Key Facts

Facts about Geospatial Data

Geospatial data plays a significant role in a wide range of applications supporting decision‐making processes and planning efforts in private, governmental and non-governmental institutions. The utilization of geospatial data are driven by the need to support historical spatial and temporal analyses. Examples of applications that require historical data include the study of climate change, disaster risk management, land use change and environmental impact analysis, suitability analysis and cadastral surveying. Geospatial is a term widely used to describe the combination of spatial information software and analytical methods with terrestrial or geographic datasets. The term is often used in conjunction with geographic information systems, surveying engineering and geomatics. Geospatial /Geographic data is information about geographic features, including their shapes, locations, and descriptions. Geographic data is the composite of spatial data and attribute data. Geospatial technologies employ Earth observation systems, global navigation satellite systems, laser and radar imaging sensors, optical-electronic measurement systems, computer geo-visualization and analysis systems, mathematical and statistical data processing, real-time data acquisition networks, wireless and Internet technologies. The popularity and ease of problem solving applications of geospatial data and technology amongst its users has increased from time to time. Geospatial data has indeed become a highly valued business asset. Development of comprehensive geospatial data processing softwares and advances in data collection tools (audio, video, satellite remote sensing, scanning, image capturing tools) are contributing factors for rapidly growing business asset. In our circumstance, geospatial data acquisition, access, utilization and storage is the main problem for a variety of researches, projects and other operational and technical concerns that can affect decisions about certain case. Bahir Dar University established the Geospatial Data and Technology Center as one of its research center aiming with spatial data based research, geospatial data archiving and supporting stakeholders. Members of the center collect, maintain, and advance the capacity to preserve and make available geospatial digital data for the benefit of present and future generations on the university research catchment.