Geospatial Data Sharing Barriers Across Organizations and the Possible Solution for Ethiopia

摘要

Geospatial data sharing across organizations is a well-recognized challenge. Due to the absence of appropriate space to share geospatial assets, they often remain scattered and locked in various sectors of Ethiopia, no data sets are maintained and updated regularly, efforts are duplicated, and finding the available data set is difficult. Exploiting the full socio-economic benefit of geospatial information is thus impossible. This paper therefore aimed to assess inter-organizational geospatial data sharing challenges; and the possible solutions in Ethiopia. Lack of coordination, poor data quality and incompatibility, institutional, legal, policy, and technological issues were identified as major challenges. ENSDI, already initiated, should be promoted more as the collaborative entity meant for effective inter-organizational geospatial data sharing. National strategy to hand over informal SDI initiatives, clear ENSDI development approach (top down), and investment on the building block of ENSDI are suggested for the successful execution of ENSDI.