Building of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure in Slovak Republic

M.Hájek, I.Mitášová, M.Vajsáblová
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Slovak University of Technology
Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Abstract

In our paper the types of geo-spatial data and their present using are described. In coherence with the building of the State Information System and its parts, the spatial localisation in national information infrastructure is very important subject of our analysis. At least, the creation of spatial information units evokes necessity of standardisation spatial units.

Keywords: National Spatial Data Infrastructure, State Information System, Location geo-spatial data, Spatial Structure, Geo- spatial standards.

1. Introduction

With development of human activities the necessity of spatial referencing of data and their collection, making and distribution grows. In connection with them, number of users and producers of spatially referenced data and information rises in state and also in private sector. In this situation the questions about co-ordination, legislative, institutional, organisation and technical providing, normalising and standardisation spatially referenced data come in the front. Setting, which is providing production and oriented using of information in state and private sector is complexly named Information Infrastructure. In our paper we are going to mention a characteristics of gradual development and building this infrastructure in SR.

Study of existing types spatial data and possibility of their using is the starting point of building spatial data infrastructure. From the view of land information management we consider ranging spatial structures as basic, and way of their using, standardisation of spatial units and methods of localisation spatial data, too.

2. Building of State Information System

Information infrastructure comes from SIS SR created mainly from state budget resources and serving information necessities of state management authorities. Information systems, which are created to support management of cities, towns, villages, supervisors technical nets, information system of economic, financial, social, jurist and physical subjects, can be connected to SIS.

In 1995 Act of NR SR n. 261/1997 Z.z about SIS was accepted. The SIS defined as the system of information and information activities, which serve to carrying out state works and they are built and operated by state budged tools. Parts of SIS are departmental or interdepartmental or cross-section or ” over-roofing ” information systems. In 1997-1998 together 40 projects as parts of SIS was accepted. At least one third of them are spatially oriented information systems or their parts are spatial oriented data.

Conception of SIS components is made by ministries and by state management authorities, in interpretation of the mentioned act. After that accepted conceptions and requisites are determined in the Declaration no 283/1996 Z.z of Statistical Authority SR. Declaration specifies the project of IS as a product, defining IS. A departmental project is in competence of one department, an interdepartmental project evokes the information relations between the state authorities of various departments. Requisites of project are documents, which describe identification, reasons and design of project.

In the view of spatial localisation of data in national information infrastructure, specific place belongs to the information system, what are gradually built by department of Authority of Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre of Slovak Republic (AGCC SR) since 1970 as Automated Information System Geodesy, Cartography and Cadaster (AISGCC).

AISGCC is defined by the Act 215/1995 Z.z. as the summary informative, mathematical, programme, technical a organisational tools, which provide collection, processing technology and multipurpose data using from information files of Cadastre of Real Estates, geodetic contols and basic database for information systems.

National spatial localisation bases is created by spatially referenced data collected in 3 all-area, relatively independent information system:

  1. Information system of Cadaster of Real Estates,
  2. Information system of geodetic controls,
  3. basic database for GIS.

All of them are in high level of development and at present they are able to satisfy many requirements to data localisation.

2.1. Conception of information system about ecology and environment in SR

The example of information conception in one of departments can be information conception of Ministry of Environment SR. Also, we must mention, that development of information system is so dynamic, that every conception must be changed and adjusted through projecting and realization. Despite of this, the example proves the complexity of integrated approach to informatisation in an important and exacting user part of SIS.

The information space of Ministry of Environment SR is under Information System of Environment SR and it’s divided into 16 information systems, one communicational system and one managing information system. The information systems are divided to 3 groups:

  1. IS of organisations,
  2. cross-section IS,
  3. interdepartmental IS.

The Information System of Environment is interdepartmental IS, what gives information about environment SR for state, legislative and other central institutions, state government authorities and self-government, department institutions and schools, organisations and public. It consists of 2 parts. Landscape Information System (LIS) is basic part and IS about Environment Condition is superstructure. Its necessary part – Meta-information system contains science-technical information, knowledge about environment and meta-catalogue, which data or meta-data about ordering data in complicate system are put in.

Source of spatial data about the environment phenomenon in IS environment is LIS, it consists of 2 parts: landscape and anthropologic phenomenon. The composition of elements and layers LIS is showed on fig. 1.

IS about environment condition contains 2 parts, too. One of them is IS of environment monitoring, this IS gives information from 13 particularly monitoring systems. Second part is constituted by environment condition information from database professional activities 8 ministries and the Statistical Authority SR. The information together with monitoring information describe environment condition and enable to evaluate its changes, prognoses and their consequences. Operator of ISEn as a part of SIS is Slovak Agency of Environment. Realisation this extensive conception needs time and big expenses. Despite of this, some components are built and they are used as far as possible.

MEn SR

settlement

land use

SA SR

MTPT SR

transport and technical infrastructure

ME SR

MEn SR, CD,

land plans

Municipalities

water, rivers, water areas

MA SR

woods, vineyard, grass area

soil

climate

MEn SR

geology

Remote Sensing

Cadastre of Real Estates

AGCC SR

Basic map series

MEn SR – Ministry of Environment SR

MTPT SR – Ministry of transport, Post and Telecommunications

SA SR – Statistical Authority of the Slovak Republic

CD – Cadastral departments of district officies

MA SR – Ministry of Agriculture SR

ME SR – Ministry of Economy SR

Fig.1 The elements of map and layers of LIS (by [3]).

2.2 Spatial information systems financed outside of the state budget

Spatial information system, which aren’t provided by state budget tools, begin to develop mainly in two application spheres:

    1. in management and operating utility networks,
    2. in management and administration of city’s possession.

Spatial information system to support the management of utility networks ( telecommunication, gas mains, water mains, electrical mains, drainage, etc. ) call for providing spatially referenced data and information for deciding, planing and for usual net operation, what is established on analysis of current condition. The cross-section character of the system, what fills the basic function of spatial localisation and spatial identification of elements, objects and information about utility networks, is evident from this conception. Characteristic properties of this system are: management line mains and their elements, complicate topology ( shape and connection ) of nets, digital data collection advanced by computer and with accent on spatial analyses and routing.

To basic requirement on spatial oriented information system serving needs of utility network supervisor, in [5], belong: creation of actual consistent map model and descriptive data, providing of intelligent management and functioning of net topology, providing digital data collection advanced by computer with automatic mapping methods, enabling spatial analyse and routing, support of localisation and solving of break-down in nets.

In several towns of SR the building of Municipal Information System ( MIS ) began. At first, they collect data from the digital technical municipal map or information about real estates are drawn from AISGCC as an independent layer ( raster or vector cadastral map ). Further development of system stagnates for various reasons. But more progressive conceptions exist ( mainly in richer towns ), envisaging the connection of Municipal authorities and other authorities to INTERNET, and transport of necessary information by computer net and www pages.

3. Localisation and identification of spatial data

As geo-spatial data we understand the values of attributes, which describe the elements, the objects and the phenomena of reality. They have formulated and informational expressed objectively existing and user purposeful relation to the World space. The component of geometric defining is 3-dimensional ( x, y, z) and the component of time-spatial defining has 4 dimensions ( x, y, z, t ). From conceptions of geo-space modelling 2 basic types of modelling units follow:

For features or geo-objects in IS the essential relation is the one that expresses their relation to geo-space.

Definition of this relations has two components:

Various types of data enter the process of localisation and identification, as it is shown in tab. 1.:

Types of geo-spatial data:

Type

Form

Realisation by:

Spatial standards

Text / number / graphic

Standard spatial units

Spatial identifiers

Text / number

Spatial identification

Digital maps and co-ordinates

Number / raster / vector / text

Spatial localisation

Symbol standards, systems and catalogues

Graphic / text / number

Graphic spatial identification

Tables, registers, statistic summaries

Text / number

User description data

Analogue maps and images

Graphic

Projection of geo-space parts

Spatial standards include:

All of them are noted by univocal spatial identifier. They serve as unified and univocal spatial criteria of putting the geo-elements and the geo-objects into classes.

Spatial identifiers have their shape and format, for instance municipality is identified by name, code and geometric shape of boundary.

Digital computer maps constitute source code and symbolic record of spatial standards with spatial identifiers and with spatial localisation by co-ordinates in the form of strings n5, Yn4, Xn4.

Symbol standard ( systems and catalogues ) in digital spatial models have 3 dimensions: spatial, thematic, time. They express information about position, topology and attributes of parts, elements and object of geo-space. The information is presented by numbers, mark or symbol strings ( points, lines, areas, notes ), which together with position passes the meaning of element/object shown and which inform user about this.

Tables, registers, statistic summaries constitute reference registers of SIS, which fill meta-information system established on ten-yearly, yearly ( half-yearly ) statistic investigating and creating purpose-made systems over existing base of sought-after data. The purpose is to have 4 registers in SIS: population, economic subjects, spatial units and register of real estates.

Analogue map, air or satellite image are models, that graphically project, identify and localise spatial data. Effectiveness of the model for geo-informational use depends on digitalisation and transformation to raster or to vector forms and on usersknowledge.

3.1. Standard spatial units

The basis for standardisation of spatial units in SR constitutes the Declaration 120/1979 Zb. about spatial identification and the current proposition of its amending. It declares units of spatial identification social-economic, area-technical and environmental information by generalisation of known units ( municipal, cadastral territory etc.).

Atomic ( the most elementary ) spatial unit is a land and a lot. The land means part of world surfaces, which is separated of neighbour parts by spatial unit’s boundary, boundary defined by law to real property, boundary by ownership, boundary by type of land, boundary by land use.

The lot is land defined geometrically and positional, projected in cadastral map and marked by lot number. Lot number is connected to cadastral district. Lot is standard spatial unit.

In connection with actualisation of declaration about spatial identification information, the following spatial units are prepared as land standards:

    1. basic land units,
    2. land-technical units,
    3. basic municipal units.

Standard spatial units are noted by identification numbers, which are expressed in code form and they are described by names and other characteristics.

Spatial identification in SIS means univocal and un-interchangeable spatial definition of elements from one class of data model of reality by land identifiers.

Spatial land identifier is combination of symbols or geometric entities. The combination is added to spatial units on different identifying levels. It can be expressed by a number or a code.

Localisation of standard spatial units is established by co-ordinates or map image.

3.2 Spatial structures and their properties

By creation of new or actualisation of existing spatial units, it is necessary to ensure aggregation of spatial structures. Aggregation is spatial structure property, that facilitates that every spatial unit on arbitrary level is composed of spatial units from the nearest more elementary level. Simultaneously every spatial unit on arbitrary identical level is component of spatial unit on less elementary level.

Managing territorial structure comes from spatial wholes determined for execution of state administration. It uses technical and municipal structures to record and protect physical and legal persons, rights and to protect state’s interests in harmony with law. Units of managing structure are spatial districts of state management and municipal self-government.

Technical territorial structure is constituted by topographically closed files recorded in the Cadastre of Real Estates. The units of technical territorial structure are cadastral districts, covering whole state territory.

Municipal territorial structure comes from settlement and it is oriented to observing phenomena connected with settlement, it’s oriented to serve regulation of territory development and protection of environment. Units of municipal structure are the basic municipal units.

Basic territory unit is spatial unit, what doesn’t have any parts. It can be municipality, self-governmental city part ( in cities Bratislava or Košice ) or military district. One territory-technical unit or several territory-technical units constitute Territorial district in a basic territorial unit.

Territory-technical unit is cadastral district. If cadastral district is divided by boundaries of basic territorial units, those parts of cadastral districts are considered as separate territory-technical units. Territory-technical unit is a permanent statistic district for spatial identification of observed elements and phenomena in area territorial structures. Cadastral district is territory-technical unit, that constitutes territorially closed file of lands recorded in the cadastre ( Act 162/1995 Z.z. ).

The basic municipal unit is determined to identify observed elements and phenomena directly connected to the settlement. It is an element of municipality. It’s constituted by municipal locality ( in rural settlement ), or urban district ( in selected cities ). Municipal locality is separate group of objects for living including area, which is consolidated for settlement object’s necessity or industrial, technical and civil equipment. Municipal localities are separated by vacant areas or boundaries of cadastral districts. They are parts of basic municipal unit.

Urban district is a part of selected cities, delimited by territory-planning documentation. Boundaries of urban districts must run on boundaries of natural and other identified elements of territory. Urban district is part of Basic municipal unit.

Municipality is a self-government spatial whole composed from inhabitants, from files of lots, streets, buildings, flats. Municipality has one or more cadastral districts. ( By Constitution of SR, code 64, par.2, a municipality is separate territorial and managed whole SR, joining persons, who are residents in its territory ). Part of a municipality is control unit created by files of lots with registration numbers in cadastral district or by streets, which are differed by conditions of using of real estates, for example sport, industrial, recreation part, etc.

Tab. 2 shows statement of spatial units on the territory of SR from the most elementary like a lot or building to municipality and its components.

Spatial units in the territory of SR

Name

Number / Source

To date

Lot

5136474 / AGCC SR

31.12.1996

House

1117479 / AGCC SR

31.12.1996

Cadastral district

3524 / AGCC SR

31.12.1996

Land-technical unit

3536 / MEn SR

1.7.1995

Basic territorial unit

2865 / MEn SR

1.7.1995

Municipality

2885 / AGCC SR

31.12.1996

2871 / MV SR

31.12.1996

Basic municipal locality

7651

1.7.1995

Municipal locality

5021

1.7.1995

URB. district

2630

1.7.1995

 

4. Methods of localisation of spatial referenced data

Localisation is one of basic properties of geo-information systems and geo-information. Depending on the sources, collection, creation of geo-information, various methods of localisation are used. Very often following methods of localisation are used:

1. Absolute localisation using spherical (f , l ) or geodetic co-ordinates (x, y, z). Absolute localisation can be global ( spherical co-ordinates, world co-ordinate systems ), national ( or local ).

The localisation of spatially referenced data in SR is defined by Declaration of the AGCC of SR no 178/1996 Z.z., which constitutes for absolute localisation:

To obligatory geodetic systems in SR belong: World Geodetic Reference System WGS 84, European Terrestrial Reference System (ETRS) and other national systems.

2. Localisation by relative statistic net, continually covering territory by statistic units, which have part of boundaries common. The elements / the objects lying inside boundary of unit have its statistic localisation. In SR relative statistic net constitute for example: boundaries of cadastral districts, boundaries of basic municipal units, municipality, etc. All of them have exactly defined parameters for territory of SR.

5. Conclusion

The building of national spatial infrastructure has first-rate importance for SR from several views: At first, spatial information are necessary for correct using and protection of private, state and municipal possession, or national wealth in general. This using and mainly protection are not on proper level.

Besides interior points of view the information infrastructure have to follow a supporting and facilitating the inclusion into the International European Community. It is followed by creation of basic database GIS within AISGCC, which should serve the ambition for introducing the EUREF (European Reference Frame 1989) and unification in projection map of Europe ( measure 1:100000 or 1:200000). Transition on European standard will be simpler, if we would have digital spatial database GIS for whole territory SR.

In conclusion creation of co-ordinated spatial information infrastructure should allow using progressive information technology, computer nets, larger changing spatial information, creating open GIS in various subjects and departments. All of them would help to improve information process by reducing costs in geo-processing.

References:

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