GIS As a Tool for Resource Management

With an example of Reservoir Site Location and Size Determination, at Kidunda, Morogoro, Tanzania

Dr. Phillip Mwanukuzi

Geography Department, UDSM

Definition of Resource Management

Resource management is a decision making process in which optimal solutions regarding the manner, timing and allocation of resource use are sought Resource management concept encompasses resource allocation and resource development

definition continues
Resource allocation is the spatial and temporal placing of resource use in a pattern that reflects goals, priorities and aspiration of communities. Resource development involves the actual use of a resource during a transformation of the natural material into a commodity or service to serve human needs and aspirations

Process of Resource Management

There are 4 phases of resource management
Awareness and organization phase Inventory and data handling phase Decision making phase Action and monitoring phase

GIS plays an important role in each phase of resource planning and management

Uses of GIS in Resource Management

GIS can be used to indicate where a problem may occur due to proposed actions or resource exploitation. Problems are impacts that could result due to proposed resource allocation and/or development Process modeling in GIS is analysis that deals with recognition of problems during the awareness phase

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In the inventory phase information on the state of resources and socio-economic conditions is sought. GIS is used to store data collected during the inventory in different formats Manipulation of data i.e. search, retrieve, production of statistics, graphs, maps and identification of cause-and-effect relationships

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Presentation of data in a variety of formats i.e. tabular, graphs, maps and video, showing future state of resources due to proposed action. GIS is used in the decision making phase to formulate criteria (the basis for decision), to formulate a decision rule (method of combining criteria) and perform evaluation (choice of alternative).

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GIS in this phase is also used to evaluate impacts of proposed action and to resolve conflicts when resource allocation is multi-objective It is also employed to assess the likelihood of action decided to be wrong. The decision making support system in GIS is employed in the decision making phase.

Locating Reservoir For City Water Supply Decision: An Example

Water storage reservoir at Kidunda area, in Morogoro District is proposed Area includes the Selous Game Reserve, the Mkulazi Forest Reserve, and productive agricultural land occupied by more than 22 villages. Based on topography, hydrology and geomorphology the area meets the requirements for dam location

Kidunda Area Setting

Criteria For Dam Location

Criteria (1) avoid settlement areas if possible (2) avoid the Selous game reserve area (3) avoid forest reserve areas (4) avoid high grade agricultural land value areas (5) have a sufficient surface area to provide the necessary quantity of water Objectives Social Resources Resources Economics Welfare

Employment of GIS
GIS was used to formulate criteria as a layer of information GIS was used to identify the kind of resource affected as a basis for site location GIS was used to quantify resources affected as a basis for size determination GIS was used to determine reservoir areas as a basis for evaluating quantity of water supply required

Evaluation: Site Location

Evaluation of site location
Dam at Site 2 inundates more village land than at Site1 Least impact occurs on reserves for both site locations High dam construction cost at Site 2 for 2030 water demand

Evaluation: Dam Size

Dam size evaluation continues

88 m dam has no impact on agriculture and Selous game reserve but the dam does not meet water demand requirement 92 m dam has small impact on agricultural land and Mkulazi forest reserve and negligible impacts on Selous. Meets water demand requirement for the year 2010. 96 m dam has negligible impact on natural reserve but more impact on agricultural land and meets demand for 2030.

Conclusion
GIS is an important tool used in resource allocation decisions. It enables an informed decision and forecasts the state of resources as a result of proposed actions. It explicitly reveals tradeoffs in resource allocation when a multi-objective decision has to be implemented.