Welcome

GSDI conferences are opportunities to meet and exchange views about implementing and developing spatial data concepts and practices. From national and international agency perspectives to local grassroots initiatives, the conference provides an occasion for interaction and cooperation among disciplines and practitioners that use and develop spatial technologies and databases. Policy-makers at local, regional and global levels are provided with an opportunity to interact with a global community fostering spatial data infrastructure developments in support of addressing important worldwide needs.

Features of GSDI 10

The conference program is being designed to accommodate opening and closing plenary sessions with keynote speakers, daily plenary sessions focused on the conference theme and related topics, technical paper sessions in several parallel tracks, pre-conference and post-conference workshops freely open to all registrants, a poster exhibit and competition, an exhibition area highlighting agency initiatives and corporate product and service offerings, and numerous organized round table discussions to allow people from common regions of the globe or with common interests to present, discuss, and share issues, experiences and plans.

GSDI 10 Conference Theme

The selected theme of GSDI 10 is "Small Island Perspectives on Global Challenges: The Role of Spatial Data in Supporting a Sustainable Future." The pressing needs of small island nations are a particular emphasis of the conference and include such concerns as:

• sustainable development,
• disaster prevention, warning, management, response, and recovery,
• alleviation of poverty and crime,
• economic development,
• lessening the digital divide including access to information technologies,
• ensuring food security,
• support of transportation, health and communication systems, and
• facilitating land ownership

GIS, spatial data infrastructure concepts, and affiliated tools and technologies are being utilized worldwide to help address all of these issues.

We look forward to enjoying your company and benefiting from your insights. Please come!