RESTful WISDOM (Water-related Information System for the sustainable development of the Mekong Delta)

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This web-based GIS supports decision makers and non-expert users in the field of water resources management. A vast amount of data covering different water-related topics is hosted by the system and can be visualised for further analysis. The data products stem from the fields of remote sensing, hydrological modelling, vulnerability studies, statistical data from year books, etc. As a consequence, one complexity lies in the task of making these different data types from different disciplines efficiently accessible to non GIS experts for certain user driven questions. Thus, every piece of data within WISDOM system is seen as a resource, which is registered in a spatial and thematic reference scheme. To make these resources available, RESTful services are implemented, with special focus on semantically meaningful naming. By giving entry points the user can successively browse the resources which are bundled to data collections supporting different tasks or questions. How these collections are bundled together is defined by the reference scheme and the questions the user asks (by clicking a special link). Resources can be linked to new resources in a standardised way and are addressed the same way. The complexity of combining two different resources to one new resource is hidden from the user. The RESTful style of the system architecture helps to make data easily accessible for non-expert users and system processes and lays the basis for an easy-to-use decision support systems.