Access to information has been a nightmare for informal settlement dwellers for generations. But according to Jeofrey Ditsela, GIS programmer at the civil engineering department of the University of Cape Town (UCT), “the problem can now be tackled through GIS and other spatial technologies”.
Ditsela will speak at ITWeb's first Spatially-Enabled Information Services Conference, on 12 and 13 May, at The Forum, Bryanston.
Presenting a case study on the use of a Web-based open source GIS prototype system, Ditsela will look at how to enable access to spatial information at informal settlements in Cape Town.
The prototype system he developed was a result of his investigations into what could be done to help informal communities access spatial information.
He says: “Selected communities in the Cape Town informal settlements are being given an opportunity to be involved in local planning decisions, report issues of service delivery, make requests for spatial information and submit ideas on spatial problems in their area to those in power.”
Ditsela says similar applications are being used in other areas like Ekhuruleni, Johannesburg, to map existing roads, buildings and other infrastructure and developments in the area.
The craft
The chosen communities use libraries, where they have access to spatial data and can report any problem to the city council. “An example of this is reporting a burst water pipe using the prototype, by entering exactly where the pipe is so the city council can attend to the problem.”
He continues: “This research project is one of a series that uses open source technology undertaken by UCT to determine the two-way flow of information between the public and those governing them.
“The system prototype uses the City of Cape Town Smart Cape Project access points, which use open source software and have connected computers at community libraries for bridging the digital divide.”
This was tested at the six Cape Town informal settlements - Langa, Guguletu, Nyanga, Crossroads, Philippi and Delft.
People can also request information about certain places in the community, he says. This helps people who reside outside of that community to locate places such as schools and clinics.
At the upcoming conference, Ditsela will examine how the prototype system was received at community libraries to determine how participants perceive GIS applications at informal settlements.
The implementation of sustainable Web-based open source mapping prototype systems in informal settlements is crucial in involving people who would not normally experience the benefits of technology, he emphasises.
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