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Letters | How much value has open data created in Hong Kong?

  • From 2019 to early this year, the number of open government datasets has reached 4,250
  • The government’s coronavirus dashboard is a successful example of geospatial data use. Now, this data must used to address the housing shortage

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A night view of a section of Kowloon in November 2020. Photo: Sam Tsang
Letters
A recent geospatial data study report from the United Kingdom warned that even though geospatial or location data can create huge economic value of £6 billion (US$8.2 billion) to £11 billion per year, policymakers do not always use this even when it can add value. This is also the case in Hong Kong.
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The report, released by the UK’s Geospatial Commission, suggests that the major reason for such insights not being fully utilised or left unused in the decision-making process by policymakers may be a lack of knowledge in applying it.

In Hong Kong’s 2017 policy address, opening up government data was identified as one of the eight major directions for promoting the development of innovation and technology. From 2019 to early this year, the number of open datasets has reached 4,250, laying a solid foundation for a common spatial data infrastructure (CSDI), a location data supermarket to be officially launched next year.

However, with the data having opened, what about the usage? Have the public and the government made the best use of these resources? How much value has the open data created?

In fact, the government has already reaped the benefits of exchanging geospatial data. One example is a common operational picture (COP), an electronic platform launched by the Civil Engineering and Development Department in 2019.

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This common geographic information system platform allows various departments to share data in real time on accidents related to natural disasters, such as landslides and flooding resulted from rainstorms, seawater inundation, facilitating coordination and division of responsibility among various departments.

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