PROGRESS IN THE CREATION OF AN OPERATIONAL GLOBAL SPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE: THE GLOBAL MAP EXPERIENCE

D.R.F. Taylor

Chair, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping

fraser_taylor@carleton.ca

Global Map is an international initiative to create a digital map of the world at the scale of 1:1 million. The purpose of the initiative is to create a map with eight digital data layers, four vector and four raster, to aid in environmental sustainable development decision making. Global Map is created by the National Mapping Organizations and coordinated by the International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM) with a secretariat supported by the Government of Japan. In September 2006, 164 countries and regions were involved in Global Map and the aim is to complete coverage of the entire landmass of the earth by the end of 2007. Global Map is one of the first operational Global Spatial Data Infrastructures and this paper will describe t he creation and operation of Global Map and how the various technical, administrative and political challenges in creating it have been met.