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GIS Technology in waste and disaster management

The initiative aims to map all the factors that can influence the exposure of people to environmental hazards and risks by merging technology and human resources.

Municipality

MW
Blantire, Blantire,

Category / Sub-Category / Topic

Environment, Environmental management

Type of investment needed

Grant

Associated SDGs

The challenge

There are human settlements located in high-risk areas that are vulnerable to environmental hazards such as flooding, landslides, and a lack of a proper waste management system. When natural disasters such as floods and landslides strike, they leave a trail of destruction, including damage to property, injuries, and deaths. Furthermore, poor waste disposal accelerates environmental and physical problems, for instance: waste blocks drainage channels, and also when flooding the waste disseminates disease vectors among other things.

Over 30% of the population of Ndirande township lives in high-hazard areas. It means that, only in this location, more than 22,000 people are exposed to environmental hazards and risks, increasing the likelihood of being adversely impacted by catastrophes. Besides, new settlements are also springing up in hilly places, raising the risk of landslides and other environmental concerns.



The project

Mapping the factors that can influence the exposure of people to environmental hazards and risks will be done by merging technology and human resources. On the one hand, GIS and Remote Sensing Technology, in particular, drone and satellite imagery data, will be used. On the other side, information will be gathered on the ground, acknowledging the relevance of human-scale and community participation. 

There will be initial stages in which hydrological, geological, demographics, economical as well as land use, and land cover data will be collected. There will also be time series analysis where past events will be studied and mapped including dynamics in land use as well as precipitation ranges over the past decades. The source of collection for this data is commercial satellite imagery data, meteorological stations as well National Statistical Office. The historical data will be studied to track the flooding areas in the study zone and areas prone to landslides.

Drones will be used to collect data in order to zoom in on the land. This data will be utilized for geospatial analysis, with maps of flooding and landslides being created by combining other preliminary data acquired for study in a technique known as Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). 

Besides, there will be a close job with the community due to the fact that the information collected on the ground will add value to the satellite and drone collected information, giving them the human scale and the neighbors' perception and interpretation of “its” reality.

The waste management system technique will comprise gathering information on waste management situations in Blantyre City and compiling a database of waste situations in the study area. The current waste disposal situation will be examined, and the system's faults will be identified. Information regarding the location of trash dumps and other buildings associated to waste disposal will be acquired in the field in the form of GIS data, which will then be correlated and incorporated into maps.  

Once all this information is integrated, it will be possible to assess environmental hazards exposure and provide quantitative results in the form of cartographical outputs that effectively represent the phenomenon in a real-world scenario in a centralized information system and aid decision-making. The initiative will map and weigh the triggering factors as well as the root causes of the environmental hazards and risks being discussed, as well as provide feasible mitigation measures to reduce the expected impacts of the hazards and risks, saving money and improving residents' socioeconomic well-being. 

In addition, the initiative also aims to utilize the waste identified in the local community using Geoinformation and drone technology in the creation of a cheap and readily available energy source which is briquettes. We have incorporated this based on the local community's recommendation as they were saying it is not enough only to identify the risky areas and then provide mapping for the government action. Therefore as a team with our partner organizations, we have agreed to start training local community people in terms of briquettes making as well as compost manure making. Briquette is a solid material made from organic waste such as agricultural waste. These are replacing the need for firewood and hence prevent deforestation. After the waste is transformed into briquettes the remains are finally transformed into compost manure.

Know more...

The initiative has been implemented in one local community in Malawi called Ndirande.

The community where we have implemented the project has changed due to the project activity as such. We see now people following the right procedure for waste disposal. In addition, the local government is now paying attention to the area in terms of hazards and also supporting the community with regard to the mapping action we provided to them for areas that need to be supported.

These are the actions that have been put in place

1. Mapping the factors to influence the exposure of people to environmental hazards and risks which has been done by merging technology and human resources as well as GIS and Remote Sensing Technology, in particular, drone and satellite imagery data,

2. Information has been gathered on the ground, acknowledging the relevance of human-scale and community participation.

-There have been initial stages in which hydrological, geological, demographics, economical as well as land use, and land cover data have been collected.

- There has been also a time series analysis where past events have been studied and mapped including dynamics in land use as well as precipitation ranges over the past decades.

The historical data has been used to track the flooding areas in the study zone and areas prone to landslides.

3. Drones have been used to collect data to zoom in on the land. This data has been utilized for geospatial analysis, with maps of flooding and landslides being created by combining other preliminary data was acquired for study in a technique known as Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA).

4. Besides, we have done a close job with the community because the information collected on the ground has added value to the satellite and drone-collected information, giving them the human scale and the neighbors' perception and interpretation of “its” reality.

5. The waste management system technique has comprised gathering information on waste management situations in Blantyre City and compiling a database of waste situations in the study area. The current waste disposal situation has been identified to be alongside the Nonsolo River and surrounding industrial areas

6. Now we are working to scale the initiative by recycling this waste in making briquettes and turning to compost manure and then implementing the same project in other local communities.

Every year during the rainy season in Malawi, there are reported occurrences of flooding. Floods are getting worse not only due to the fact that climate change causes climate events to present in an extreme way but also because there is a lack of infrastructure to mitigate their impacts.  

Blantyre city is the second-largest city (with over 800,000 inhabitants) in Malawi. Blantyre is the country's economic and industrial Centre, with 60 percent of the population living in unplanned urban settlements. Human settlements, on the other hand, have been expanding in areas that are not suitable for human habitation, this has been due to a lack of urban infrastructure and public urban services, thus some residents are located in landslide and flooding prone areas. 

One notable example of the above is Ndirande Township, located in the core of the Blantyre city, which constitutes the study area for this effort. It has been selected as three administrative areas, and according to the most recent National Statistical Census data, the population of Ndirande Matope, Ndirande Makata, and Namalimwe wards totals 73,340 people.

Over the recent year, the research area has been pounded by two storms, and the number of floods has grown dramatically (it has doubled during the last 5 years). These incidents have a negative impact on the 60 percent of the population who live in informal settlements, where property damage, injuries, and deaths have been experienced. 

Furthermore, in this area, as well as in the other Malawi’s cities, waste disposal management poses big risks for people, not only because they are exposed to pollution and disease sources, but also because waste blocks necessary channels for water drainage when flooded or it is mixed with land in landslides cases. 

In addition, decision-makers and technicians across all sectors of Blantyre City Council lack sufficient and complete information and action plans that allow them to plan actions related to urban planning, public service delivery, and even climate mitigation or emergency response.

The importance of data for decision-making processes is recognized globally as the best way to make the best decisions possible, let alone the use of GIS and Remote Sensing in analyzing such in urban planning. So, it is necessary to work on data development with the goal of better resource allocation to address more effective actions to ensure the wellbeing of the population.  

Technology places a preponderant role. Currently, GIS and Remote Sensing technology are the new recommended techniques for conducting the assessment. It is more efficient and cost-effective since it allows for faster essential decision-making based on timely analysis in the areas of hazards, risks, and catastrophe management. In Malawi, these techniques have not been properly employed in disaster risk response and management so far, instead of that, they usually use outdated manual methods only when a disaster happens and mitigation processes are not implemented yet.


  • Collect information The data will be obtained from satellite images, drone overflights, official documentary archives, journalistic material, and mainly, first-hand information from the community living in the study area. This process will identify patterns of river flooding, slopes along the route and changes that have been generated due to landslides or other factors. In addition, the areas of population settlements that coincide with flood or erosion risk zones will be identified, as well as mapping the final waste disposal points and their treatment trajectory. All the information will be cross-referenced and critical points will be identified where actions should be taken to generate the greatest impact in terms of improving the situation to be treated. 
  • Work closely with the community in the study area to develop social maps and include their perceptions and realities in the overall interpretation of the data. The information collected in the previous item will be validated and possible causes will be sought for behavioral issues including settlement patterns and waste treatment, which will help identify feasible actions to be taken by the community itself to mitigate or avoid its direct impact on flooding.
  • Regularly report findings and results not only to the local government authorities, but also to the community and other stakeholders in order to open participation channels and make it a transparent process that invites more people to contribute to the process, generate ideas for solving the challenge that the project faces, and actively participate in the adoption of the initiative.


  • Two (2) government staff members trained to interpret cartographic information and analyze it as a basis for evidence-based public policy decisions.
  • One (1) report on the historical analysis of factors affecting flooding processes that hit the city.
  • One (1) social map as a result of the work with the community that records the main factors of their way of life, including habitability conditions, that may make them more vulnerable to climatic events.
  • One (1) map of risk factors that affect flooding events in the city. This map brings together historical events and the situation of the study area in relation to floods, landslides, population settlement and final waste disposal patterns.
  • Five (5) meetings with local government authorities and other stakeholders to report on findings and progress of the process.
  • One (1) final report recording all findings, data analysis, conclusions and recommendations regarding climate change mitigation measures with special focus on flooding. 

Expected impact:

  • Improve the accuracy of policy decisions made in relation to flood disaster management, urban planning and urban solid waste management by building information as a basis for evidence-based decision making. 
  • A gradual reduction in the number of people affected by the destruction caused by floods, including loss of life, property damage and other costs associated with disaster events.  
  • Improvement of the quality of life of the people living in flood-prone areas due to the reduction of their exposure to flood risk, reduction of health risks due to exposure to inadequate final waste disposal, which acts as a vector of diseases, and provision and improvement of infrastructure that alleviates access to urban services as a scenario for their daily development.  

  • The Local Government
  • Blantyre City Council
  • Youth for environmental protection.
  • Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA)
  •  Academic Institution – African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA)
  •  Village Reach



  • Costly Chanza. Director of the Urban Planning and Estate Services, Blantyre City Council (c.chanza@bccmw.com)
  • Noel Banda. Project director in charge of the implementation process, social entrepreneur, and chemical engineer. Noel Holds a certificate in drone and Data technology and he is an alumnus of the Aspire leadership training and Mckinsey Forward Foundation (chadyamulanoel1@gmail.com)
  • Hastings Hatton. Holds a degree in Geoinformation systems and technology, a Certificate in drone and data technology as well as a certificate in essentials for hazard and disaster management. Works with the UNICEF international organization as a GIS Intern. Responsible for assisting with the implementation of the project as well as GIS operations in the project (hattonhestings01@gmail.com).
  • Mervis Nyirenda. Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication degree holder. Works with the Global Health Corps Africa as a communications officer (mervisnyirenda94@gmail.com).
  • Hassan Allison. Chemical engineer. Hassan helps in managing all initiatives for waste recycling and management (che-013-16@must.ac.mw).
  • Maclean Kumwenda. Biomedical Engineer. Works with the African Drone and Data Academy as a drone instructor in partnership with the UNICEF and Malawi University of Science and Technology. He is responsible for managing all safety and health-related initiatives of the project (macleankumwenda@gmail.com).
  • Isaac Maso. Chemical engineer with a Master's degree in advanced chemical engineering. He oversees the waste management roles within the team and project and comes up with new initiatives to improve their livelihood.
  • Thokozani Tauzi. Mzuzu Geological Survey. He holds a degree in Geoinformation Systems and Technology (gis-030-017@must.ac.mw)

Investment

(*): In kind/pro bonus

(**): Financing

Goods and inputs
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Safety boots (*) (**)

u$s 600.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 600.00

High visibility vest (*) (**)

u$s 150.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 150.00

Laptops (*) (**)

u$s 2400.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 2400.00

GPS devices (*) (**)

u$s 200.00

u$s 800.00

u$s -600.00

Software Licence: Pix4DMapper (*) (**)

u$s 873.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 873.00

Software Licence: ArcGIS desktop (*) (**)

u$s 800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 800.00

Software Licence: ENVI (*) (**)

u$s 200.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 200.00

Stationery (*) (**)

u$s 200.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 200.00

Training materials (*) (**)

u$s 800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 800.00

Services
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Drone renting (*) (**)

u$s 975.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 975.00

Training local government representatives (*) (**)

u$s 2400.00

u$s 800.00

u$s 1600.00

Internet (*) (**)

u$s 600.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 600.00

Data collection (*) (**)

u$s 600.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 600.00

Training delivery (*) (**)

u$s 1000.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 1000.00

Training the community (*) (**)

u$s 800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 800.00

Project evaluation (*) (**)

u$s 600.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 600.00

Human resources
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Drone expert (*) (**)

u$s 500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 500.00

Mapping risk areas: Expert for analyzing the results. (*) (**)

u$s 500.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 500.00

Impact assessment survey (*) (**)

u$s 350.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 350.00

Data interpretation (*) (**)

u$s 300.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 300.00

Map evaluation & Mitigation measures (*) (**)

u$s 300.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 300.00

Additional experts (*) (**)

u$s 800.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 800.00

Others
Funds
Needed
Covered
Solicited

Transportation (*) (**)

u$s 1712.50

u$s 0.00

u$s 1712.50

Airing Documentary: Newspaper articles & broadcasting sations for Public awareness & concern (*) (**)

u$s 700.00

u$s 0.00

u$s 700.00

TOTAL AMOUNTS:

u$s 18360.50

u$s 1600.00

u$s 16760.50

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