Technical Guidance → Mapping and GIS

Mapping and GIS

Relief assistance in the wrong place is no help at all.
Sharing spatial (‘where’) information is essential to avoid gaps and overlaps in response.

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) include digital mapping tools and ways to manage and exploit location information.

Get maps for the emergency

In the field, check if there is a UN On-site Operational Coordination Centre (OSOCC) or Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) – both will usually have a mapping service.
Reliefweb, Global Disaster Alert and Coordination Systems (GDACS) and other sites publish free situation maps. UNOSAT publishes maps from satellite images.
Don’t forget that conventional paper maps (even tourist maps) can be valuable resources – buy them at airports etc.

Collect mappable information in the field

GPS units can display coordinates in varied formats. Note there are several formats for latitude/longitude for example 10° 15’ 00’’ W or -10.250 deg (called decimal degrees). Other coordinate systems include UTM (see Additional resources).
Set the datum on your GPS to WGS84 for easy data sharing.
Using a GPS, save waypoints of places where you do assessments or other points of interest. Write down the waypoint numbers in your assessment notes as you go (for example WP004 = Chewele village).
Switch on the tracklog feature to record the route you have taken. This is good for recording where you visited during assessments etc.
You can download GPS data onto a computer using free or low cost tools like GPS Utility and share the data with partners.

Make your own maps

Professional-level GIS software is powerful but requires training to use. Open-source or free GIS software may also be hard to use without a lot of experience and support. In an emergency, consider:

Google Earth – free, easy to use and can be run without an internet connection if you cache (save) the landscape of your area first.
Other ‘virtual globe’ tools like ArcGIS Explorer and Microsoft Virtual Earth.
If you have an internet connection, try My Maps feature in Google Maps.
Cut-and-paste a base map from the web into PowerPoint and add points of interest to make briefing maps or for reports.
Photograph a paper map with a digital camera and import it into Google Earth or PowerPoint as above.