2003 National Report for Cuba

Report of Activities Relating to Spatial Metadata Standards

and Other Related Spatial Data Standards

 

Tatiana Delgado

Technical Coordinator of SDI

Geodesic and Hydrographic Service of Cuban Republic

 

Prepared for the ICA Commission on Spatial Data Standards, Ithala, August 2003

The main national project that integrates the activities relating to Spatial Metadata Standards and other related spatial data standards is the Spatial Data Infrastructure of the Cuban Republic (IDERC). Some of the most significant aspects of IDERC can be seen below:

IDERC – Organization:

To date, there is an ad hoc structure to organize the SDI in Cuba. The Geodesic and Hydrographic Service (National Office of Hydrography and Geodesy and GEOCUBA) is in charge of the general coordination of IDERC supported by the National Office of Society Informatization of the Ministry of Informatics and Communication. This office gives to IDERC a legal umbrella to act until a more specific legal framework be approved.

There is also a Thematic Network created to foster the inter-institutional exchange about the policies, technologies and opportunities that take place into the IDERC. This thematic network groups the most important actors of the SDI in Cuba.

IDERC – Capacity Building:       

IDERC is in an incipient stage, so the capacity building activities have a more important significance.

In February 2002 the former PC IDEA (Permanent Committee of Geospatial Data Infrastructure for America) Executive Secretary, Dora Inés Rey from Colombia, made an introductory seminar of SDI with the participation of the main actors of the IDERC.

A collaboration project between the University of Wisconsin-Madison of USA and the Ministry of Informatics and Communications of Cuba allowed the realization of a Workshop of Metadata, Clearinghouses and Maps Servers, which took place in La Habana on February of 2003. This workshop was a success not only for the level of knowledge obtained by the participants of the whole country, but also for the creation of a Human Network around SDI in Cuba.

IDERC – Metadata and Spatial Data Standards:

After several months assimilating the ISO19100 family and more deeply the ISO19115 – Metadata, the Geodesic and Hydrographic Service and the Geological and Paleontological Institute are creating the first metadata into the IDERC, which will be available this year to the public.

The foundation of a new Technical Committee adscript to the National Normalization Office to create the Cuban Standards of Geographic Information is on going.

IDERC – Technology.

Since 1998 the implementation of OpenGIS began in the Geodesic and Hydrographic Service. So far there are several specifications already implemented including a Web Map Server. The current work is aimed to develop a Web Service Architecture to the IDERC. This Web Service approach includes the analysis of z3950 Next Generation (ZING) initiatives to build Clearinghouses.

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