All scales are relevant for the SL NSDI. However, for the purpose of organizing this foundation stage, scales will be grouped in the FGDS in three levels or ranges:
Large. The mapping scale for this level is 1:1,000 – 1:5,000+. This scale is required primarily for engineering level works including facility mapping and management, streetscape design, urban and architectural design and localized environmental inventory and assessment. This scale is suitable for all aspects of engineering planning and design, but does not preclude the need for site specific engineering work, including site surveys and the locating of underground utilities, before actual implementation.
Medium. The mapping scale for this level is 1:10,000 – 1:50,000+. This scale mapping includes urban and peri-urban areas. Data compilation for this scale may be carried out at 1:1,000 and generalized to this level. This level of data is often used for urban land use planning, transportation planning and analysis and boundary delineation.
Small. The mapping scale for this level is 1:100,000 and above. This scale mapping includes the urban hinterland, rural areas and other areas of distributed human settlement, farms, plantations and related issues, and usually depicts relatively generalized information for the entire emirate. Such mapping may be carried out using data compiled at 1:10,000 to 1:25,000 and generalized to this level. This level of data is often used for land use planning, natural resource inventory and assessment, toxic release modeling, localized groundwater modeling, soils and superficial geology mapping, and for assessing such issues as climate, emirate-wide groundwater assessment, and urban growth projections.