network architecture is decentralized in order to keep the data updated and close to its producers. These three pieces of the Network were developed during 2008 and 2009, using proprietary software components. Access to these services is open and free and no special software is required to use them: 11

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity. Figure 2: GeoSUR building blocks. Geospatial Portal of Latin America and the Caribbean: the Regional Portal provides access to the metadata holdings of all the participating agencies. Spatial data and metadata generated by participating agencies can be consulted via this web service. This service keeps an updated and central metadata database that is periodically updated by an automatic harvesting mechanism that fetches metadata from the participating agency s catalogues. The portal also contains a map viewer that allows the user to pull, open and view layers available in partner map services. Currently there are more than 90 Web Map Services 2 linked to the portal and more than 10,000 metadata records available within the portal database. This is the first portal to offer access to spatial information for all the countries of the region in one place. 2 The Web Map Service (WMS) is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images generated by a map server. In short, WMS is a way for a client to request map tiles from a server. The client sends a request to a map server, then the map server generates an image based on parameters passed to the server in the request and finally returns an image. Source: OpenGeo, website http://workshops.opengeo.org/geoserverintro/overview/wms.html 12

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity Figure 3: GeoSUR portal. Regional Map Service: A great variety of regional spatial data of Latin America and the Caribbean is available through the GeoSUR Map Service, including information such as political administrative divisions, soils, topography, ecosystems, hydrography, biodiversity, water bodies, geology, cities and towns, elevation models, land cover, aerial photos, ecological regions, satellite imagery, and infrastructure, among others. The service has become a clearinghouse for staging regional datasets developed by regional agencies that do not have platforms to serve this type of data. Topographic Processing Service: GeoSUR offers a Topographic Processing Service (TPS), the first of its kind in the developing world. The TPS allows the user to produce Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derivative products for any point or region in LAC. Users can run the service models using an assorted set of DEMs at different resolutions, including 1 kilometer, 500 m., 250 m., 90 m., and 30 m. The available TPS models include elevation profile, slope classification, dynamic watershed delineation, hill shade, elevation classification, aspect, and raindrop trace. Geoservice Network: More than 60 agencies in Latin America and the Caribbean participate in GeoSUR by implementing map services and data catalogues. It is a decentralized network and every participating agency is responsible for the development, operation, and maintenance of its geoservices. Partners have publisher accounts in the GeoSUR Portal, allowing them to register their catalogues and geoservices and organize metadata harvesting. 13

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity. Figure 4: GeoSUR s topographic processing service. GeoSUR in numbers The following table provides a birds eye view of GeoSUR with some key numbers that are easy to grasp. Years since inception 5 Full time staff members 1 Part time staff members 5 Participating countries 23 Participating institutions 60 Virtual/classroom courses offered 19 Hours of technical assistance offered 800 Technical staff trained in 4 regional workshops 150 WMS services available in the Portal 90 Metadata catalogues available in the Portal 10 Digital maps available in the Network 2,000 Registered metadata records 11,000 Searchable metadata records 160,000 Money invested / year (USD) 300,000 14

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity GeoSUR seen through the users eyes GeoSUR is a collaborative effort. After five years of working on the project, it was a time to ask our partners what they thought about the whole initiative, to judge how beneficial it was for their institutions, and to determine if decisions were taken using data available in GeoSUR. With support from UNEP and PAIGH, an online survey with more than 35 participating agencies (see annex 2 for a complete list of participating institutions) was conducted. In conjunction with this effort, a meeting was held in Mexico City in October 2011 with a selected group of representatives from partner agencies to evaluate GeoSUR s achievements and shortcomings. Figure 5: Representatives from partner agencies that attended the Mexico City meeting. The following sections provide some excerpts from the survey findings, meeting discussions and feedback received from partners and GeoSUR s coordinating agencies through different mechanisms (the complete survey results are included in annex 1). Hopefully this information will help evaluate how unique GeoSUR is and which components could be replicated in other areas of the world. Accordingly, below are some of the survey results concerning key components of the Program and the motivation of the partners to join: Motivation to join General finding: Institutions are eager to participate and contribute to the development of the network due to GeoSUR s commitment to supporting institutional processes that underpin data and information management projects to build National Spatial Data Infrastructures. User comment: Our decision to join GeoSUR has not been made lightly; on the contrary, we have seen it as an opportunity to support the implementation of plans concerning the development of projects such as the institutional portal, metadata catalogues and our Spatial Data Infrastructure. GeoSUR provides an opportunity to enhance and strengthen our mapping agency s data management and dissemination capacity (Isis Tejada, National Geographic Institute, Panama) 15

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity. Figure 6: Isis Tejada, National Geographic Institute of Panama, participating in one of the GeoSUR meetings. General finding: Participation in a regional network is another reason motivating partners to join GeoSUR. Geoservices linked in the regional network provide additional visibility to members, promotes horizontal cooperation among national and regional members, encourages healthy competition among implementing institutions, and creates expectations regarding the possibilities opened by the integration of spatial data at the regional level. User comments: One of the strengths of the Program is the promotion and facilitation of interagency cooperation both within and among participating countries (Hermann Manriquez, Chief International Relations Office, National Geographic Institute, Chile) Figure 7: National and regional partners exchanging ideas about GeoSUR s future developments. 16

. Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity GeoSUR is a successful program that has managed to integrate spatial information from different countries, something not easy when you consider how hard this is to achieve, even within the same country (Marta E. Aguilar, National Geographic Institute, Costa Rica) General finding: Users find effective and cost benefit use of information to support planning and decision making as a key reason to join GeoSUR. User comments: The GeoSUR Program is a very important tool to support the implementation of drinking water and sanitation policies surrounding planning, dissemination and government issues (Atilio J. Zaldivar, Assistant Public Works Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Public Works and Communication, Paraguay) Figure 8: Gloria Muñoz and Hermann Manriquez from Chile participating in one of the GeoSUR meetings. The potential applications of GeoSUR are the design, implementation and monitoring of infrastructure projects such as those projected by IIRSA (Gloria Muñoz, Director GIS and Cartography, Roads and Highways Department, Ministry of Public Works, Chile) Perceived benefits General finding: GeoSUR provides training and technical assistance to all partner agencies as they develop the map services and metadata catalogues to be linked to the GeoSUR Geoportal. GeoSUR specialists are on call to offer technical assistance that agencies may need, both remotely and on site. GeoSUR also sponsors peer to peer communications among participating specialists and periodically conducts web seminars on GeoSUR related topics. 17

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity User comments:. Participation in the program allows for the transfer of technology needed to enhance mapping agencies capacities and better cater to the needs of national development (Commander Javier Salinas, Military Geographic Institute, Bolivia) Benefits of joining GeoSUR 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Access to technical training Dissemination Institutional of information advertising Organize production process Information exchange Instittutional Information data inventory marketing and organization Access to information Figure 9: User s perception about the benefits of joining GeoSUR. Challenges to join GeoSUR General finding: Lack of trained staff and lack of financial resources are cited as the main obstacles to fully participate and take advantage of GeoSUR. User s perceptions regarding the challenges to join GeoSUR 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Lack of trained staff Lack of financial resources Lack of technical resources Restricting institutional data policies Restricted Internet access Not clear about the benefits of joining GeoSUR Figure 10: User s perceptions regarding the challenges to join GeoSUR. 18

. GeoSUR services Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity General finding: Institutions mainly use GeoSUR services to search for and access data. Use given by institutions to services provided through the GeoSUR Portal 100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% Data Search Support government institutions decision making process Avoid unnecesary data duplication Download data and information Support Institutional decision making process Data processing and analysis Marketing of self-produced information products Figure 11: Use given by users to services provided through the GeoSUR portal. Some examples of specific applications of the data and tools provided through the GeoSUR services The GeoSUR services are open to the public; there are no tools to keep track of the applications given by the users to the GeoSUR geoservices, except when feedback is received directly from the users by different mechanisms. Some examples of the real uses of the system are provided below: Search for data and information to support: the assessment of protected areas (Ministry of Environment, Venezuela); mapping and locating mining areas (CAF consultants); locating suitable areas to build shelters in Haiti after the 2010 Earthquake; assessment of potential threats to bird conservation areas in the Amazon related to the development of IIRSA projects. Visualization of Peru Bolivia border maps to evaluate the feasibility of undertaking several crossborder projects. Use of the topographic processing service and SRTM derivative products to support a large variety of projects such as: mapping and assessment of hydropower potential (Sao Paulo State, Brazil); assessment of the impact of infrastructure projects on protected areas and indigenous communities in Colombia; updating drainage network maps (Guayacan project, Ecuador), development of flood and landslide hazard and susceptibility maps in Venezuela; development of a regional catchment management plan (Bolivia); modelling of eolic and hydraulic potential (Patagonia, Argentina); modelling the optimum routes for new roads (Tarija province, Bolivia); development of natural hazards early warning systems (25 municipalities, Brazil). 19

Communicating the Experiences and Lessons of GeoSUR: an Eye on Earth Activity GeoSUR, the way forward. GeoSUR is in the process of becoming the main spatial and environmental data network for Latin America and the Caribbean. This process poses interesting challenges to its developers and stakeholders: How to consolidate the GeoSUR platform? How to increase the number of participants without decreasing the quality of the technical assistance? How to better serve the needs of the user community? In the coming years, GeoSUR will be concentrated on incorporating new agencies into the Network, in particular from sectors that are currently underrepresented in GeoSUR: health, agriculture, planning, infrastructure, and so on. To consolidate the network continuously it will stage some partner services in the Cloud, 3 improving the performance and functionality of existing data services, incorporating social networks into the platform, and expanding technical assistance programs with emphasis on providing on line capacity building and remote technical assistance, using Webinar and similar on line tools to be in permanent contact with an ever expanding group of partner agencies. One special area of research that should greatly benefit our partners has to do with the establishment of geoservices in the Cloud. Cloud computing represents an interesting solution for data producers in the developing world that lack the ICT infrastructure needed to stage data on the web in reliable services. LAC countries hold a vast amount of spatial and environmental data that is not available to decision makers due to simple technological infrastructure limitations (e.g., hard drive breakdowns that take a long time to be fixed, slow servers, poor Internet connectivity). These problems could be overcome by having partners who lack adequate ICT infrastructure host their data and services on the Cloud. Improvements that GeoSUR should undertake in order to make it more effective 100.0% 80.0% 60.0% 40.0% 20.0% 0.0% Improve technical capacity building programs Enable online options to integrate data into local GIS Extend data sources Provide options to download data Provide wider variety of information processing tools Provide data at higher spatial resolutions Provide options to download data Extend thematic areas Improve data search capabilities Figure 12: User s perception about GeoSUR future development. 3 Cloud computing in simple terms can be described as virtual servers and services over the Internet. 20