Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is now recognized widely as a valuable tool for managing, analyzing, and displaying large volumes of diverse data pertinent to many local and regional planning activities. GIS is simply a part of an organization’s information management system. It is the component that best manage data with spatial component and provide platform from which data can be easily sourced, data quality can be verifies, the decision making process can be transparent, and data gathering times can be significantly reduced. This is an effort to develop GIS-based spatial planning and monitoring systems in participatory community development. It is easy to manage development activities on GIS as an effective tool for participatory community development. Attempt was made in this report, to explore how the participatory GIS has been used for community development.
This research report outlines the theory behind how GIS work, and the practical benefits and problems of their use for rural poverty alleviation project. In particular, the module seeks to provide practical support for those considering using GIS. Topics covered in the module include decision-making, data sourcing, data quality management, and GIS project management.
Throughout the module, there are real examples taken from across the villages to illustrate the benefits and potential problems associated with the use of GIS. Other aspects such as web, MIS links are also embedded into the module to other specialist GIS sites, including data providers, GIS suppliers and other members of the GIS user community so that anybody can seek further information.
Simple Google Mapping techniques used for village level participatory planning activities instead of social mapping on the earth. Participatory Rural Approach (PRA) tools improved with GIS technology and simplified for the communities to use in their village planning.
GIS is used mainly within the planning activities in the national level of the project. In this project, community participation is used as collaborative planning exercise and village level information published on web based system. Open source web GIS software (Map bender, Map server, Geo Server, PostGreSQL) were being used for monitoring project activities. The project can thereby monitor what is happening now, what may happen in the future and who is to be benefitted from the project etc.
The survey results and spatial data are collected from the web to the central database that allows for querying and reporting so that the decision makers can understand trends and spatial variations across the country to construct policies towards achieving their goals. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and techniques further introduces decision makers how GIS can be used to help make better community development decisions.
This research report outlines the theory behind how GIS work, and the practical benefits and problems of their use for rural poverty alleviation project. In particular, the module seeks to provide practical support for those considering using GIS. Topics covered in the module include decision-making, data sourcing, data quality management, and GIS project management.
Throughout the module, there are real examples taken from across the villages to illustrate the benefits and potential problems associated with the use of GIS. Other aspects such as web, MIS links are also embedded into the module to other specialist GIS sites, including data providers, GIS suppliers and other members of the GIS user community so that anybody can seek further information.
Simple Google Mapping techniques used for village level participatory planning activities instead of social mapping on the earth. Participatory Rural Approach (PRA) tools improved with GIS technology and simplified for the communities to use in their village planning.
GIS is used mainly within the planning activities in the national level of the project. In this project, community participation is used as collaborative planning exercise and village level information published on web based system. Open source web GIS software (Map bender, Map server, Geo Server, PostGreSQL) were being used for monitoring project activities. The project can thereby monitor what is happening now, what may happen in the future and who is to be benefitted from the project etc.
The survey results and spatial data are collected from the web to the central database that allows for querying and reporting so that the decision makers can understand trends and spatial variations across the country to construct policies towards achieving their goals. The Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and techniques further introduces decision makers how GIS can be used to help make better community development decisions.
RURAL VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT IN SRI LANKA
Numerous changes within the development process are being taking place whilst attention is being referred largely on the participatory development approach. Most of the village development programs are aimed at infrastructure and livelihood development of the rural community and it is noteworthy that all such programs or efforts made in this regard were utter failures. The planning processes of the programs aimed at poverty alleviation in Sri Lanka were top down approaches and as a result, the actual needs of the rural community were not properly identified. Due to these reasons, considerable level of poverty reduction in villages is not yet visible in our country.
In recent times, more attention has been paid by the government on village development and accordingly, development programs such as Gamaneguma, Gemipubuduwa, Gemidiriya, Samudri, Maganeguma, aimed at village infrastructure and livelihood improvement and capacity building are being implemented successfully after year 2000.
Village poverty alleviation was the main objective of all such programs. Attention has been paid on the requirements of the village community such as village roads, service facilities, sanitary facilities, livelihood projects which are the basic needs that largely influence poverty. Poverty, which was the common target of all these programs, yet remains static and that has greatly affected on the results of those programs. Absence of program plan which identify the village requirements is an obvious fact to be considered.
As indicated by the above (Figure 01) maps, the poverty level of the districts such as Badulla, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya, and Ratnapura, Kegalle yet remains high. During the last few years a large number of development programs have been implemented by the government and other non governmental institutions.
Among these programs, Gemidirya Project is being implemented in the districts of which the poverty level is very high through a participatory development approach and in the The Project planning process of this program has followed the traditional participatory development process which lacks formal technical methods.
In developing rural areas, the actual need of the rural community should be clearly and precisely identified. For the Participatory development approach practical and technology and modern methods should be included and applied. Introduction of methodologies that enable the use of Spatial Data such as Geographical Information System as tools of decision making in this process is significant. The main aim of this study is to point out the instances where these modern technical methods can be utilized in village development processes.
The objective of this study is to evidence the possibilities of utilization of methodologies of the Geographical Information System such as the Participatory online mapping" GPS Mapping, Satellite Image Classification (Remote Sensing Technology) in planning, implementation and follow up of these village community development programs.
Numerous changes within the development process are being taking place whilst attention is being referred largely on the participatory development approach. Most of the village development programs are aimed at infrastructure and livelihood development of the rural community and it is noteworthy that all such programs or efforts made in this regard were utter failures. The planning processes of the programs aimed at poverty alleviation in Sri Lanka were top down approaches and as a result, the actual needs of the rural community were not properly identified. Due to these reasons, considerable level of poverty reduction in villages is not yet visible in our country.
In recent times, more attention has been paid by the government on village development and accordingly, development programs such as Gamaneguma, Gemipubuduwa, Gemidiriya, Samudri, Maganeguma, aimed at village infrastructure and livelihood improvement and capacity building are being implemented successfully after year 2000.
Village poverty alleviation was the main objective of all such programs. Attention has been paid on the requirements of the village community such as village roads, service facilities, sanitary facilities, livelihood projects which are the basic needs that largely influence poverty. Poverty, which was the common target of all these programs, yet remains static and that has greatly affected on the results of those programs. Absence of program plan which identify the village requirements is an obvious fact to be considered.
As indicated by the above (Figure 01) maps, the poverty level of the districts such as Badulla, Monaragala, Nuwara Eliya, and Ratnapura, Kegalle yet remains high. During the last few years a large number of development programs have been implemented by the government and other non governmental institutions.
Among these programs, Gemidirya Project is being implemented in the districts of which the poverty level is very high through a participatory development approach and in the The Project planning process of this program has followed the traditional participatory development process which lacks formal technical methods.
In developing rural areas, the actual need of the rural community should be clearly and precisely identified. For the Participatory development approach practical and technology and modern methods should be included and applied. Introduction of methodologies that enable the use of Spatial Data such as Geographical Information System as tools of decision making in this process is significant. The main aim of this study is to point out the instances where these modern technical methods can be utilized in village development processes.
The objective of this study is to evidence the possibilities of utilization of methodologies of the Geographical Information System such as the Participatory online mapping" GPS Mapping, Satellite Image Classification (Remote Sensing Technology) in planning, implementation and follow up of these village community development programs.
It is expected to direct each and every program aimed at a common target to a proper planning process and to set up a methodology to follow up whether these programs are being implemented as planned creating quantitative and qualitative results as desired. Accordingly, it is expected to introduce a process to design, implement and follow up process that is in compliance with the physical, economic, political and cultural environment of the rural areas. This will be a preliminary approach to a sustainable village development.
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