National Cadastre & Mapping Agency (NCMA S.A.)
Ministry of Environment 288 Mesogion Ave.
Cholargos 15562 (Athens) – Greece www.ktimatologio.gr
A FOREST LANDS INFORMATION SYSTEM IN
SUPPORT OF SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT AND USE OF FORESTS
Spatial data and information about forestlands are among the most critical in the context of:
•Forest and environmental protection
•Spatial planning
•Monitoring
•Forest governance
From the Land Administration perspective, it becomes more crucial in determining their definitive boundaries and their associated property
Introduction
The notion of sustainable management has a very long tradition in Forestry.
•The first ever written statement about the effects of unsustainable
practices regarding forests, referred to the deforestation of the hills around Athens, as a result of logging for shipbuilding and clearcut for agricultural use (Plato, 5th Century B.C.).
•The very term 'sustainable' was first used to refer to the sustainable yield of forest resources: “forest resources should be used with caution to
achieve continuity between increment and felling” (Von Carlowitz, 18th Century A.D.).
Sustainable Management and Use of Forests
Sustainable forest management (SFM) refers to the stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that
maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfil, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national and global levels; and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems (FAO, 2013).
Sustainable development has a widen meaning and refers to economic, social and environmental development.
Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainable
Development
• FIS refers to the process of recording geospatial data, disseminating and reporting spatial information about forestlands, their associated resources and management activities as well, for their sustainable management.
These activities, are associated with national or international commitments made by each country.
• LA refers to the process of recording and disseminating information about ownership, value and use of land and its associated resources.
LA includes, inter alias, cadastre, land registers, land consolidation,
valuation, spatial information management for a sustainable management of land resource
(Economic Commission for Europe, 1996).Forestlands Information Systems (FIS) and Land
Administration Systems (LAS)
Forest Lands Administration & SFM
National Efforts towards Forestlands Definitive Delineation
• Forestland mapping, along with ownership, known as forest cadastre, is an unaccomplished task for forestry in Greece.
• The First National Forest Inventory completed in 1985 but not continued ever since.
• The Forest Cadastre program started in 1976, lead to cadastral maps development for a small area of 320,212 Ha across Greece.
• The National Cadastre program started in 1997 and is still under development.
•The Forest Map program started in 1998 and is still under development.
Background
Main reasons for the delay:
• Lack of institutional capacity over the last century (technology, ICT).
• Lack of a National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) (sparse spatial data, duplication, use of multiple geodetic references, no central deposit).
• Lack of Cadastre System (instead, a registry system of deeds with no spatial reference).
• Old-fashioned attitudes (act as a barrier towards modernization).
• Inadequate policies (limited to short term expectations), and above all
• Lack of Administration will!
Background
Thus,
Greece lacks a FIS which eventually lead the Administration to favor the circumstantial confirmation of whether certain parcels or areas are
forestlands or not!
A practice that deprives environment of protection regarding forestlands.
Even worse, it has been expanded to all aspects of state lands
administration (e.g. urban/non urban, consolidated land or not, etc.) and eventually compromises the principles of sustainable development.
Background
1945
An example of unsustainable land development
An example of unsustainable land development
1998
An example of unsustainable land development
An example of unsustainable land development
Why we need a National Forestlands Information System?
Strategic goals for building a National FIS:
■ Establish the conditions for transparency in forestlands administration,
■ Assist in better decision and policy making,
■ Develop geospatial infrastructure for assessment and monitoring of forestlands and their resources (2nd level of further development), and
■ Support sustainable forest management and overall sustainable development.
Why we need a National Forestlands Information System?
Operational goals:
present an accurate picture of forestlands geographic location and their boundaries,
make relevant, reliable, accurate, and up-to-date spatial forest data and information continuously available to the government, land authorities, business and community as well,
provide consistency in reporting,
reduce costs through the sharing of information technology,
facilitate citizens, professionals, research, and
Authoritative data is the foundation of any FIS!
Explicit geospatial data and information with institutional and legal enforcement and power, across jurisdictional boundaries.
Towards FIS Development
(The Forest Map)
The Forest Map
NCMA S.A. the leading Greek government company, responsible for the development and operation of national cadastre in Greece, has launched an ambitious program to develop final Forest Maps at the national scale till 2020.
Cadastre development comprises of all land properties, and therefore cadastral forest mapping is necessary for a successful cadastre establishment.
The Forest Map aims to:
1. Assessment and environmental protection of forestlands and
Cadastral forest mapping deals with forestlands boundary delineation and their associated characterization (forest/nonforest) based on the land-
cover characteristics from multi-temporal aerial remotely sensed data and fieldwork.
In addition, it takes in account a plethora of existing data, such as
administrative deeds issued by local Forest Districts, historical cadastral or land distribution diagrams, court decisions, urban boundaries, etc. to
document the legal status of land (forest/nonforest).
The Forest Maps are authorized by the State, following a transparent procedure including wide publication of their content via internet, public participation through objections submission, which are examined by independent committees.
The Forest Map
The Forest Map
Legend
∆: Forestlands A: Other Lands
Forest Map Progress in Greece (October 2014)
LEGEND
Areas with published or final Forest Maps (1.65%) Areas with Forest Maps to be published (9.27%) Areas under
implementation (49.49%)
Areas with no Forest Maps (39.59%)
Building the National FIS
NCMA S.A. has taken major steps into setting up a technological infrastructure that supports effectively:
• The development of a Cadastre and Forest Maps,
• The operation of Cadastre through the establishment of Cadastral Offices across Greece.
• Web-enabled services to community.
The cornerstone of FIS development is the large scale (1:5.000) nationwide digital orthoimagery and the final authorized Forest Maps.
Architecture and Components of National FIS
System Overview
(Data and Information Flow through Web and Cadastral Offices/Forest Districts)
Cadastral Offices/
Forest Districts Web client
Central
database ArcGIS
GIS Custom Software IIS and
Application Server
Web client Internet
Internet
Data saved to database
through
ArcGIS server ArcSDE
Sign In into the web Application*
Sign In into the web Application*
Provide personal
data Provide personal
data
Provide Unique Parcel
ID or Geographic Coordinates
Provide Unique Parcel
ID or Geographic Coordinates
Use spatial tools for querying Use spatial
tools for
querying Submit the
request Submit the
request Pay a fee
Pay a fee
Web Application for Electronic Requests
* The web Application was created using .NET framework
Web Application for Electronic Requests
UserName:
Password:
Verify Password:
Email:
Security Question:
Security answer:
Sign in of new user
Please repeat the above number
Create User
Your account has been successfully created! You will
Web Application for Electronic Requests
You are at the main page of Requests regarding Land Status
For your convenience, please use the menu above, using “Help” when necessary
It is important to read the Instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Personal Data Requests Help FAQ Contact EXIT
FIS KTIMATOLOGIO
Electronic Services
Input of Legal or Physical Personal Data
Personal Data
All data below must be in Capital Greek or Latin characters! Attention! Data with * are necessary to proceed.
Surname*
Name* Tax Num. Married Place of birth Date of birth
ID Number/Passport* Date of Issue*
Type of Issuer* Name of Issuer * Father Surname Father Name*
Mother Surname Mother Name
Spouse Surname Spouse Name
Street* From To ZIP cod Foreign Residence City* Area* Country*
Contact Data
Choose
Personal Data Objections against Forest Map content Help FAQ Contact
User
Personal Data Requests Help FAQ Contact EXIT
FIS KTIMATOLOGIO
Electronic Services
Web GIS-based Application AOI Spatial Delineation
FORESTLANDS INFORMATION SYSTEM
BASELAYER (ORTHOPHOTOS) POLYGONS LAND STATUS LAYERS
SCALE GOGO
Web GIS-based Application Site Searching Queries
QUERIES
TYPE STREET NAME, TOPONYM, POINT OF INTEREST Starts with… Includes…
By Address
By
Coordinates Property ID
Text (at least 3 letters):
LEGEND
See the explanation of Forest Map Legend AREA DELINEATION
Alternatively there are the following methods:
Import
NEXT CANCEL
2. If you have an AutoCad DXF 2000 (ASCII) file with the boundaries
of the area you may uploaded it here.
1. For area delineation you may use the tools at the upper side screen
Examples
Help for area delineation
Press
Press
to continue
to cancel the process
Queries
Zoom in an area by Upload polygons
Web GIS-based Application Forest Map Area of Interest
BASELAYER (ORTHOPHOTOS) POLYGONS LAND STATUS LAYERS
LEGENT SCALE
FORESTLANDS INFORMATION SYSTEM
NCMA S.A.
Web GIS-based Application
Spatial Selection of Forest Map polygon
The selected
polygon of Forest Map, marked with yellow.
Certificate of Land Status
(Forest/non Forest)
Concluding Remarks
• The FIS is a indispensable component of a modern land administration system.
• Authoritative land spatial data & information is the key element for FIS development.
• The implementation of the proposed FIS will improve a) administration of state lands and the quality of land information, b) provide secure and update forest land data & information, and c) provide access and legal
