PAKISTAN - EARTHQUAKE: USAID/DART USING GIS TO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ISLAMABAD 017853 SIPDIS STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID USAID/W FOR A/AID ANDREW NATSIOS, JBRAUSE DCHA/OFDA GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA SOUTH ASIA RESPONSE MANAGEMENT TEAM SOUTH ASIA EARTHQUAKE TASK FORCE DCHA/FFP FOR JONATHAN DWORKEN ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER ROME PASS FODAG GENEVA FOR RMA AND NKYLOH NSC FOR JMELINE EUCOM FOR POLA/J3/J4/J5 BRUSSELS FOR USAID PLERNER NEW YORK FOR TMALY SECDEF FOR SOLIC/PKHA, USDP/J3 JOINT STAFF WASH DC FOR J3/J4/J5 HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE FOR J3/J5 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID AEMR ASEC MASS ECON KMDR KPAO OIIP OPRC PGOV PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN - EARTHQUAKE: USAID/DART USING GIS TO IDENTIFY UNMET HUMANITARIAN NEEDS -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. Since the beginning of the earthquake response, the USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has included a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Officer. The GIS Officer, currently from the U.S. Department of State's Humanitarian Information Unit, regularly prepares maps and information products to demonstrate the extent and type of humanitarian requirements and show the locations of partner activities. USAID-funded nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) recently submitted information on the coverage area of their activities, which was transferred to a GIS program and displayed in a comprehensive map. The USAID/DART used the map to identify unmet humanitarian needs and avoid duplication of services. The GIS Officer has provided an important service to the USAID/DART by providing the team with "eyes on the ground" knowledge. End Summary. -------------- Scope of Work -------------- ¶2. In the early stages of a disaster, maps are developed to show areas that are most severely affected, the number of people in need, and accessibility to the affected areas. Much of this information is reported and mapped as large polygons, each colored to reflect a single piece of data such as the percent of damage. Once this information is mapped, demand is often created for more detailed information about specific areas. -------------- Maps as Program Tools -------------- ¶3. In recent years, GIS has become an important tool for the humanitarian and disaster response community and at present is widely used in the earthquake response in Pakistan. The US military is using GIS for helicopter landing zones and delivery of materials; the UN Humanitarian Information Center and Joint Logistics Center both have GIS staff for production of specialized maps; and some NGOs are using GIS for information management. Additional details regarding multi-agency information management in the Pakistan earthquake response will be reported septel. ¶4. The USAID/DART is creating maps to track the operational locations of implementing partners in order to determine if needs are being met and if areas exist where people are not being reached. Maps are also used to identify gaps in coverage to enable implementing partners to expand their areas of operation to cover these needs. On November 17, the USAID/DART invited partner nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to a coordination meeting in Islamabad that included a mapping exercise. Each partner delineated their area of operation on a paper topographic map and the information was then transferred to a GIS system through on-screen digitization. The partners' working areas were displayed as distinct polygons. Once all of the partner program data was digitized onto one map, the USAID/DART had a collective visual representation of all NGO program areas. ¶5. The USAID/DART Program Officer held follow-up meetings with individual NGOs and took along maps showing the combined program areas as well as a detailed map showing the operational area of each NGO. The maps triggered discussions about on-the-ground coordination between NGOs working in the same location, areas where needs appeared to be unmet, delivery routes to the areas, and possible duplication of NGO services in a particular area. Partners were also asked to add any program updates to the maps. The changes were subsequently relayed to the GIS Officer to more accurately reflect the reality on the ground. ¶6. The USAID/DART used the maps produced by the GIS Officer to assist with grant proposal reviews. Program staff entered new or second tranche grant proposal information in the GIS to determine if the areas specified in the proposal were already covered, whether the proposal appeared to extend into an area with no previously identified damage, and to ascertain whether the proposed program location could be modified to cover an area of identified need. Information from this process was used to support funding decisions. ¶7. At a second coordination meeting on November 24, NGOs were asked to provide additional information for mapping. NGOs responded to a questionnaire that asked if partner programs were meeting all or partial needs for shelter and emergency relief commodities. They were also asked if they knew of areas where these needs were not being met. In some cases, individual NGOs were working in up to seven separate sites and implementing different programs at each site. Data from the questionnaire was then linked to the respective NGO polygons in the GIS by the GIS Officer. Maps were produced showing commitments for winter shelter kit distribution and emergency relief commodity distribution. -------------- A Replicable Model -------------- ¶8. To promote donor collaboration, the USAID/DART shared map products with colleagues at the UK's Department for International Development (DFID). Recognizing the value of the GIS program, DFID has begun to implement a similar program to map the program location of DFID-funded NGOs. At DFID's request, the GIS Officer is providing assistance in duplicating the same model with DFID-funded NGOs. -------------- Value Added for USAID Mission -------------- ¶9. USAID/Pakistan requested the assistance of the GIS Officer in identifying and testing GIS software for possible use in the Mission. To more effectively display the geographical coverage of programs, USAID/Pakistan aims to import spreadsheets with location coordinates into a comprehensive map. The GIS Officer recently gave a one-hour GIS presentation and demonstrated ways that GIS tools can be useful for program management. The Mission plans to use maps created by the GIS Officer designed to track the locations of USAID-funded earthquake activities as a starting point for reconstruction planning, thereby allowing USAID to build on existing relationships with local government officials, NGOs, and other stakeholders. CROCKER