Activity
NATURE-SDIplus is a EU project within the eContentplus Programme. It is a Best Practice Network aimed at the implementation of a Spatial Data Infrastructure for Nature Conservation. It deals with a cluster of the data themes listed in the Annexes I and III of the INSPIRE Directive (2007/2/EC); in particular the considered data themes are: Protected sites (Annex I) Biogeographical regions, Habitats and biotopes, Species distribution (Annex III).
The establishment of Natura 2000 and the new tranboundary EU approach for protected sites management has enforced the link between nature conservation and geo-information. This has generated the need for interoperable, accessible and harmonised datasets for the EU. The link is also addressed by the INSPIRE Directive which pursues an EU Spatial Data Infrastructure to support environmental policies. Nature-SDIplus Network aims, through state-of-the-art methodologies and best practice examples, to improve harmonisation of national datasets and make them more accessible and exploitable. Therefore, it contributes to the INSPIRE implementation with specific reference to a cluster of data themes on nature conservation.
The main outcomes are:
1. Improvement of the usability and accessibility of data: definition of European metadata profile enriched by semantics and data model for datasets on Nature Conservation.
2. Definition of a common multilingual and multicultural approach for a simpler and standardised access to spatial data.
3. A demonstration infrastructure, compliant with the INSPIRE principles and supported by web services, providing the data accessibility through a dedicated geoportals.
Coordinator: GISIG - Geographical Information Systems International Group (IT)