Assessing the Status of National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) of Bangladesh

Abstract

National spatial data infrastructure (NSDI) is an essential framework for managing and sharing geospatial data across different sectors and organizations. In Bangladesh, the development of NSDI is still in its early stages, and there are several challenges that need to be addressed to ensure its effective implementation. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the status of NSDI implementation in Bangladesh using Eelderink’s fourteen key variables. The paper examines the current state of NSDI implementation in Bangladesh, identifies strengths and weaknesses, and suggests recommendations for improvement. The findings suggest that while some progress has been made in establishing NSDI in Bangladesh, there are still significant challenges, such as limited funding; weak coordination among stakeholders; and a lack of skilled manpower, awareness, and capacity among users. To address these challenges, in this paper, we recommend several measures to improve the NSDI framework in Bangladesh. These include increasing funding support for NSDI development and maintenance, improving coordination among stakeholders through the establishment of a national coordinating body, enhancing awareness and capacity-building programs for NSDI users, and promoting the use of open data standards to improve data quality and interoperability. It is hoped that these recommendations will be taken into consideration by policymakers and other stakeholders to further enhance the development of NSDI in Bangladesh.