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Earth Observation essential for geohazard mitigation
More than 250 scientists from around the world gathered for a five-day workshop at ESA's Earth Observation Centre in Frascati.
Resources & Tools
Communities of Practise
In simple terms, GeoConnections defines a 'community of practise' as a community, or group, of users that share common interests, have common requirements of the Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure (CGDI) and will develop applications. Within the GeoConnections context communities of practise can be classified into four general groupings (examples below are non exclusive):
- Thematic - i.e.: disaster response/emergency management; environment (water, climate, biodiversity and air); road networks; health; forestry; agriculture; marine; education; geology/mining; social services; tourism; and, business; among others.
- Geographic - i.e.: the North; provincial/territorial jurisdictions; regional communities; watersheds; ecozones; and small rural, remote and aboriginal communities.
- Initiative or information-management community - i.e.: Government On Line; e-government; provincial/territorial geospatial data infrastructures; non-government organizations (NGOs); and knowledge networks.
- Private/industrial networks.
A community of practise typically has several other important characteristics. These may include: has a critical mass of common interests; is organized, or can be organized; will help build awareness; has defined, or definable, needs to which infrastructure can respond; can identify and contribute to setting future infrastructure priorities; can foster collaborative arrangements to contribute to the infrastructure or develop user applications; will implement CGDI-endorsed standards; has a high impact that can be identified; has an open communication process to define needs within the community or with similar communities.
GeoConnections is currently defining how the initiative will give more focus to "communities of practise" and to developing the demand and use of the online geospatial data and services. More information on communities of practise and implementation efforts around these will be published in the fall of 2002.