[UN] Introducing MapX, a spatial data infrastructure for the management of natural resources

Tue Jun 30 02:27:19 PDT 2020

Dear all,

Following my previous email I would like to introduce MapX, an online, open source geospatial platform for environmental data. MapX is now the geospatial component of the World Environment Situation Room, which is the UNEP data and knowledge platform. MapX has been piloted in numerous countries, in the fields of extractives, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, environmental security, mercury reduction, chemicals management etc.

MapX supports OGC standards such as WMS-WFS/WCS and ISO metadata. MapX uses Docker on the backend, with Traefik as proxy/load balancer and Portainer as management solution. Data are stored in PostgreSQL/PostGIS. MapX uses R-Shiny and JavaScript, plus Mapbox GL JS and custom server-side programs written in R. Turf JS is used client side for vector tile analysis and Redis is used on the server side for caching vector tiles. Javascript, HTML, CSS Editor and Highcharts are used in the front-end.An API (software development kit) has been developed with Node JS for piloting the tools and data from external applications.

We would like to conduct new developments (such as improvement of user experience, cartographic module, etc.) but we are a bit limited in terms of internal resources. Thus we are keen to welcome developers who would like to contribute to our project.

With my best regards.

Useful links: 

MapX website: https://www.mapx.org/  

MapX online application: https://app.mapx.org/ 

UNEP World Environment Situation Room: https://wesr.unep.org/

MapX code repository: https://github.com/fxi/map-x-mgl

MapX Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mnadyjQ78xF8ceGka1LEA

Scientific paper on MapX: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352711018300177 
Contact : pierre.lacroix at unepgrid.ch 
---------
Pierre Lacroix, PhD.
Head of Unit - GRID-Geneva

Senior Lecturer – University of Geneva

Manager of MapX – https://www.mapx.org 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
UNEP/Science Division/GRID-Geneva
International Environment House
11 chemin des Anemones, CH 1219 Chatelaine

http://www.unepgrid.ch

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University of Geneva
Institute for Environmental Sciences/enviroSPACE
66 Boulevard Carl-Vogt, CH 1205 Geneva
http://www.unige.ch/envirospace
--------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Pierre Lacroix <pierre.lacroix at unepgrid.ch>
Date: Friday, 27 July 2018 at 13:18
To: "un at lists.osgeo.org" <un at lists.osgeo.org>
Subject: Introducing MapX, a spatial data infrastructure for the management of natural resources

Dear Suchith,

Following you email let me introduce the MapX initiative.

MapX -- a partnership between UN Environment, the World Bank and GRID-Geneva— is a spatial data infrastructure that aims to support the sustainable use of natural resources by improving access to geospatial information and related monitoring technologies. MapX is based on an online application that provides authoritative spatial data at various geographical scales (local, national and global). MapX has a data integrity framework using a scorecard to assess the reliability, technical accessibility, openness and sustainability of geospatial data. Originally set up for stakeholders involved in the extractives sector, the MapX initiative has recently expanded to other fields where spatial data can help inform stakeholder dialogue, prioritisation of investments and impact monitoring such as disaster risk reduction, chemicals management, biodiversity planning, renewable energy and environmental security.

MapX is open source and offers tools such as data catalogue, support of OGC standards, data visualisation, data upload, styling and publication, spatial overlap analysis, data download, time slider, story map viewer and editor, dashboards and private sandbox to allow users share geospatial data in a secure space. Bridges between MapX with Kobo, QGIS and GeoServer are under development.

The backend is on Docker with Traefik as proxy/load balancer and Portainer as management solution. The database is on PostgreSQL/PostGIS. The application has been developed with R-Shiny and JavaScript using Mapbox GL JS and custom server-side programs written in R. Turf JS is used client side for vector tile analysis and Redis is used on the server side for caching vector tiles. Javascript, HTML, CSS Editor and Highcharts are used in the front-end. We are currently developing an API with Node JS.

The UNBiodiversityLab is a partnership between UN Environment and UNDP. It includes an online platform (www.unbiodiversitylab.org, powered by MapX) intended for countries who need to include geospatial features in their report to the CBD. The UNBiodiversityLab  is an example of integration of MapX into external applications (for the moment through iFrames and later through the use of the API) in order for users to navigate through geospatial layers from a custom application rather than directly from an SDI like MapX. 

Useful links: 

Website: https://www.mapx.org/  

Application: https://app.mapx.org/ 

Code repository: https://github.com/fxi/map-x-mgl —external contributors are welcome!!

Knowledge base: https://www.mapx.org/knowledge_base/ 

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mnadyjQ78xF8ceGka1LEA

Best regards.
Hi all,
It is good to see many projects in various UN agencies moving to open source and OSGeo . For example, FAO http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home
It will be very helpful if those working in any UN projects using open source. OSGeo tools , please send details to the OSGeo UN committee mailling list at  https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/un   
I have interest in global forest protection and biodiversity work . Last week, I came across  UNBiodiversity lab https://www.unbiodiversitylab.org   which is interesting work . Looking through it, I came across MapX  and wanted to learn more. Thanks to Barend Köbben , I got some  basic info that it is OS using many OSGeo tools [2].
With lot of activities happening, it is very difficult to keep track of all developments. I would like to request all project teams working in OSGeo tools in UN projects to please share with  OSGeo UN committee mailling list. Please share overview of the project with website links, overview of the tools, links to public repository of the project etc as it will be very helpful for the wider community to learn more ideas for the future. Many thanks..
Best wishes,
Suchith
---------
Pierre Lacroix, PhD.
Head of Unit - GRID-Geneva

Senior Lecturer – University of Geneva

Manager of MapX – https://www.mapx.org 
--------------------------------------------------------------------
UNEP/Science Division/GRID-Geneva
International Environment House
11 chemin des Anemones, CH 1219 Chatelaine

http://www.unepgrid.ch 

--------------------------------------------------------------------
University of Geneva
Institute for Environmental Sciences/enviroSPACE
66 Boulevard Carl-Vogt, CH 1205 Geneva
http://www.unige.ch/envirospace
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

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