Like many other nations, in the last twenty years, Iran has recognized the importance of spatial data infrastructure (SDI) for the improvement of land use and maintenance. In 1998, Iran joined the Global Map Project and SDI activities and designated the National Cartographic Center (NCC) as its global representative (Kalantary et al., 2016). However, as pointed out by Kalantari Oskouei et al. (2019), the state of Iran’s SDI is yet to be elucidated as the country lacks an adequate environment that would enable the exchange of spatial data between users. Aside from that, Iranian scholars have only sporadically researched the major barriers and obstacles to establishing a better SDI for land administration. Kalantari Oskouei et al. (2019) used the SDI readiness model for the year 2015 to evaluate where Iran stands compared to other countries. So far, the results have been pessimistic: the findings show that the nation scores low on 12 out of 16 indicators such as institutional leadership, umbrella legal agreements, shared political vision, metadata availability, and others.
The SDI readiness model does not offer any strategies but highlights the growth areas that countries need to focus on. Kalantari Oskouei et al. (2019) are convinced that improving Iranian SDI will require a joint effort of political, financial, legal, and human resources organizations. However, a powerful administrative body that would champion SDI causes is still needed for collaboration and management of resources. It will reform the existing legal body of framework to eliminate the unnecessary barriers to SDI readiness. Another crucial component emphasized by Kalantari Oskouei et al. (2019) is the private sector’s interest, involvement, and investment in SDI projects. The renewed SDI model would be used for better maps, manmade and natural disaster management, and passive defense programs.
References
Kalantary, O. A., Modiri, M., Alesheikh, A. A., & Hosnari, R. (2016). Assessing national spatial data infrastructure of Iran based on SDI readiness model. Geographical Data, 25(99), 43-57.
Kalantari Oskouei, A., Modiri, M., Alesheikh, A., Hosnavi, R., & Nekooie, M. A. (2019). An analysis of the national spatial data infrastructure of Iran. Survey Review, 51(366), 225-237.