Geograghical Information Sytem In Zanzibar

INTRODUCTION

Graphical Information System (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying data related to positions on the Earth's surface. Typically, a Geographical Information System is used for handling maps of one kind or another. These might be represented as several different layers where each layer holds data about a particular kind of feature.

APPLICATIONS OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

GIS can be applied to many types of problem. Among these are representatives of both raster and vector data base structures, both simple and complex analytical models. Nowadays, GIS technologies have been applied to diverse fields to assist experts and professionals in analyzing various types of geospatial data and dealing with complex situations.

GIS is mostly applied in; Agriculture (Agricultural Environment Management Expert System and Geographic Information System for Horticultural Crop Wild Relatives), Ecology (Biodiversity Geographic Information System), Map Management (SMAP Digital Map Management System), Meteorology (Climate Rainfall Map and System Rainfall Analysis for CWB), Natural Resource (Recreation Potential Analysis Model for Natural Recreation Site, Groundwater Recharge Potential Evaluation Platform, and Soil Database Query System),Tourism (The Seeded Tribe Tourism Guide System),  Transportation and Logistics (Integrated Information of Highway Bus Routes, Airways, Ports and railway stations).

   1.Urban Planning Applications of GIS in Zanzibar.

Master construction planning applications, especially for area monitoring (both on a sectoral and integral basis) , regional potential and feasibility analyses and site selection studies. For studies in which plan alternatives are generated, much more flexible design, optimization and evaluation tools would be needed in order to give GIS a dominant position in the development process. The vivid examples can be traced on the construction of the Michenzani buildings (By the first president of Revolutionary government of Zanzibar Mr. Aman Karume), Benbela and Hail Salas secondary schools, banks (like CRDB, Barclays’, NBC and Peoples bank of Zanzibar in Darajani, Kwerekwe and Mkunazini) and construction of Mnazi Mmoja hospitals which were located near the multiple settlements.

In a recent years, before constructing buildings in the rural areas in Zanzibar peoples are supposed to follow the city plan provided by the Municipal councils. The city plan enable the provision of social of social services like Schools, Health services, banking  to be simple and effective. GIS can also be helpful for the documentation of spatial plans and in the approval process for the development, building and installation permits.

GIS applied to a wide range of land management and land use planning issues including the interpretation and formulation of land use policy. Land-use policy can be interpreted within GIS using a modelling approach.Output in the form of maps showing areas in which land-use changes are more likely to occur, and statistics, graphs and tables summarizing this information according to a variety of specified spatial units. Such output allows land-use implications to be discussed. The predicted land-use changes can also form input for GIS-based impact assessment.

2. Tourism application of GIS in Zanzibar.

Tourism is the activity which involves the movement of peoples from one place, country, or territory for the purpose of learning, leisure or research. Zanzibar earn most of its nation income and foreign currency the tourism sector, hence it is the most important sector in the Islands. From The old part of the town, known as Stone Town, is composed of a network of shady, winding narrow alleys between old stone buildings with ornately decorated entrances and balconies. Numerous tiny shops here sell everything under the sun. Along the seafront are located several luxury hotels, the old Sultan's Palace (House of Wonder), the old fort, restaurants and the docks.

The geographical Information system (GIS) is very important in tourism sector because through maps GIS helps to locate the important tourist sites, tourist maps plays the role of showing sites, roads, ports and airport (i.e. Karume International Airport). Google maps plays the great role of providing maps and ensuring the continuous updating of the maps.

Also through GIS the country can advertise its tourism internationally though the pictures taken in the tourist sites.

I advice the Revolutionary government of Zanzibar to do the followings in order to improve one step ahead to achieve the millennium goal;

Firstly, the technology education should be improved to the students of all levels of education that is from primary schools, secondary, colleges and Universities by improving syllabus, supplying the equipments needed for geographical Information System (GIS) like computers, network connections, a digitizer, and scanner.  

The government should support the private sectors like Zanlink willing to invest on network technology either financially e.g. funding, reducing taxes etc or encourage their efforts in social aspect. Also the individual who invest on the geographic information researches should not be discouraged through heavy taxes or other limitation. 

The government should train the public workers on the digital way of presenting information and provide the necessary equipments in the working areas instead of depending on foreign for technician workers and equipments.

Various researches on geographical field aspect should be conducted digitally; these aspects include population census, infrastructure construction plans, National examinations, political elections, national aircraft security (Radar), land or marine, etc.