Data harmonisation in the context of the European spatial data infrastructure: the HUMBOLDT project framework and scenarios

Harmonised geoinformation is a basic need for fulfilling the task of creating a Spatial data Infrastructure reliable and efficient, in which different data sources and different services for discovery, portrayal and retrieval of geodata is a crucial asset. At the European level, the road to an ESDI follows the guidelines contained in the ISPIRE Directive of the EC. The HUMBOLDT project, started in October 2006 and supported by the European Community has the aim of implementing a Framework for harmonisation of data and services in geoinformation domain, under the INSPIRE Directive and in the context of GMES Initiative. The two-pronged ap-proach of HUMBOLDT comprises a technical side of framework development and an application side of scenario testing and validation. As the outcomes of implemented harmonisational framework grows mature, the application side of the project grows more and more prominent. Among the HUM-BOLDT application Scenarios designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Framework there is the one covering Protected Areas themes and use cases. Protected Areas Scenario aims to transform geoinformation, managed by park authorities, into a seamless flow that combines multiple informa-tion sources from different governance levels (European, national , regional) , and exploits this newly combined information for the purposes of planning, management and tourism promotion. Alongside, another Application scenario for HUMBOLDT project is described: the Ocean Scenario, which is essentially a centrally running geoportal that allows users to view oil spill information in 3 regions over European Seas, either in report form, or just the harmonized data sources upon request, making use of the HUMBOLDT framework components and providing an overall portrayal interface.