GIS capacity building for risk management to help developing countries. Case of climate change problem in Amhara rural region (Ethiopia)

Mission of the project

The overall goal of the collaboration between UJI and BDU is to reduce the risk of climate change-induced disasters and food insecurity by optimizing the understanding and utilization of geospatial data by the local community.

Objectives

• Analysis the gaps and constraints to effectively utilizing data and information within a GIS to inform decision-making, defining the specific conditions and needs in the region.
• Collaborate with the University of Bahir Dar (Amhara region capital city) supporting the establishment of a GIS Laboratory in their campus, in terms of equipments, software and training.
• Contribute to increase the awareness of the available geographical and map information among the local community in the region of Amhara.
• Lead training courses/workshops of GIS software (gvSIG) at BDU so that they can manage the geographical information in a better way, improve their knowledge on this field and spread it to other actors, with the aim that the applications of GIS competencies could be useful for facing food security issue.
• To promote the creation of a future joint teaching e-learning program on GIS and food security.
• Help to implement a simple Spatial Data Infrastructure with the existing data in the region in order to improve the access to them, using Open Source technologies as a priority.
• To support BDU in the introduction of activities for rural community development, such as hazard/vulnerability mapping and data collection to promote food security in the Amhara Region, with the participation of local representatives (small farmers and associations) who will act as multipliers in their communities.

Project milestones

1. SWOT analysis: strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats

2. GIS plan

   • GIS lab

     • Equipment

     • Software: GIS Desktop comparision → GIS desktop choice

     • Training

       • Phase I: seminar on GIS software, tools and analysis

       • Phase II: seminar on GIS, GPS, tablet use, etc

   • Data

     • Experts

     • Communities

   • Risk Mapping

     • Hazard/vulnerability Research

   • SDI

Bibliography

[1] Anguix A., Díaz L. (2008), “gvSIG: A GIS desktop solution for an open SDI”, Journal of Geography and Regional Planning Vol. 1(3), pp. 041-048.

http://www.academicjournals.org/JGRP/PDF/Pdf2008/May/Anguix%20and%20D%EDaz%20.pdf; Date of query: December 2010, Last update of the website: May 2008.

[2] Gavin E., Building SDI in Africa: a South African experience. Hatfield, Pretoria, South Africa

[3] Muhwezi B.J., Consolidating efforts for achieving a sustainable SDI in Uganda. Geoinformation Services, Uganda Bureau of Statistics.

[4] Qadir U., (2009). Integrating Climate Information into Humanitarian Efforts, Final Report.

[5] Suarez P. (2009), Linking Climate Knowledge and Decisions: Humanitarian Challenges

[6] Global SDI Association: http://www.gsdi.org/ and “SDI Cookbook”

[7] gvSIG Project website: www.gvsig.org

Other links or resources

• 7th International gvSIG Conference:

  • Presented material:

    • Presentation ( 1.9 MB)

    • Video (view at YouTube)

  • Article ( 173 KB)

  • Recording:

    • Video ( view at viddler.com)

• All metadata fields are mandatory except tutor data if the project doesn't need one.

• Both students and tutors contact information will not be published on the web page. They will only be available to the gvSIG Team.

• Please, provide at least one English version about the mission of the project in order to let the visitors know about your work. We want to avoid duplicated efforts!!

• The sections above are just a suggestion, add or remove them at your discretion.