Having accessible spatial information is key to the sustainable development of countries. Spatial data infrastructure (SDI) helps solve the need for spatial information available on economic, demographic, statistical and physical aspects for taking decisions at local, national and regional levels. This is achieved by promoting policies of standardization, accessibility and interoperability of digital geographic data and technologies necessary for retrieving and managing geospatial information.

In the Americas, the construction of the regional SDI has more than 15 years of effort. We can mention several initiatives aimed at this goal: SIRGAS - Geocentric Reference System for the Americas (1993), the Inter-American Geospatial Data Network (IGDN), PC-IDEA (2000) http://www.cp-idea.org/, Pan American Agenda 2010-2020 http://www.ipgh.org/english/, GeoSUR program (CAF-PAIGH 2007) http://www.geosur.info/geosur/index.php/en/, the global conferences of the Association for the Global Spatial data infrastructure (GSDI http://gsdiassociation.org/) conducted in the region (Colombia 2001, Chile 2006, Trinidad and Tobago 2008 and Canada 2012).

CAF -development bank of Latin America http://www.caf.com/en/, established in 1970 and owned by 19 countries - 17 from Latin America and the Caribbean, plus Spain and Portugal has been supporting for nearly 10 years a network unparalleled in the region with the aim of promote the development of SDI in Latin America and the Caribbean, GeoSUR Program- geospatial network for Latin America and the Caribbean. The GeoSUR Program is led by CAF and PAIGH the Pan American Institute of Geography and History. The Portal was developed with the technical support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

During the GeoSUR uptime, different functionalities have been implemented in its geo-portal, an entry point to spatial data published by Latin American and Caribbean agencies   as well as provider of capacity building for national geographic agencies in the region to strengthen their web map services and associated skills.

As a development bank that promotes investment in physical infrastructure projects, water and sanitation, social and financial development of the public and private sectors, CAF believes that the development of geospatial information in the context of a framework for effective interoperability is key for decision making that positively impact the economic development of countries.

That is why currently CAF through its GeoSUR Program, as part of its 2015-2017 Strategic Plan, jointly with  the Pan American Institute of Geography and History –PAIGH, the National Center for Geographic Information of Spain –CNIG and participating national geographic agencies,  are developing the second version of the Latin American Metadata Profile –LAMP, initially launched  in 2011 with the aim of serving as a meeting point and common metadata model that encourages and enables interoperability across the region.