Leveraging Blockchain for Spatial Data Infrastructure

Abstract

Blockchain technology is gaining increasing attention across various industries, including healthcare, supply chain, education, business, logistics, disaster management, agriculture, tourism, and energy. As such, it is also becoming of interest to the spatial data infrastructure (SDI). This chapter explored the potential of blockchain technology for SDI and examined its potential role in addressing four key areas of concern regarding SDI: governance structure, facilitating access, capacity building, and data interoperability. Furthermore, the chapter also delved into the challenges that may arise with integrating blockchain technology into SDI. These challenges include scalability, technical complexity, regulatory as well as legal constraints, and cost as well as resource constraints. In addition to discussing the potential and challenges of blockchain-based SDI, this chapter also presented the technical, legal, and social implications that may arise from its deployment.