Some Thought for Training Planners
in the use of Spatial Data Development
4.0 How do we use spatial data in planning ?
To improve the use of spatial data in planning we consider that the following should be attended :
- Spatial data should be provided adequately by the central agencies to the users
- The accessibility of spatial data and awareness of the use of spatial administrators should be improved
- Capabilities in the use of map data of planners at decentralized level should be improved
- Planners should achieve a certain degree of self-reliance in preparing planning maps
4.1 The central agencies that produce spatial data may have to rehink on their role in the supply of spatial information for development planning. They have to think on the user end of the product rather than the production itself. We see that the national Survey Department has in the recent past taken very positive steps in this direction. They have formulated a national map user committee where many organizations and universities are represented. One of the main objectives of this committee is to obtain the views of the map user. They have also formulated two provincial map user committees in Central and Southern Provinces.
4.2 To use spatial data in planning one has to identify the availability of basic spatial data. The planners need to get basic maps so that they could produce their own planning information. One of the most important basic maps that are available for planning is the topographical map series. In Sri Lanka there are three topographical map series namely the One Inch Sheets. !50,000 and the 1:10,000 maps. In the latter series only about 30% is completed. These maps can be considered as the basic map information. All administrative boundaries are available in these maps.
4.3 Shortly after the start of the Divisional Secretary system resource profiles had been prepared for every division. They contain statistical data on population, natural resources economic activities, etc. However, they had been prepared in a rush, and the statistical tables and outdated now and not very comprehensible for causal user. These resource profiles need to be updated and more information and planning indicators presenting information or indicators spatial from is more desirable
4.4 Another tool that could be used in decision making is to have a good operation room in the Division Secretariat. This operation room should contain various thematic maps for example Population distribution, Population density, availability of toilets. Availability of electricity, proverty, landuse, soils transport network, hydrology, financial allocations and distribution to divisions allocations and distribution to divisions etc. Also it should contain bar charts and pie charts showing the monitoring activities of projects and activities in the division.
4.5 The most important fact is to make planners in the divisions self reliance in preparing spatial representations of data and plans. Although the usage of GIS technology allows the Survey Department to produce a certain amount of customized maps, one cannot expect that the Survey Department will be a position to cater to all mapping needs of all development planners in the
Country. The Survey Department has the responsibility to make the basic maps of the division showing the boundaries of the Divisional Secretary division, boundaries of the grama sevake divisions, topography, and landuse. Once this basic map has been produced the planners should be capable to prepare their own specific planning maps.
4.6. To achieve this many programs have been initiated during the past two or three years. The university of Colombo in collaboration with the Regional Development Division are organizing a three month training course where the participants are exposed to the maps. The Regional development division has also arranged a one month residential training course for planners where a module has been included in the use of maps in planning. In additions to this the Divisional Secretaries too are been exposed to the use of maps as a planning tool by the Central Environment Authority and Sri Lank Institute of Development Administration. Hence we see that in the recent past many attempts have been made to make the planners use maps as a tool. We cannot expect a result overnight but we are sure that in the near future the of maps for planning will be more and more. However this trust should continue for some time.
5.0 Recommendations
There is a need to train both the administrators and Planners to use the spatial dimension in representations, since maps are a very good media for communication of ideas and figures. The steps taken in this direction in the recent past by the Regional Development Division should be continued. There are few Geographical information System building up in various institutions. Hence thee is a need to introduces GIS into the University systems and also into these training modules. Computer based GIS operation in the divisions cannot be expected in the near future but at least in the central offices the need to have personnel trained in GIS appears to be a requirement.
