Outputs

• Set of specific GIS products integrating physical and socio-economic data, used for communicating the Nile issues to a wide range of stakeholders, and to support decision making;
• Strengthened GIS capacity at national level, in particular in using GIS for integrating information from various sources;
• Strengthened capacity for visual explanation;
• Expanded database, in particular of basin-wide data layers.

Background

GIS information products are perceived as geo-referenced illustrations of the physical processes driving the Nile regime, and of the socio-economic parameters framing the Nile development issues. Their aim is to communicate general information on the behavior and trends of key variables to decision makers and the Nile community at large. Cartographic products, when combined with relevant text and images, have proven an effective communication tool that is also accessible to non specialists.

GIS Information Products typically present average and approximate information derived from regional and global data sources. The products can be designed to integrate hydrological and socio-economic information. Their prime role is not to support the direct decision making process, but to serve as tools for conception, perception, education, and communication.

Consistent data layers of high quality with a basin-wide coverage are scarce to non-existent in the Nile basin. Remote sensing is increasingly providing basin-wide satellite images. These data sets, in particular when combined with field measurements and local expert knowledge, now provide the prime source of geo-referenced information for traditionally data poor regions. The project relies heavily on these international data layers in the development of cartographic products that cover the entire Nile basin area. Whenever possible, regional and global information are combined with data sets at national and sub-national level.

The development of the cartographic products builds directly on the existing GIS capacity in the Nile countries. The activity strengthens the national GIS units at the water departments through training and the provision of GIS software and computer hardware. Because the map products are produced at national level, valuable GIS skills are developed while the national data sets used are subjected to a careful data quality control exercise.

Examples

Blue Water Poster: For a relevant sub-basin in the national Nile area, counterpart staff has developed a poster illustrating the relative contribution of the various tributaries to the main river. The map uses a hill-shaded Digital Elevation Model (DEM) as background to show the relief of the terrain. The exercise serves multiple purposes. It is used to quality control hydro-meteorological data sets and to identify systematic errors - like missing months or erroneous units. The poster also trains counterpart staff in using GIS for visual explanation. The final product is an effective means for explaining the hydrology of the sub-basin to stakeholders and decision makers.

MODIS Vegetation Index Poster: Counterpart staff in all project countries has prepared posters with 12 images of average monthly vegetation cover for a relevant national sub-basin in the Nile area. The illustrations serve to visualize the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall and associated vegetation cover over the selected area. As a follow-up, the 12 monthly images are transferred into an animation for an average year.