CASE STUDY

Geospatial policy safeguarding Abu Dhabi’s environment

Providing a single source of accurate, reliable environmental information for Abu Dhabi’s decision makers

For global sustainability we need comprehensive, consistent and accessible information about the environment where we live.

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) is a government agency committed to protecting and enhancing the environment as well as maintaining and promoting the biodiversity of the desert and marine ecosystem.

EAD began a comprehensive geospatial transformation programme to further develop the environmental geospatial maturity of the Agency. Working with Ordnance Survey (OS), EAD successfully created a GIS Roadmap to support the 2030 national Environmental Vision.

|3 MIN READ

Challenge

Raising environmental awareness, facilitating sustainable development and keeping environmental issues at the top of the national agenda for the ultimate benefit of the citizens.

This aim posed a number of challenges:

  • Working with data which wasn’t always accessible, complete or consistent.
  • Establishing a reliable, credible and authoritative ‘single version of the truth’ to underpin effective environmental decision making at regional and local level.
  • Establishing Abu Dhabi as one of the top five environmentally sustainable nations in the world through the Abu Dhabi 2030 Environmental Vision.
Mangroves outside Abu Dhabi

Solution

OS worked with EAD to develop a GIS Roadmap containing information on all GI-related activities needed for the EAD to meet wider objectives.

The Roadmap provides EAD with a detailed structured plan to help the Agency capture, maintain and analyse environmental information to support the 2030 Vision. It was developed and delivered in under 10 weeks.

A total of 52 initiatives were agreed, which when delivered, will establish EAD as a visionary and cutting edge organisation within the global environmental community. OS and EAD engaged with stakeholders to ensure that the final Roadmap was sustainable, forward-looking and relevant.

It was created in accordance with the ‘GIS Roadmap Framework’ and prepared and mandated by the Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC). It aligns with Abu Dhabi Government policy and EAD’s Corporate Strategy and Environmental Information Management Strategy (EIMS).

This ground-breaking approach to establishing a single and shared vision for change means the Roadmap is truly fit for the future.

Result

  • Provide a single source of accurate, reliable environmental information for decision-making.
  • Ensure EAD’s Geospatial Information Technology and Systems (GITS) conform to the highest level in ADSIC’s geomaturity assessment.
  • Help set goals, targets and KPIs to measure the progress and success of GIS across EAD.
  • Help share geospatial information with key stakeholders.
  • Improve consistency and quality of geospatial data capture, processing, analysis and dissemination.
  • Ensure the right data and information is available at the right time to the right people supporting strategic and operational decision-making.

Abu Dhabi benefited from a Geospatial Maturity Assessment, which is a service open to all.

Find out more about how geospatial data can help the fight against climate change and help you protect people, planet and prosperity in our ’See A Sustainable Future’ report.

"Ordnance Survey’s experience in handling geographic information has been instrumental in helping to set EAD’s GIS Strategy for the next five years. The GIS Roadmap that we have jointly created will enable EAD to become a leader in the use of geospatial information and technology."

Ahmed Baharoon, Executive Director, Environment Information Science & Outreach Management, Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi

Improved geospatial capability

We help countries all over the world benefit from our geospatial expertise and experience

See your nation's potential

Find more case studies