To achieve its outcomes, the Sustainable Development Through Knowledge Integration (SDKI) Program has initiated a set of five coordinated projects focused on the integration of geospatial data to assess sustainable development. 'Environmental Indicators' defined by the Energy Sector, the Canadian Forest Service, and Minerals and Metals Sector, in consultation with Canadian industry and provincial counterparts, will be used in the program to assess and forecast specific aspects about the health and well being of the Canadian landscape. This includes how the landscape has changed and permits speculation on how it may change over time. The SDKI Program will use the environmental indicators and other ESS data to enable the Sectors to assess and forecast the impacts of change due to different resource use strategies and policies. Indicators related to land-use and land-use change due to human and natural factors can let us know if we are on track towards a healthier environment, a prosperous economy, and a sustainable society.

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A key outcome from the Program will be an extensible (open) data model designed according to technology, standards, access systems and protocols recommended for the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI), a national initiative to harmonize all of Canada's geospatial data bases, and make them available on the Internet. The model will evolve incrementally, drawing in new data, applications and other components and adjusting to evolving CGDI standards and technology advances at each step. The model's structure and architecture will facilitate the use of selected ESS geo-information holdings for SD reporting, their integration with external geospatial information and enable the development of a new generation of decision support systems. Examples of ESS geo-information holdings include satellite images, topographic maps, aquifer data, and geological hazards information.

For more information contact:

Dianne Richardson, Program Manager