KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) – The National Spatial Data Management Division (NSDMD) in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation says it has completed work in capturing the satellite imagery of the entire island.

This is a part of the entity’s thrust to create a portal to provide geospatial data to government and private-sector entities as well as the general public. The project was undertaken in partnership with the Mona-Informatics Institute.  

GIS Infrastructure manager at NSDMD, Mark Codling, said the objective is to “foster an environment to facilitate more micro, small and medium-sized Geographical Information Systems (GIS) entities, by creating a data portal working with various stakeholders.”

Codling, who was addressing a recent JIS Think Tank, said that part of the division’s mandate is to make geospatial data accessible, explaining that “spatial data includes anything that can be located or mapped on the earth’s surface”.

He explained that if the government is able to provide web-mapping services, private-sector GIS companies can use that data to create value-added products that they can share with the public.

This, he pointed out, will help to create new entrepreneurs, who will utilize the data to generate and harness economic growth.

“If you are a developer and you are looking to develop a resort and you are based somewhere else in the world, having such a portal in place will give you an idea of the context of the landscape and what risks are associated with it,” Codling explained.

Additionally, he said that from the geospatial data provided, users will also be able to understand the socio-economic background of a particular area.

Codling informed that the NSDMD is working on the National Spatial Data Policy, which will assist various public- and private-sector entities to share data.

He said that the division will create the training policies, the guidelines and various portals to make information accessible.