Background: Geospatial information has drawn substantial attention as a means for building a common measurement and monitoring framework that can be employed across different countries all over the world for the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Determining the appropriate spatial units for measurements is a critical issue, particularly for the goals associated with the safety, resilience, and sustainability of cities and human settlements. Open geospatial technologies are expected to help address this issue of spatial measurement since they comply with geospatial standards and can be easily adopted by both developed and developing countries. Methods: This study evaluates the applicability of open geospatial technologies for the development of a common measurement framework for UN SDG 11. To this end, the study analyzes to what extent national urban information systems of Korea can support the measurement of the target goals and makes recommendations for how open geospatial data and technologies could fill the void that current systems cannot fill at present.
The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was ratified in 1991. With the aim to ensure comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment, it contains provisions on environmental protection and conservation of the Antarctic area, including provisions for Environmental Impact Assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment is a method used to predict environmental impacts at an early stage in project planning and design, and find ways to mitigate or prevent adverse impacts in order to maintain balance between development activities and environmental conservation. Internationally, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in the Antarctic is classified into three types-Preliminary, Initial, and Comprehensive-based on the environmental impacts of the proposed activities. In case of the Preliminary Environmental Review (PER), proposed activity may proceed in accordance to the national procedures and drafting of an outline. However, Initial (IEE) and Comprehensive Environmental Evaluation (CEE) assess and verify the impacts of the proposed activity, and require methods or alternatives for mitigating or eliminating negative impacts on the environment. Although Korea's Act of "Activities and Environmental Protection in Antarctica" also includes provisions on EIA for activities in Antarctica, there are obvious contrasts with the EIAs currently being conducted in Korea, in regards to deciding the level of EIA through screening and identifying key issues for assessment through scoping. In order to implement the proper EIA, more improved methods for drafting and reviewing the EIA to Antarctica in Korea are necessary.
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