Embracing GIS technology key to optimising data collection

STAKEHOLDERS have been urged to embrace the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to streamline critical data collection and enhance disaster management.

This call was made during the GIS Day commemorations jointly hosted by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) and the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) on Wednesday.

GIS is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth’s surface. It integrates many types of data. It analyses spatial location and organises layers of information into visualisations such as maps.

Experts at the event highlighted the increasing importance of GIS in various sectors, including urban planning, environmental management, and mining.

**National University of Science and Technology**

BCC’s GIS analyst Mr Roderick Siziba said the technology plays a critical role in improving the ease of doing business for local authorities. He explained how GIS-based mapping is being utilised to identify flood-prone areas and monitor rainfall patterns, enabling proactive measures to mitigate flood risks.

“At BCC, we realise that GIS cuts across all our nine departments as it helps us. From emergency services to health, we utilise GIS in making decisions and reducing the time on decision making,” he said.

“We use GIS for disaster management, for example as we go into the rainy season, we have used GIS to map flood-prone areas and we know the amount of rainfall that can affect such areas. This has made it easy to come up with an awareness plan.”

In the mining industry, GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) are being employed to prevent disasters. The head of survey at the Zimbabwe School of Mines, Mr Linton Mapasure explained how these technologies are used to monitor vegetation health, detect potential leakages, and assess the stability of dam walls.

“The key advantage of using GIS in the mining industry is that it can help companies to identify and evaluate potential mining sites. It can be used to manage and track the location and availability of resources. GIS can also be used to track the availability of resources and prevent accidents like the Kamandama incident,” he said.

“For example, a coal mine is using GIS and RS techniques to map underground coal fires, one of the platinum mines is using the RS technique to monitor their huge over 10 years tailing storage facility (TSF0) and a handful of gold mines are using GIS in managing claims database.”

The Shangani sub-catchment council manager, Mr Kuthula Ncube, said GIS is important in water resource management. The council utilises the technology to track water usage, identify expired permits, and ensure sustainable water allocation.

Mr Cornelius Siziba, from the Mbembesi sub-catchment area, emphasised the need for increased investment in technology tools to fully harness the benefits of GIS.

He called for stronger collaboration between universities and industry to facilitate knowledge exchange and drive innovation in line with Education 5.0.