615 / 2019-04-26 10:53:30

How do new generation of SDIs contribute to the integration of spatial planning and flood risk management policies?

spatial data infrastructure,policy integration,evaluation,flood risk management,spatial planning

全体主题 > Planning Support Systems

Most Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) that focus on access to data and maps normally have two main components: (1) data and information and (2) access tools and protocols. Researchers found that such SDIs may promote collaboration, build consensus, and foster communication. Hence, they could positively affect the policy input and output to some extent. However, it remains not clear that whether and how they contribute to supporting integration in the policy-making process, and whether its potential could be brought forward by integrating a third component: (3) modelling and decision support functions. In this context, we tested a prototype Internet-based Spatially Integrated Policy Infrastructure (SIPI), in facilitating such policy integration. In this paper, we present the results of an experiment that was designed to evaluate the role of SIPI in facilitating policy integration. In the data analysis, a qualitative approach was adopted. The findings revealed that SIPI, by providing access to both data and decision support and modelling tools, significantly improved the degree of policy integration, in comparison with Myplan Viewer, a traditional data-focused SDI. The findings suggested that decision support and modelling tools were more relevant to the systematic screening and evaluation of policy alternatives than data and maps alone. This empirical study demonstrated how simplified scientific models and tools could facilitate policy integration and knowledge sharing. The evaluation outcomes implied that inclusion of both data and decision support and modelling tools would enhance the relevance and usefulness of SDIs in decision-making processes.