The Use of the OGC API Standards for Developing Open Environmental Data in Poland

The term ‘open data’ is used for data that anyone is free to access, use, modify and share. Two dimensions of data openness are recognized: data must be both legally and technically open. In the area of open spatial data, considered as public data available on the web and the component of the geospatial infrastructures, from the technical point of view providing access to data according to open data principles could be implemented in many different ways, including services, geoportals or bulk access. As the Web of data evolves the spatial data publication issue is essential, but also challenging when considering Web ecosystem. At the same time, the recast Directive (EU) 2019/1024 on open data and the re-use of public sector information recommends, and in case high-value datasets to publish data via an application programming interface (API) so as to facilitate the development of internet, mobile and cloud applications based on such data.  The latest best practices OGC, W3C and INSPIRE recommend standards from the OGC APIs group as a modern way of sharing spatial data via the API interface.

The first objective of the presentation is to demonstrate the access point to the spatial data of the Polish Environmental Monitoring and National Pollutant Release and Transfer Register implementing the OGC API - Features standard. The second objective is to present the results of the assessment of the environmental geoportal openness and to discuss the concept of ‘open by design’ in the area of spatial data infrastructures development. The presented study adds to comparative analysis of spatial data openness in different countries and also communities dealing with information on the state of the environment, as well as to the experience of geospatial infrastructure development.