[Index]
Statistics and geography shaping e-Government
initiatives
Geneva, 26 September 2001
Given the continuing advances in technologies such as the
Internet, wireless, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and RDMS (Relational
Database Management System), statistical offices face the challenge of
integrating new technological solutions to compile, maintain and disseminate
statistics more efficiently. With the ever-increasing role of technology,
statistical providers have access to tools such as GIS (Geographical
Information System), to assist facilitating the integration of statistics with
geography, pushing ahead initiatives in the domain of e-Government.
This will be a focal point for discussion at the first
joint meeting by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) Statistical Division and Eurostat on Methodological Issues involving
the integration of statistics and geography, hosted in Tallinn, Estonia from
25-28 September 2001.
"E-Government initiatives have already started to
rapidly progress in many ECE countries", said Mrs. Jana Meliskova, Team
Leader at the UNECE Statistical Division. GIS and remote sensing satellites
have already and continue to revolutionise statistics. Historically,
statistics were developed on the basis of administrative units, for example,
population for a given city, cultivated land per district or average
precipitation by country. GIS allows statistical data to be linked directly to
the place it was observed. This gives statisticians the advantage of breaking
down the data into geographically defined areas, which unlike administrative
units are not going to change.
Discussions will cover utilising GIS to pull together
quantitative and qualitative data, moving towards using the results of the
analysis as a tool for evidence-based policy making by governments and other
decision making bodies. These will involve discussions on new methods and
solutions in the field of data collection, storage, management, analysis and
dissemination.
Under new opportunities in the use of the GIS, the meeting
will take hold of the current level of cooperation and partnerships. Thus
opening the discussion for the further integration of statistical and
geographical information, infrastructures and mechanisms including data policy
within the political dimension. Mrs. Meliskova adds that, "Certainly
there are many different ways and levels of cooperation and the meeting will
draw attention to actions for improving and strengthening cooperation at all
levels".
This meeting is also the first time that a workshop aimed
particularly at countries in transition will be held back to back with the
meeting. The Workshop will be in the field of Spatial Analysis, providing an
introduction to participants of key techniques in this field for dealing with
different types of data and using GIS (Geographical Information System)
applications for data manipulation.
Although the recent political situation has hampered the
participation by some of the ECE member countries, the session involves 24 ECE
members, with more than 80 participants.
GIS statistical applications still have many challenges and
aspects to be explored. Rapid progress in this field is necessary, both in
terms of vertical and horizontal alignment with technology, as statistics and
geography move to the next level of integration.
For more information about the Work Session and Workshop
please contact:
Mrs. Jana Meliskova
Team Leader, Team on EDP and related matters
UNECE Statistical Division
Palais des Nations
CH – 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 22 917 4150
Fax: +41 22 917 0040
E-mail: [email protected]
Web site: http://www.unece.org/stats/documents/2001.09.gis.htm
Ref: ECE/STAT/01/09