Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of Geomatics, 2009. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-134)

Thesis (M.Sc.)--York University, 2004. Graduate Programme in Earth and Space Science & Engineering. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-123). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url%5Fver=Z39.88-2004&res%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss &rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR11920

Many of the ongoing activities towards establishing SDI on a regional, national, and international level are focused on data sharing and dissemination. Next to data access and visualisation, data processing is a third important pillar of GIS which can generate new insights by creating derived data or conducting computational analyses on original data sets. Within today’s largely data-centric SDI, two major challenges were identified that stand in the way of ubiquitous geoprocessing: The ability to use and exchange implementations of geoprocessing functions as freely as geographic data and the ability to describe, communicate and catalogue existing functionality on the Web. This thesis evaluates the moving code approach as an alternative to client–server processing in a distributed SDI. While classical client–server configurations move pieces of data between remote processing services, data services, and clients over the network, moving code setups consider the transfer of portable software components to the location of data or the location of computing resources. To exchange implementations of geoprocessing functions at a larger scale, a Web based code sharing architecture is proposed. For improved descriptions of geoprocessing functions, WPS process descriptions are suggested as an interface description language. They are enhanced by a hierarchical profiling approach that permits different levels of granularity in the functional descriptions.

Many of the ongoing activities towards establishing SDI on a regional, national, and international level are focused on data sharing and dissemination. Next to data access and visualisation, data processing is a third important pillar of GIS which can generate new insights by creating derived data or conducting computational analyses on original data sets. Within today’s largely data-centric SDI, two major challenges were identified that stand in the way of ubiquitous geoprocessing: The ability to use and exchange implementations of geoprocessing functions as freely as geographic data and the ability to describe, communicate and catalogue existing functionality on the Web. This thesis evaluates the moving code approach as an alternative to client–server processing in a distributed SDI. While classical client–server configurations move pieces of data between remote processing services, data services, and clients over the network, moving code setups consider the transfer of portable software components to the location of data or the location of computing resources. To exchange implementations of geoprocessing functions at a larger scale, a Web based code sharing architecture is proposed. For improved descriptions of geoprocessing functions, WPS process descriptions are suggested as an interface description language. They are enhanced by a hierarchical profiling approach that permits different levels of granularity in the functional descriptions.

Various literature suggest that securing access to land and guaranteeing land tenure security is essential for diverse land-based livelihoods and remains a prerequisite for sustainable agriculture, economic growth and poverty reduction. Secure land tenure is recognized as a key element to meeting the MDG target 11 to achieve significant improvement in the lives of 100 million slums dwellers by 2020. In the case of Rwanda, land tenure reform involves changes in land tenure systems from traditional and customary arrangements to more simple, modern and streamlined land tenure mechanisms guided by a core land registration system which is affordable, efficient and participatory. This development towards change in land registration patterns requires strong instruments for monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment of land registration implementation. The main purpose of this research is to develop key indicators to be used as baseline monitoring and evaluation instruments for land registration implementation in Rwanda, the shortage of time having limited the case study to one, but important District of Rwanda: Gasabo. The conceptual argument follows the logic of thinking that, when land tenure, symbolized by different values is supported by formal or legal land registration procedures, it gives it a dimension of power, insurance, guarantee and security that can be symbolized by different indicators measurable as variables. Seven key indicators were identified. To test the defined baseline indicators for validity, data was obtained from a sample of 150 respondents using a cluster sampling technique and structured interviews. The findings demonstrate the defined indicators could be measured and the quality of measurement (validity) established from statistical behavior of the variables. The results have shown that none of sampled households has a land title, this effect being recognized as a major hindrance to tenure security and to fruitful investment in land. Only those few who had other kinds of documents confirming rights to land, although of lesser weight, were eligible to a loan from a bank. The results have shown that the beneficiaries of bank loans have improved their income by being involved in land transactions and by acquiring a new land as well as buying domestic animals. The results also show that these interactions have brought a significant improvement in land productivity and consequently, raised income. Although household date showed low rate of land disputes, secondary data at district level showed significantly higher rates of occurrence and very low rates of dispute resolution. It is generally observed that land disputes could be avoided or solved if sufficient operational, legal and institutional instruments for disputes resolution and land registration are in place. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

Thesis (M.L.A.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Landscape Architecture. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

No description available.

Nowadays, geoprocessing has moved in large parts from isolated desktop usage into the Web. Thereby, the overall availability of geoprocessing functionality has theoretically improved. Nevertheless, web-based geoprocessing functionality is still not readily available and usable as means to find and subsequently compare functionality are yet missing. Discoverability and exchangeability of geoprocessing functionality are limited, and the fundamental benefits of online usage are not fully exploited. To close this gap, this thesis defines a conceptualization with geooperators representing well-defined geoprocessing functionality, and categories representing distinct geooperator attributes as a starting point. Geooperators and categories are connected by associative and hierarchical links forming an interlinked network. The conceptualization serves as basis for two purposes: On the one hand, discovery of geooperators has to be improved. There is a multitude of different GIS users from varying backgrounds, all having a slightly different view on geoprocessing functionality. To embrace these varying views, several actually existing and established categorizations for geooperators are integrated into the conceptualization and structured hierarchically. Thus, multiple different perspectives on geooperators are enabled. The perspectives and the underlying categorizations are integrated into a geooperator browser serving as client that users can employ for discovery. The geooperator browser offers a faceted browsing interface based on the derived perspectives and categories. Several different search modes are offered and can be used simultaneously, thereby facilitating an improved discovery. On the other hand, to establish comparability and subsequently semantically interoperable exchangeability of geooperators, respective geooperator attributes are defined. Thereby, backend and provider independence of geoprocessing services is achieved. The conceptualization is formalized to allow for machine readability and processing which is required for usage in Spatial Data Infrastructures and the Semantic Web. The formalized conceptualization is labeled geooperator thesaurus. It is encoded by Semantic Web standards and offered in a Semantic Web compliant manner. The integration into geoprocessing service metadata is enabled by injecting semantic annotations that link to the respective concepts in the geooperator thesaurus. The thesaurus serves as the underlying data model for the geooperator browser. The thesis concludes with an outlook and discussions of future work. Foremost, the content of the geooperator thesaurus needs to be extended as it currently only comprises a representative subset of geooperators. An approach is suggested to involve the geoprocessing community as an important source of geoprocessing expertise in the maintenance and further development of the thesaurus. On a conceptual level, the thesaurus needs to be extended to a fully-fledged ontology including a formal geoprocessing algebra to support the creation of geooperator workflows. From a discovery point of view, the concept of geoprocessing patterns is outlined. Geoprocessing patterns list geooperators that are commonly used for certain geoprocessing tasks, and provide best practices about applying them in a meaningful manner and sequence. / An Stelle von isolierter Desktop-basierter Nutzung von Geoprozessierung werden heutzutage mehr und mehr webbasierte Angebote zur Verfügung gestellt. Dadurch hat sich die generelle Verfügbarkeit von Geoprozessierungsfunktionalität theoretisch verbessert. Da jedoch das Auffinden und anschließend oft notwendige Vergleichen von Funktionalität nur eingeschränkt möglich ist, können die Vorteile einer webbasierten Verfügbarkeit nicht vollständig genutzt werden. Um dieser Problematik zu begegnen, wird im Rahmen der vorliegenden Arbeit eine Konzeptualisierung entwickelt, die wohldefinierte Geoprozessierungsfunktionalität als Geooperatoren und Kategorien als Unterscheidungsmerkmale für Geooperatoren zur Verfügung stellt. Geooperatoren und Kategorien sind über assoziative und hierarchische Links zu einem Netzwerk verknüpft. Diese Konzeptualisierung erfüllt zwei grundlegende Aufgaben: Einerseits muss das Auffinden von Geooperatoren für Nutzer mit unterschiedlichsten Anwendungshintergründen möglich sein. Diese Nutzer haben unterschiedlichste Sichten auf Geooperatoren, die berücksichtigt und unterstützt werden sollen. Dazu werden etablierte Kategorisierungen aus Literatur und Praxis in die Konzeptualisierung integriert, entsprechend hierarchisch strukturiert und als Perspektiven auf Geooperatoren für den Zugriff nach Außen zur Verfügung gestellt. Diese Perspektiven und die darunterliegenden Kategorien werden als Facetten in einen Geooperatorbrowser integriert, der als webbasierter Client von den Nutzern für das Auffinden von Geooperatoren verwendet werden kann. Die explorative Suche über Facetten nach Geoprozessierungsfunktionalität wird durch eine Schlüsselwortsuche und einen geführten Suchmodus ergänzt und damit insgesamt die Auffindbarkeit von Geooperatoren verbessert. Andererseits sollen die Vergleichbarkeit und der anschließend semantisch interoperable Austausch von Geooperatoren ermöglicht werden. Dazu werden durch einen Vergleich von Geooperatorattributen Ähnlichkeiten von Geooperatoren definiert und zusammen mit der Konzeptualisierung als Geooperatorthesaurus formalisiert. Durch die Formalisierung wird eine Maschinenlesbarkeit und -prozessierbarkeit erreicht. Nur so kann ein anbieter- und backendunabhängiger Austausch von Geoprozessierungsdiensten in Geodateninfrastrukturen ermöglicht werden. Der Thesaurus nutzt Semantic-Web-Standards und wird in einer Semantic-Web-kompatiblen Art und Weise im Web publiziert. Die Integration in Metadaten von Geoprozessierungsdiensten wird durch semantische Annotationen erreicht, die auf die entsprechenden Konzepte im Thesaurus verlinken. Der Thesaurus dient als Datenbasis für den Geooperatorenbrowser. Die Arbeit schließt mit einem Ausblick auf und einer Diskussion von zukünftigen Forschungsarbeiten ab. Da der Thesaurus zurzeit nur eine repräsentative Menge an Beispieldaten enthält, muss als erster wichtiger Schritt der Inhalt des Thesaurus erweitert werden. Für die mittel- und langfristige Instandhaltung und Weiterentwicklung des Thesaurus wird ein Konzept zur Einbindung der GIS-Community vorgeschlagen, da hier gebündelte Geoprozessierungsexpertise vorhanden ist. Auf einer konzeptuellen Ebene muss der Thesaurus für eine semantisch und technisch verbesserte Verkettung von Geooperatoren zu einer vollständigen Ontologie mit einer formalen Geoprozessierungsalgebra weiterentwickelt werden. Für eine weitere Verbesserung der Auffindbarkeit von Geooperatoren wird das Konzept von Geoprozessierungspatterns skizziert, die Geooperatoren zusammenfassen, die oft im Kontext einer bestimmten Aufgabe zusammen genutzt werden. Zusätzlich werden über die Patterns Best Practices zur sinnvollen Anwendung und Verkettung der enthaltenen Geooperatoren zur Verfügung gestellt.

Governments all over the world are being challenged to develop Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), to improve the access and use of spatial data for decision support and sustainable development. Therefore, SDI is part of the basic infrastructure that needs to be efficiently implemented and managed in the interest of any nation. The aim of this study, therefore, is to assess the feasibility of SDI implementation in Rwanda, using the Land administration geospatial data sector as a case study, given time constraints of the research. To achieve this, the concept of SDI is firstly explained in order to provide a common understanding of the concept. The new trends in the new Land Administration System of Rwanda, with emphasis on spatial data management are also presented. This information is generated from various written materials. Field work was also conducted by means of questionnaires, interviews and observation in attempt to assess Land Administration geospatial data, related assets and gaps with reference to SDI framework requirements. A situational analysis is carried out from the field work results. The research sets the scene providing the major findings. The main spatial data providers are public and based on national level. Land use and cadastral related spatial data are the least developed, and Land Administration application data are quiet non-existent. Various users, mainly decision makers, exist but lack effective access to data. A number of challenges, such as a high duplication of data collection and maintenance, lack of appropriate ways of data sharing, a shortage of human resources in Geo-information, absence of policies and regulations, are also found in the Land Administration spatial data sector. Nevertheless, the new Land Administration System orientations and national priorities in terms of information technology, offer a favourable environment for the implementation of SDI. Having considered this, the research proceeds to propose a Land Administration SDI prototype with its main application of Spatial Data discovery Facility, and then highlights its benefits. The research ends with a conclusion and recommendations for future research. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.