Introducing a web-based geo-information system at Lukanga Water Supply & Sanitation Company
Pipe damage | Photo: Uwe Raback
The Zambian water company Lukanga Water Supply & Sanitation Company (LgWSC), Gelsenwasser AG and Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband have been in an utility partnership for more than three years. Uwe Raback, geodata management engineer, is in charge of geographic information systems (GIS) on behalf of Gelsenwasser in the partnership.
The German expert's first assignment at the partner company LgWSC took place in May 2023. The main task of the visit was to assess the state of the GIS at the partner company and identify potential for improvement. The GIS data was incomplete and there was the restriction that only one LgWSC employee had the data on his PC and therefore it could not be viewed and used by all employees.
Uwe Raback had brought some analogue plans with him, which had been scanned by Gelsenwasser's geomatics trainees at the head office in Gelsenkirchen. These plans were to be used as a basis for recording missing GIS data.
Scanning of LgWSC plans | Photo: Uwe Raback
In addition, the question arose as to how the GIS data could be made available to all Zambian colleagues at LgWSC. The following had to be considered:
LgWSC does not currently have the capacity to acquire commercial software products and operate a comprehensive GIS landscape with servers and databases.
LgWSC's GIS department currently consists solely of one employee who, in addition to GIS maintenance, also works as a network engineer.
Back in Germany, the idea of setting up a small web-based GIS (WebGIS) was developed. This is because the mobile Internet generally works well in Kabwe. With the help of the free GIS software QGIS, Uwe Raback initially created an automatically generated, rudimentary WebGIS on a pilot basis.
WebMap in use on site | Photo: Uwe Barack
With a WebGIS, geographical information, e.g. pipes and hydrants, can be displayed in a web browser. Another important component is a cloud provider on which the WebGIS can be operated free of charge so that it can be accessed by several LgWSC employees.
Once the Zambian partners had agreed to the proposal to set up a WebGIS, including extended functionalities such as the recording of objects in the field, the WebGIS was created accordingly.
When changes are made to the GIS database or new GIS objects are recorded, the WebGIS must be updated manually, as this does not happen in real time with the current solution. However, Christopher Galla from Gelsenwasser has created a "recipe" for this, with the help of which the Zambian colleague can update the WebGIS quickly and stably and thus bring the displayed data up to date.
Map section on the PC | Photo: Uwe Raback
A second working visit by Uwe Raback to Zambia took place from 4 to 13 November 2023. This time, the main task was to familiarise other Zambian colleagues with the handling of WebGIS. The WebGIS update process was also trained together.
One hurdle was that downloading the current QGIS version with a large amount of data took a very long time as there was no broadband internet connection.
QGIS Download | Photo: Uwe Raback
The Zambian partners will continue to be supported by their colleagues from Gelsenwasser, especially when it comes to WebGIS updates. Being able to view the geo-referenced WebMap on a mobile phone or PC at any time is already a real added value for LgWSC, e.g. when repairing pipe damage. In the case of the pipe damage in the first image above, however, no pipes were shown in the WebMap. The WebMap can therefore also be used to identify areas where the GIS database is incomplete.
Therefore, LgWSC now has to complete the GIS database step by step and use the WebMap consistently in everyday life. In the future, surveying using GPS may also become an issue.
The example of the use of GIS at Lukanga shows that solutions from the German context cannot be transferred 1:1. Nevertheless, the exchange between the partners has resulted in customised solutions that achieve sustainable improvements for the Zambian utility.
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