Transcript Slide 1

Centre for Sustainable Watersheds
and DM Solutions Group
Watersheds InfoXchange
Leveraging Open Source GIS Software in a
Non-Profit Organization
presented by Mark Sunohara
June 9, 2004
Open Source GIS Conference
Presentation Outline
 Common Thinking
 Centre for Sustainable Watersheds (CSW)
 Open Source Solutions in Daily Observations
 WIX History and Objectives
 WIX Applications
 Benefits of CGDI
 Leveraging CGDI-endorsed / OpenGIS
Specifications
 Old and new paradigms
Common Thinking -Community is key
“Community groups can be effective participants in
integrated water resources management but require
support and guidance”
Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network CO
Canadian Community Monitoring Network
Canada Stewardship Agenda
National framework endorsed by several
federal and provincial agencies
National Watershed Stewardship Coalition
Discussion of provincial representatives of
watershed stewardship across the country
Common Recommendations
Improve access to data for all watershed stakeholders
and facilitate data management for community
participants
 Cost-effective and accessible, using coordinated
approach to meet needs of all stakeholders
 Data sharing networks available through the
Internet, free of charge
 Data needs to be of high quality – promote
standardized protocols, develop support and
expertise for training and data verification
Centre for Sustainable Watersheds
 CSW evolved out of established lake association
 Non-government, non-profit organization formed to
facilitate community participation in watershed
stewardship
 Fosters cooperative approaches to water resource
protection by cross-linking among various agencies
 Sustains effective partnerships between
Government and Community through
communication and cooperation
 Links partners to maximize use of limited
resources, improve communications, and help
build consistency among programs
Our Objectives
1. Develop and promote shared responsibility for
water resource protection
 Explore roles of community and government
2. Assist community participation in water resource
protection
 Support for community level program delivery
 Data management tools, stewardship training
and resources
 Networking and learning/engagement
opportunities
3. Improve understanding of watershed dynamics
 Watershed processes and impacts
Community Based Monitoring
CSW has Experience in:
 Working with a network of environmental resource
partners
 Coordinating “Lake Links”, a Community of Practice
of Lake associations, community groups, and small
environmental organizations
 Information sharing: meetings, website, email,
workshops
 Data collection and management
 Access to data and data sharing
 Status reporting
Open Source in Our Daily Operations
 Alignment with Open Source Model of communal
interest
 Lower total cost of ownership than proprietary
 Resources towards H/W instead of S/W
 No adversarial relationship between vendor and
client
 Active User’s Groups exchanging experiences
 Functionality can continue to improve
Open Source in Our Daily Operations
Linux Servers
 Web and File Services
 Apache, PHP
 Databases
 PostgreSQL
 Project Collaboration
 Tiki Wiki
Open Source in Our Daily Operations
Desktop Workstations - OpenOffice
Open Source in Our Daily Operations
Desktop Workstations - Email - Ximian Evolution
Open Source in Our Daily Operations
Desktop Workstations – Web Browsers - Mozilla
Open Source Desktop GIS Solutions
JUMP - Digitization of Shoreline Inventory
Open Source Desktop GIS Solutions
OpenEV - Visualization of Imagery
Open Source Web Mapping Solutions
Custom Web mapping solutions
 Spatially-enabled Internet application
 Compliance with Open Standards
 Interoperability with other Organizations
Keeping it simple for the user
 Needed to handle the mapping logic behind the
scenes
 Share common geographic data and Web structure
Watersheds InfoXchange (WIX)
 A community-driven web-based mapping and
database application that will help engage
community group participation in monitoring
 WIX will allow community groups to input, manage
and view monitoring and stewardship data via the
Internet
 Provide cost-effective model for access and
management of community group information
 Guide effective community group monitoring
strategies
 Follow government-approved data collection
programs protocols and standards
WIX Applications
Water Quality Monitoring
 Ontario Ministry of Environment Lake Partner
Program
Fisheries Populations
 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Volunteer
Angler Diary
Environmental Health
 Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network
NatureWatch program
Communication and Sharing among Stewardship and
Monitoring Groups
 Ontario Stewardship Organization Information
Open Standards and Specifications
Optimal Interoperability through OpenGIS® (OGC) Compliance:
 MapServer - OGC compliant WMS and WMS client
 GeoServer – OGC compliant WFS-T
 PostGIS/PostgreSQL – OGC compliant spatial database
 Chameleon – PHP/Mapscript – access to all OGC Standards
 Styled Layer Descriptors – cartographic presentation
 Filter Encoding – control of feature selection and presentation
 Web Map Context – XML description of WMS data
 Geography Markup Language – data transport and storage
 CGDI Gazetteer Services - lookup services, gazetteers
 Discovery Services - Z39.50 Metadata Search and Retrieval
Services
Benefits of the CGDI to WIX
1. WIX provides on-line access to community-collected
geospatial data, information and services
 Increases awareness of community efforts
 Better access to quality community-collected
information for more effective decision-making
Leveraging CGDI-endorsed Specifications
 GeoData Discovery Service - Z39.50 Metadata
Search and Retrieval Services
 MapServer - OGC compliant Transactional Web
Map Service
 GeoServer – OGC compliant Transactional
Web Feature Service
Enter and View Monitoring
View Thematic Maps Communicate
Data
with Others
of Community and
Involved with Monitoring
Government Data
Benefits of the CGDI to WIX
2. WIX enables community to integrate and
standardize their data into a common national
framework
 Leverages a standards-based approach
 Improves quality of and access to community
data
Leveraging CGDI-endorsed Specifications
 MapServer - OGC compliant Web Map Service
and WMS client
 CWC2 - Chameleon – PHP/Mapscript – access
to all OGC Standards
Manage Monitoring Sites
Support for Developing
Monitoring Strategies
•Add new sites
•View existing sites
Lookup Services
Find /Add locations
 Watersheds
 Postal Codes
 NTS Map sheets
 Place names
Use Gazetteer Services
to Help Find Locations
Input Metadata on Locations
– avoids duplication
Use Mapping Tools to
Pinpoint Locations for
Observations
Enter Collected Data
and Have it Validated
Benefits of the CGDI to WIX
3. WIX enables community to increase the use and
application of geo-info
 Provides cost-effective model for access and
management of community information
Leveraging CGDI-endorsed Specifications
 CGDI Gazetteer Services
 Filter Encoding – controls feature selection
and presentation
Gazetteer Service to
Help Locate and Extract
Spatially Specific Data
Benefits of the CGDI to WIX
4. WIX enables partnerships between government and
community
 Community can capitalize on collective expertise
 Uses existing and reusable services
 Facilitates a coordinated model for sustainable
governance of shared resources
 Facilitates networking
 Easily integrate and function with other groups
Query Tools to help
pinpoint
Data Tables
Make Custom
Create Charts
Download Data
Benefits of the CGDI to WIX
5. WIX simplifies the use of geo-info for community
 Minimum GIS Expertise required
 No need for GIS software, only Internet access
 Provides standards and protocols
 Supports the necessary distributed data model,
providing access to government data
 Easily integrates multiple WMS data sources into
a seamless view
Simple Mapping Tools
Makes it Easier for Users
Thematic Mapping
to Support Users
Health
Old Paradigm
Stats
DFO
EC
WIX
COMMUNITY
NRCan
`
Resources required
• GIS expertise
• data expertise
• locating data
• data sharing agreements
• compiling data
• locating standards
• metadata
MNR
OGDE
Parks
AgCan
Health
Stats
DFO
EC
COMMUNITY
`
CGDI
Access
WIX
COMMUNITY
NRCan
`
Policy
Technology
&
Innovation
Standards
COMMUNITY
`
Frameworks
MNR
OGDE
CGDI Paradigm
Parks
AgCan
In Summary
 Open Source software improves the ability of
Community to be effective participants in integrated
water resources management
 CSW is developing WIX to provide support and
guidance for community groups to input, manage
environmental monitoring data via the Internet
 WIX follows CGDI-endorsed specifications and OGC
specifications for optimal interoperability
 WIX is being developed through collaborative, costefficient partnerships
Our Partners
 GeoConnections
 DM Solutions Group
 Environment Canada
 - EMAN CO
 - Ontario Region
 - CISE
 Ontario Stewardship
 Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
 Ontario Ministry of the Environment
 Human Resources Skills Development
 Hewlett-Packard
Contact Information
Mark Sunohara, Project Manager, CSW
[email protected]
+01-613-272-5136
Sarah Rosolen, Partnerships and Development, CSW
[email protected]
+01-613-272-5136
Dave McIlhagga, President, DM Solutions Group
[email protected]
+01-613-565-5056