Spatial Datasets |
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The LICJ actively coordinates the development of strategies proposals, identifies resources and methodologies to facilitate the creation and maintenance of geospatial data “framework data sets” for the island. To facilitate the creation of framework data sets, access to and availability of base maps is fundamental. In 2001, the LICJ coordinated the purchase of 1:4800 satellite image maps of the entire island and 1:2000 maps for the urban areas of Kingston and St. Andrew, Portmore, Spanish Town, Port Maria and Montego Bay. This purchase was made at a 40% discount (J$40 million) specially provided to Jamaica by the company. This acquisition was made possible through collaborative financing amounting to over US$1million by some twenty-one members of the LICJ. This was the first time that a comprehensive island wide, large scale mapping exercise was undertaken using 100% local financing. The Council proposes to establish a Mapping Fund that will be capitalized from a percentage of all maps sold by participating agencies. The fund will provide financial resources to procure in a coordinated manner for the government spatial data, including new and revised maps. This approach reduces duplication of effort and stops the practice where agencies spend enormous amount of funds annually through various ad-hoc projects to purchase maps, which are not shared government wide. The purchase agreement allows for 80 licencees to use the maps. These maps and the digital surface model have been distributed to thirty two LICJ members and are currently being used to assist in the design and construction of drainage and water networks, incident mapping and disease prevention, development planning, highway and road construction, mapping of socio-economic data and hazard occurrences, pre-checking for field exercises, among many other uses. These maps provide a comprehensive modern base that many agencies are using in their daily operations. In 2015, the LICJ/NSDMD coordinated the purchase of 0.5m high resolution 16 bit GeoTIFF satellite imagery for the entire island. |
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