GeoConnections

developers

• About GeoConnections
• About CGDI
• Developers
  • Overview
  • CGDI Online Training
  • Meetings and Workshops
• News & Media
• Resource Library
• Subscribe
• My Subscription

Four Priority Areas Capitalizing on CGDI to Improve Decision Making

The Canadian Interoperability Day was co-hosted recently by ESRI Canada and GeoConnections in Ottawa, Ontario. One of the many sessions during the event explored how the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) benefits decision-makers in four priority areas: public health, public safety and security, the environment and sustainable development, and matters of importance to Aboriginal people. This article shows how the CGDI serves as an information system of systems, tying together different uses from a variety of areas.

Identifying Communicable Diseases

Dr. Weimin Hu, Senior Epidemiologist and Health Geomatics Specialist with the BC Ministry of Health, led off the session. He described a project that created an interactive web-mapping tool for health officials to conduct disease surveillance from a population-health perspective. This tool allows health officials to predict and quickly spot communicable disease outbreaks by overlaying information onto web-based maps. This information includes data about populations, physician visits, hospital use, census results, and births and deaths.

Predicting how quickly a disease will spread requires understanding the population at risk, based on both the disease agent's transmission characteristics and the population's vulnerability. This context-driven approach will equip health practitioners to see and better understand disease clusters and distribution patterns, as well as to identify potentially vulnerable communities. This approach will also create information that health officials can use to prevent and control diseases.

For instance, by building layered maps, health officials can quickly see clusters of communicable disease cases and underlying population characteristics. This insight helps health officials respond to and predict the spread of disease. Health officials could also use this CGDI application to spot areas at great risk—say, those with many infants or elderly.

Protecting Canadians

Next, Ian Becking, Manager of Geomatics in the Operations Directorate at Public Safety Canada, spoke about using geomatics to improve safety. As an example, he presented a map of the Fraser River near Chilliwack, B.C., where a higher-than-average snow pack had produced flood risks. Combining data from federal, provincial, and commercial sources, the map allowed officials to locate vulnerable spots along the river. Officials could then act to repair dykes, pile sandbags, and update flood-response plans.

“The data exists to produce integrated views,” said Mr. Becking. “The challenge often is discovering the data in the first place. The GeoConnections Discovery Portal is a good place to start looking.”

Guarding the Environment

Brian Kazmerik, National GIS Manager with Ducks Unlimited Canada, delivered the third presentation. Mr. Kazmerik talked about how his organization uses the CGDI to protect waterfowl and wetlands.

For instance, one of the organization's goals is to help conserve the wetlands in Canada's western boreal forest. In pursuing this goal, Ducks Unlimited used the GeoConnections Discovery Portal to find relevant data for this portion of Canada, which has limited wetland, water body, and land cover information. By combining water fraction, land cover, and waterfowl survey data, Ducks Unlimited built a geospatial model that showed where to focus its research and conservation action.

“The CGDI is critical to giving us better access to the information we need to do our job,” said Mr. Kazmerik, “whether it's planning or targeting our conservation programs, or educating the public and policy makers about the importance of protecting wetlands.”

Empowering Aboriginal Communities

Sheri Longboat, a consultant with Moccasin Trail Solutions, delivered the session's final presentation. She discussed how Canada's First Nations are employing the CGDI and web-mapping to manage resources, plan communities, and respond to emergencies, among many other uses.

For example, Ms. Longboat explained how the Wahnapitae First Nation used geographic information systems to map traditional Native sites and canoe routes on their land northeast of Sudbury, Ontario. This technology is mostly new to many First Nations communities. As a result, they often rely on support from stakeholders to take advantage of GIS, web mapping, and the CGDI.

Delivering Important and Practical Benefits to All Canadians

As these four presenters highlighted at the 2007 Canadian Interoperability Day, the CGDI is proving an important ally for decision-makers. It is helping them deal with a host of challenges and opportunities in high-priority areas. As decision-makers become more familiar with the CGDI, this national resource will offer even greater value, an outcome that will benefit all Canadians.