A distributed information system for public forest and wildlife management in the Walloon Region (Belgium) using open GIS standards

In Belgium, public forests and wildlife are managed at the federated regional level. In the Walloon Region, which is located in the southern half of the country, forests cover 32% of the territory. About 50% is publicly owned and managed by the Nature and Forest Division (DNF). The DNFs organizational structure is based on the concept of territoriality and designed on a four-level decentralized hierarchy. In 1999, based on the conclusions of a general organizational diagnostic study dealing with computing topics, the DNF decided to develop a distributed information system. The challenge was to design a system that incorporated dynamics enabled by new technology now available, and the implications for specialization of tasks and functions at the organizational level. The objective of the paper is to describe the technical solution proposed for the sharing of spatial data and information by optimizing their use in a distributed mode. Case studies are used for problem presentation. Distinguishing data and information flows inside and outside the DNF justifies the technical solution developed. It relies on the “Web Mapping Specification” defined by the Open GIS Consortium, which adds interoperability to the cartographic component of the system.