This course introduces the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework. Geospatial information is vital importance and a cornerstone for digital transformation and innovation. It can help solve complex problems and enhance decision-making and service delivery related to urban planning, land management, transportation management, flood risk management, sanitation, health services, disaster response and much more.
Every decision we make, every event or activity we do in our daily lives occurs at a geographic location. Whether we are determining the best site for a new hospital, choosing the location for a new business, staging a community event or responding to an emergency - geospatial information is inherent in informed decision-making.
However, while government collects geospatial data, this information is often not well-integrated and cannot be easily accessed and used. Multidisciplinary issues like climate change, disaster risk reduction, emergency response and Smart Cities require a coordinated effort, across multiple departments and sectors, to share and reuse geospatial information for decision making.
For this reason, the World Bank and United Nations have collaborated on a Framework to provide a basis and guide for countries to reference when developing and strengthening their geospatial information management capabilities. This Framework is known as the Integrated Geospatial Information Framework (IGIF). The IGIF was adopted by the United Nations Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management in 2018 and the Implementation Guide has recently been endorsed; with the vision to achieve sustainable social, economic and environmental development - leaving no one behind.