Exploring the potential suitability of an SDI model in context of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) of Namibia

Abstract

During the 1990s Namibia marked the introduction and acceptance of desktop Geographical Information System (GIS) technology into various sectors at national, regional and local community levels. This technology quickly disseminated across many disciplines, and desktop GIS has now been established as an important component of research, strategic planning and evidence based decision making in the public and private sectors. Numerous spatial datasets and information have been produced over the past decades due to the broad acceptance of GIS technology and its functionality. Individuals and organizations have created most of the datasets with limited compliance to structured documentation systems and standards, and this has posed major challenges in the Namibian geospatial community as search and retrieval system infrastructures do not exist. A diagnosis of spatial data infrastructures (SDIs) model suitability for the National Spatial Data Infrastructure of Namibia (NSDI) and Health Informatics is outlined in this paper. The understanding of the sub-systems of a functioning SDI is pivotal in support of geospatial data management and sharing practices across the national geo-spatial community of Namibia. This paper assesses the suitability of an SDI model in context of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure of Namibia and it’s relation to spatial health datasets in Namibia. The NSDI policy of Namibia, NSDI Standards Schedule of Namibia and Statistics Act of Namibia are the only existing blueprint that make provisions for a discipline based heterogeneous SDI using GIS in many sectors of Namibia, including academia, and health informatics.