MapServer Deployment in Environment Canada Tom Kralidis Integrated Environmental Applications Branch Knowledge Integration Directorate Environment Canada 09 June 2004

2 Environment Canada –Departmental Overview –MapServer Implementations –Benefits –Questions

3 Environment Canada –Departmental Overview –MapServer Implementations –Benefits –Questions

4 Environment Canada –Federal Government Department dealing with: Reporting on Canada’s Environment Collection and dissemination of Environmental Information –Clean Environment –Nature –Weather and Environmental Predictions –Management, Administration and Policy Working with other environmental organizations

5 Environment Canada –Importance of Decision Making Reporting, Tracking, Forecasting Analysis –Importance of Information Timeliness Informed Reliable

6 Environment Canada Large Department Numerous Regional Offices/Facilities

7 IM Perspectives in Environment Canada EC Moving Towards Connectivity CISE Task Force formed Ask Canadians what they want for environmental decision-making EC commits to two years of levied monies for development of CISE projects/program Integrated Data = Information Shareable Data Useable Data Identification of Data Develop an architecture that allows for any API Build capacity in ability for others to share Integrated Discovery, Access, and Use of Environmental Data Applied geospatial area environmental management projects 2nd year – Focus on the architecture that allows any partners to connect 1 st year – Make environmental information available in four key theme areas Knowledge

8 Environment Canada –Abundance of data Legacy Databases (circa 1800s) Location-based reports XML Spreadsheets –Data exists and maintained (“Good to go”) Enablement of location-based environmental data

9 EC Implementations –Graduating to Information as Web Services Publishing Consuming –Departmental Interoperability Fusion of information across activities –Plug-and-play with complimenting infrastructures National/Provincial: CGDI, NLWIS, NFIS, LIO, NSDI International: NSDI, INSPIRE, AUSLIG

10 Canadian Information System for the Environment (CISE) –Answer Canadians' need for integrated environmental information to assist in decision- making –Integrating information from across the country, across jurisdictions, and across issues

11 Canadian Information System for the Environment (CISE) –Theme areas Air, Water, Climate, Biodiversity –Architecture built upon OGC specifications Data Visualization Data Access Data Discovery Metadata

12 Focus on watershed-based pilot projects; Informing Canadians for enhanced decision-making; RésEau’s deliverables are aligned with five key areas as identified in the Treasury Board proposal; Focus Areas Mapping the sources – open data sources. Mapping the services – open applications. Dissemination strategy – information and tools. Watershed management – Pockwock example of how interoperability leads the development of watershed management solutions. Engaging youth – water from a youth perspective. RésEau

13 Environment Canada –Departmental Overview –MapServer Implementations –Benefits –Questions

14 EC MapServer Implementations –CISEViewer –Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN) –Ontario Regional Information System for the Environment (ORISE) –Bird Studies Canada –Ecostratification –Water Quality Web –Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Aqua Link (CANAL)

15 CISEViewer –Web Mapping Application to showcase EC data through OGC / CGDI specifications Uses Chameleon to connect to data via standards-based services –Integrated Environmental Information Holdings Air Water Climate Biodiversity Currently internal application –Data QA tool

16 CISEViewer –Integration of partner agency online services NRCan NTDB OGC:WMS Atlas of Canada OGC:WMS Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Ecostratification OGC:WMS, OGC:WFS) Canadian Geographical Names Service (OGC:WMS, OGC:WFS) NIMA World Placename Lookup Service (OGC:WFS) NRCan Postal Code Lookup Service (OGC:GML) FGDC ZIP Code Lookup Service (OGC:GML) NRCan NTS Lookup Service (OGC:GML)

17 CISEViewer

18 CISEViewer -Uses Chameleon extensibility to add new widget functionality -Subject matter/ theme- based information -Air -Water -Climate -Biodiversity

19 EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network – –NatureWatch Community / Citizen based science monitoring programs –IceWatch –PlantWatch –WormWatch –FrogWatch –Input of Observations using accepted field data collection protocols

20 EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement Use of UMN MapServer –Publishing OGC:WMS (Visualization) OGC:WFS (Data Access) –Cron job to generate shapefiles of observations using Perl Mapscript

21 EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement –Small level of effort Afternoon implementation session –Next steps Connect directly to database (Port to PostGIS ) Seamless upgrade for MapServer –Need only to update data bindings

22 EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement New functionality launched January 2004 “Map of the Week” on GeoConnections Discovery Portal (February 2004) First EC publicly available OGC:WMS and OGC:WFS

23 EMAN NatureWatch Web Services Enablement Integration with partner agency data through interoperability Placenames (CGNS) Basemaps (Atlas) Observations (NatureWatch)

24 PYR Water Quality Web Web Services Enablement Use of UMN MapServer –Publishing OGC:WMS (Visualization) OGC:WFS (Data Access) –Consuming Use of MapSurfer to connect to MapServer based data Export of OGC Web Map Context Documents

25 PYR Water Quality Web Web Services Enablement

26 PYR Water Quality Web Web Services Enablement New functionality launched March 2004 In alignment with departmental Water Quality Services Initiative

27 ORISE –Ontario Regional Information System for the Environment –Decision Support for Ontario environmental information –Multi-jurisdictional Federal Provincial

28 ORISE Chameleon -Rapid Application Development -Extensibility for domain requirements

29 ORISE MapServer -Quick deployment of robust OGC services

30 Canadian Bird Portal –Partnership Bird Studies Canada Miistakis Institute –Portal Access survey data Breeding bird surveys Christmas bird counts Bird banding recoveries Important bird areas across Canada

31 Canadian Bird Portal –Use of MapServer (recent convert!) Publish to WMS and WFS Small level of effort –Data already in place –~8-10 s!

32 Environment Canada –Departmental Overview –MapServer Implementations –Benefits –Questions

33 Benefits –Supports Specifications –No charge to acquire (licensing, etc.) –Code Extensibility / Customization Contribution to main dist –Quicker turnaround time for upgrades to serve direct needs and requirements e.g. MapServer ODBC “Simple Points” support

34 Benefits –Platform independence –Easier to use –Enables increased capacity within organization Higher awareness among developers

35 MapServer Deployment in Environment Canada –Questions Thanks! Tom Kralidis tom.kralidis at ec.gc.ca