FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
MALAYSIAN CENTRE FOR GEOSPATIAL DATA INFRASTRUCTURE
(MACGDI)
4TH NOVEMBER 2015
SUBJECT : GEOGRAPHY INFORMATION SYSTEM
NAME : MATHIVANAN S/O MUTHUSAMY
MATRIC NO : A141424
Spatial Data Infrastucture(SDI)- Data infrastucture implementing a framework of geographic
data,metadata,users and tools that are interactively connected in order to use spatial data in an
efficient and flexible way. Another definition is the technology, policies, standards, human
resources, and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain and
preserve spatial data. SDI is playing a much broader role in today’s information society as it
evolves from just a concept to become a core infrastructure supporting economic development
and environmental management across nations.
Malaysian Centre for Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MaCGDI) is the SDI at National
Level. It is an initiative by the government to develop a geospatial data infrastructure to enhance
the awareness about data availability and improve access to geospatial information. This can be
fulfilled by facilitating data sharing among participants agencies. In December 2002, MaCGDI
was established under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) to replace the
Secretariat for National Infrastructure for Land Information System (NaLIS). MaCGDI is a
centre established by the government to manage and promote the development of MyGDI as the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI).
Malaysia Geospatial Data Infrastructure (MyGDI) – MyGDI is the National Spatial Data
Infrastructure (NSDI) for Malaysia, is a geospatial data infrastructure that comprises of policies,
standards, technology research and development and skilled human resources. It provides a basis
for spatial data discovery, evaluation, and application for users and providers within all levels of
government, the commercial sector, the non-profit sector, academia and by citizens in general. It
involves a complex digital environment including a wide range of spatial databases and is
concerned with standards, institutional structures and technologies including World Wide
Web(WWW). It is now moving to underpin an information society and enable a society to be
spatially enabled.
Economic Development and Trade-Off
It is important as economic developers need effective decision-making tools that help them to
conduct analysis and display the results. They will make informed decisions about where to locate
new business or growing the existing ones. GIS tools can provide the necessary platform for
visualization, analysis, modelling and collaboration. Besides, it is to be powerful and effective to
help economic developers to sustain the economic recovery and growth. In economic trade-off,
GIS used in site selection and suitability analysis. GIS also used to support the emerging trend of
economic gardening. In addition, GIS can promote the land analysis quickly, so it can help to save
the time and cost development.
Environmental Impact
By using GIS technology, we can evaluate the suitability of the land for development that can
protect our environment. This is because GIS technology can be used to investigate and study the
characteristic of the land area. In addition, GIS used to evaluate different land-use scenario based
on environmental implications. There will be increased in amounts of impervious coverage that
cause great deal of runoff and flooding when adding particular land uses to existing land-use plan.
With the usage of GIS, two land-use changes will be compared whether it is environmentally
friendly or not or it have low-impact development.
Environmental and Economic Trade-Off
The environment’s quality can be protect well by using the GIS technology. GIS important in
environmental protection by providing geospatial information to construction agency for good
development. GIS can save the cost as the good environmental condition doesn’t need money or
budget for the maintenance. Besides, GIS able to encourage smart growth and also promote
sustainable development initiatives and effective growth management.
Social Impact
In spatial data infrastructure, the awareness about data availability and improve access to
geospatial information can be fulfilled by facilitating data sharing among participating agencies.
It also about the facilitation and coordination of the exchange and sharing of spatial data between
stakeholders in spatial data community. MyGDI has target to enable members of the geospatial
communities in Malaysia to share and access geospatial information by establishing key
partnerships with federal and states agencies ,academia , and the private sector. Besides, MyGDI
facilitates online access to geospatial information, avoid duplication of effort in collection of data
and to ensure the accuracy, timeliness, correctness and consistency of available data that enables
far more comprehensive analysis of data to help decision-makers choose the best courses of action.
Conclusion
Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) is a concept developed for Spatial Data adjustment between
government and non-government agencies. The geospatial information plays an important role in
our lives nowadays as it provides the infrastructures and facilities for data sharing. It provides a
basis for spatial data recovery, evaluation, and application for all users and providers within all
levels of government, the commercial sector and others. The principal objective of developing an
SDI is to provide a proper environment in which all stakeholders , both users and producers of
spatial information can cooperate with each other in a cost-efficient and cost-effective way to better
achieve their targets at different political or administrative levels. Effective use and sharing of
spatial information requires that is adheres to known and accepted standards. Standards facilities
the use of a wider data. Development of formal standards is a consultative process through national
standard bodies through international standard organizations. Spatial data are standardized in terms
of geographic referencing, the data content, the resolution and metadata. Major advances in
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the last decade combined with the rapid
growth of global information network have transformed businesses and markets in Malaysia.
