The Government of the Azores is preparing a legal scheme on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the Azores. This document, which will be published next year, highlights, in the context of geographic information science, the inclusive GIS that call for public participation, announced the Regional Secretary for Science, Technology and Infrastructures at the opening of GIS day today.

According to the government official, inclusive GIS consist in the designated inclusive "civic science, a synonym of science democratisation by bringing the scientific community closer to citizens in the Azores. This is how we understand and thus we need a geographical information system in the Azores."

The integration of a spatial dimension, in order to obtain georeferenced information, enhances the potential of information storage and management tools, the preservation, recognition and development of public action concerning the management of territorial resources.

The problems regarding the availability, quality, organisation, accessibility and sharing of geographic information have proved to be recurring. Therefore, it was necessary to adopt measures addressed at the exchange, sharing, access and use of interoperable geographic data and services in the various sectors where they operate, stressed José Contente.

In this context, we have established in the Azores the initiative known as IDEiA - Azorean Interactive Infrastructure for Spatial Data - which is connected to the National Geographic Information System. This geographic information infrastructure has solved the aforementioned problems in addition to establishing common rules to ensure that information and geographic data are compatible.

Hence, they should be designed, stored, provided and maintained at the most suitable level, so that one may share them with several users without constraints.

The Regional Secretary stressed that the GIS "have help answering questions and solving problems by looking at the data in a manner that is quickly understood and easily shared. It is time to include this technology in any business information system."

IDEiA results from the need to ensure the creation of a geographic information infrastructure that is compatible with the common rules in force in the Azores, Portugal and the European Union in order to ensure the sharing of the geographic data stipulated in the INSPIRE Directive. It also ensures the availability, organisation, accessibility, quality, interoperability and exchange of geographic information.

"I must say with pride, for the Regional Government and the Azores, that we are national region where the application of the INSPIRE Directive is more advanced, which was also made possible by the partners and companies that have worked with us," said José Contente.

The Regional Secretary also conveyed his satisfaction for the presence of students, regional government departments, companies and technicians in the celebrations of GIS Day in Ponta Delgada, under the motto "Discover the world through GIS." This event was organised by the Mapping Services of the Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Infrastructures.

One should recall that GIS Day was established in the 80s by the American Geographical Society that decided to establish a day linked to geographic information systems.

Thus, this global event marks and recognises the importance of GIS in everyday life as "a tool that has a wide applicability, usefulness and the capacity to collect, manage, analyse and display all forms of geographically referenced information," concluded the government official.