Grant Amount: US$ 8,902

Keywords: FREE AND OPEN SOURCE, GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM, CAPACITY BUILDING, INDIA, ASIA-PACIFIC

Geographic coverage: India, Asia-Pacific

Objective

The objective of this project is to develop a free and open source geographic information system (GIS) mapping solution for the Indian Tsunami Information Resource Centre.

Research context

In the aftermath of Southeast Asia tsunami a large and diverse array of organizations worked collectively on relief efforts over a large geographical area. This created a huge demand to coordinate complex activities and location data. This project aims to add a free and open source GIS/mapping solution into the existing Indian Tsunami Information Resource Centre. It will train organizations on how to collect GIS data, how to enter data into the system and how to use the system to visualize the data. The free and open source GIS/mapping solution can be used by any organization to GIS-enable their data.

Target beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of this project are non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profit organizations, volunteers, donors and grant making bodies who are contributing to the tsunami relief and rehabilitation work in South India and other tsunami-affected areas.

Outputs

• A free and open source GIS/mapping solution integrated into the existing Indian Tsunami Information Resource Centre; 
• Interface with the agencies collecting tsunami data, training them how to collect GIS data required by the system, how to enter their data into the system and how to use the system to visualize the data; and 
• Release free and open source GIS/mapping solution as independent software that can be used by any organization to GIS-enable their data including training modules for software developers to GIS-enable their tools using the system.

Research results and outcomes

At the time of writing no final report on this project was available although significant progress had been documented.

A key research contribution this project makes is the development of a free and open source GIS solution. The project team notes that obtaining the license or acquiring the software from a commercially available GIS system such as those produced by companies such as ESRI (http://www.esri.com) is prohibitively expensive. Using free and open source technologies combined with tools developed by Janastu (the Pantoto toolkit) allows users greater access to the significant benefits of powerful GIS applications.

The project is developing the Pantoto platform environment to allow mapping of a database to a geo-referenced data set. Because geo-referenced data is not available in India, activists go out and collect their own data using Geographic Positioning System (GPS) and other tools. Existing geo-referenced data sets from US sources are being used to assist with this process.

Work on developing the training modules is ongoing. NGOs and community groups have been trained in data entry and the use of GPS devices for entering geo-referenced data. The project seeks to train 50 NGOs in affected coastal villages over the coming months. The project noted it is waiting for the release of funds to undertake this training component.

The project sees potential for local communities to use geospatial-planning tools for community development. To this end, it has established a working relationship with villagers directly impacted by the tsunami and is planning to train villagers to use GIS mapping system for planning purposes. The project foresees that the visual documentation of environmental and or human impact on their surroundings will empower villagers to make claims with support of visual evidence.

The project team has developed the http://www.mapunity.org site. The site is equipped with features to allow users to add their own bookmarks to the database and maps. Janastu is working with others on the content and to build a community of users and practitioners around this website.

Duration

Start Date: June 2005
End Date: February 2006
Total Duration: 9 Months

Contact information

Jason E. Steward, Technical Director
Janastu
3354, K.R Road, Bangalore
Karnataka 560070, India
Telephone: +91 80 2676 2963
Email: jason@openinformatics.com

Website: http://www.openrun.com

Reference website: http://www.mapunity.org