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| The meeting was organised to continue the discussion on the AEGOS geodata infrastructure, its components and requirements. In addition, contributions for the next AEGOS meetings and conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were developed. At the beginning, the starting positions for the development of the AEGOS infrastructure were summarized. The questionnaires revealed the existence of three groups that are characterized by different levels of information technology and human resources. Based on these results, different options for developing the AEGOS infrastructure and several possibilities to provide the national data into the Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) were discussed and mapped. According to the project technical description, it is planned to use international standards for the definition of both the AEGOS metadata profile and data models according to the AEGOS data themes. In this view, the AEGOS metadata profile will be based on the INSPIRE metadata elements enriched with complementary thematic elements coming from other international initiatives, such as the OneGeology-Europe metadata profile for the geology theme. Moreover, the AEGOS common data models will be based on existing standardized international initiatives such as GeoSciML and EarthResourcesML for both the geology and mineral resources data themes. For the other AEGOS data themes, a user-oriented methodology will be proposed in order to help the definition of the corresponding data models, e.g. High Temperature Geothermal Resources. The national databases include numerous data sets on different topics, which are captured in multiple formats, diverse geometric projections and several languages. In order to setup an interoperable system allowing the exchange of geoscientific information coming from heterogeneous data sources, common data modelshave to be defined. Then, these common data models structure the data theme in order to ensure that the various partners speak the same language. Moreover, in order to obtain harmonized data, the partners also have to define common vocabularies used by the data models.In order to find an easy way to create AEGOS conform geological data, several harmonisation levels will be considered, including vocabulary, symbologies, for example based on lithostratigraphic units, rock descriptions and chronostratigraphic properties, etc. It is proposed to distinguish between standard and more complex products and services. |
Standard products, such as geological maps, require the combination of several data layers or thematic attributes and no real data processing. Complex products, such as maps of groundwater vulnerability, require several steps of data processing and following a comprehensive data review and quality assurance process.
The participants to the meeting discussed the knowledge baseline which describes the minimum level of knowledge and skills expected from the AEGOS partners. If this baseline is setup at a very low level, only basic skills will be expected from the partners. This will result in a high demand for training which will probably exceed the budget of the project. The setup of a high levelled baseline means that extensive skills are expected from the partners which are mostly not available at many African geoscientific institutions. Therefore, further discussions are necessary for the final definition of the knowledge baseline.
The professions required for implementing and operating the SDI were also discussed. The partner institutions of AEGOS need IT-administrators, data managers, GIS-specialists in addition to geoscientists. Programmer and software engineers are required for the setup of the infrastructure. The participants to the meeting also drafted a road map for the period 2012 to 2016 to get a broad overview of the activities during the implementation phase. It is advisable to implement pilot projects at the beginning of phase 2 in order to test the technical and administrative requirements of the SDI. The experiences from the test beds will be used for the review of the SDI-design compiled in phase 1, further detailed planning of the SDI and its final implementation. Training will be provided throughout the whole phase 2 (see diagram).
 B. JUNGE (BGR, Germany)
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