The Power of Territory: Spatial Data as a Key to Development

6 September 2022

The Power of Territory: Spatial Data as a Key to Development

On 6 September, the Eastern Economic Forum 2022 hosted a panel session entitled ‘The Power of Territory: Spatial Data as a Key to Development’. Participants discussed the creation and the first results of the National Spatial Data System (NSDS). This single digital platform was created to implement social and economic development until 2030. The following participants spoke at the panel session: Oleg Skufinskiy, Head, The Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr); Vladimir Koshelev, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for Construction, Housing and Communal Services; Victor Kalashnikov, Deputy Chairman of the Government – Minister of Economic Development of Khabarovsk Territory; Suren Tovmasyan, Head, Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia; Mirsaid Mirmaksudov, Deputy Director, Cadastral Agency under the State Tax Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Nguyen Dai Dong, Head, Bureau of Science and International Cooperation, Directorate of Geodesy, Cartography and Geographic Information of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and other officials and experts. The session was moderated by Vladimir Solodov, Governor of Kamchatka Territory. Participants pointed out that the pilot project to develop the single digital platform was successfully developing in 20 regions of the Russian Federation. Participants agreed that the NSDS made land use more efficient. It helps build a more comprehensive approach to territorial planning spatial development.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

Digitalization of spatial data makes land use more efficient

“Over the past two years, we joined our efforts with State Duma deputies, senators and the Government of the Russian Federation to adopt 40 federal laws, with 28 being reviewed, and to develop a development strategy for our Service as a spatial data infrastructure. On 1 December 2021, the state programme ‘National Spatial Data System’ was adopted. The programme is structured like a pie. Probably, for the first time ever it combines a national geodesic network, a domestic electronic cartography resource based on import substitution, and an aligned main information system. <…> The experiment helped us shape the technology, polish all the mechanisms and implement the state programme pretty flawlessly. We have developed a whole number of client services. It was a huge effort, but the content will depend on the completeness and quality of data,” Oleg Skufinskiy, Head, The Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr).

“We are getting a clear picture. We have focused on standardization, on combining this work with getting the end product either through a comprehensive regional development plan or through allocating priority territories, like in Khabarovsk Territory case. Anyway, there is the interagency cooperation and focus on digitalization and digital mindset of those who are dealing with these tasks on the regional level. I would like to emphasize the preparedness of regions to cooperate through co-financing cadastre works,” Vladimir Solodov, Governor of Kamchatka Territory.

“The topic of spatial data is revolutionary. It is a major step forward,” Victor Kalashnikov, Deputy Chairman of the Government, Minister of Economic Development of Khabarovsk Territory.

“We have managed to create a functional regional information system. We enter over 60 layers of spatial data online. This is more than 1.5 million items of real estate, forest resources, infrastructure, and water bodies. We understand that there is a problem with aligning them with federal and regional databases,” Dmitry Makhonin, Governor of Perm Territory.

PROBLEMS

The problem of unprepared infrastructure and verifying information in databases

“I would like to note that today’s pace of data generation, its exhaustiveness and quality are insufficient. We need to frank about it, although Roreestr and its management teams accelerated it by a factor. <…> We are adding about 10% a year, but it is not enough. Today we need to take care of such important matters as setting boundaries, recording boundaries and settlements. There is a need for adding this data to the register faster, as managerial decisions are not possible without them,” Oleg Skufinskiy, Head, The Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr).

“We see a major problem in recording boundaries of settlements and territories. Unfortunately, our results are quite modest here. We have recorded about 20% of settlement boundaries, but we need to keep up this work. I would like to note that we need legislation to allow regions to pay for cadastre works,” Victor Kalashnikov, Deputy Chairman of the Government – Minister of Economic Development of Khabarovsk Territory.

“We face such problems as timely update, delivery and integration of data. We would like to learn about your experience in creating a national database for spatial and geographical data,” Nguyen Dai Dong, Head, Bureau of Science and International Cooperation, Directorate of Geodesy, Cartography and Geographic Information of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

SOLUTIONS

Creating new platforms and further data digitalization

“Exhaustiveness of data depends on the regional management teams and the synergy of regional management teams, territorial and federal agencies, and professional market players. The content of the digital platform we are building together, the quality of client services and territorial development management are vital at this stage,” Oleg Skufinskiy, Head, The Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr).

“Perm Territory along with Tatarstan, Krasnodar Territory, and Kursk Region is a pilot region for creating a single information resource of lands and real estate. Initially, database creation involved three municipalities, including Perm, a city with a population of a million people. Now we have spread our efforts to 6 territories. Our task is to cover all municipalities by 2023. It is hard to organize this work without personal involvement. This is why we work together with Rosreestr in working groups and offices,” Dmitry Makhonin, Governor of Perm Territory.

“Armenia is a small country. We managed to make a step forward with the help of Rosreestr. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we did a full map-making of cadastral parcels. We completed it in 2022 and created a cadastre base for all municipalities. However, it was done offline with multiple errors in those systems. Starting from 2020, we have been uploading all this data online. We have created our own software, and by now thanks to it, 85% of Armenia is covered by cadastre maps. We are entering data online. We do understand the importance of all spatial data and their proper functioning. People are supposed to provide information about registering a land plot, which must be recorded by the system immediately. In this case business can use updated information and come up with a development plan,” Suren Tovmasyan, Head, Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia.

“Market economy required high-quality data to be developed and applied, including comprehensive appraisals of all natural resources and business facilities. This information is needed to manage territories, to utilize natural resources rationally, to implement investment project, to create a functioning real estate market and to develop mortgage. Generally, the Republic of Uzbekistan has consistently and step by step implementing the national spatial data infrastructure programme since 1996. We have been building a national cadastre. <…> In 2021, we adopted a low on spatial data, while our agency’s specialists developed a mid-term strategy. At the end, I would like to say that this is not just a cadastre task. It is a task for the whole country. It should not be just the cadastre service doing it, with cadastre agencies consolidating it. We need to create a national system to ensure unified standards, instructions and technologies,” Mirsaid Mirmaksudov, Deputy Director, Cadastral Agency under the State Tax Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

“Marat Khusnullin (Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation) agreed and fully supported our proposal and assigned the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Economic Development to develop a digital platform for supply and demand. Now we see that housing construction is demonstrating a good rate, with a record-breaking 93 million square metres of built. What problems are we facing? We see that the government is allocating a lot of money to support the mortgage, which helps people and boosts demand. At the same time, we see unprepared infrastructure in regions, lack of construction materials, mechanisms., and human resources. The costs are up. The digital platform must include the supply–demand data: where – in what region specifically – a construction is planned. What type of construction is it? Government, private, or social,” Vladimir Koshelev, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for Construction, Housing and Communal Services.

“What do we see as important? First of all, it is standardization: we need to create a big conveyor belt for working with spatial data. We need to make these processes standard. We have a factory to take it up from the regional or municipal level with a single team. Secondly, we need cooperation between the Ministry of Digital Development that leads this process. Thirdly, we need a unified KPI system for all government agencies and municipalities,” Vyacheslav Alenkov, Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Sakhalin Region.

The Power of Territory: Spatial Data as a Key to Development

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