Sharing Environmental Data

We live in a globalized world, where processes such as climate change, land cover and population growth are evolving rapidly and impacting the environment. At the same time, the means of communication have undergone a major expansion, taking up a remarkable place in our societies, giving us access to a continuous and enormous flow of information. The basic aim of this article is to make environmental data interoperable and provide access to computational resources to enable different users to spend more time analyzing data and less time searching for it, thus facilitating access to environmental data for many potential users. Current research has shown that the concepts, methods and technologies associated with geospatial data infrastructures (GDIs) are suitable and can bring major benefits in supporting and facilitating the search, accessibility, visualization, dissemination and analysis of environmental data. In addition, facilitating the access, integration and use of geospatial data can meet the needs of specific communities and make these data available to the widest possible audience. The challenges facing humanity demand that we act today and provide decision-makers with the right tools to access reliable environmental information quickly and efficiently. SDIs clearly have the potential to bridge the gap between science and policy-making.

After presenting why environmental data sharing is essential to a better understanding of how our planet works, this article will focus on the technical aspects of facilitating environmental data sharing. What is an IDG geospatial data infrastructure? What are its components? What is interoperability? What initiatives at national, European and global level are facilitating access to environmental data? Several platforms are presented, showing the technical, economic and institutional benefits and limitations of environmental data sharing.