WHY DID WE CREATE THE FAST-MAPPING TOOL?
In research projects, report writing, intervention planning, status assessment, evidence building, and impact assessment, a mapping exercise is often required to represent the data on a map. It allows not only to visualize its geographical distribution but also to track its changes through time and identify patterns for better decision-making.
Often, mapping a dataset requires a set of technical capabilities, either performed with computer language data visualization packages or commercial open-access software. Therefore, practitioners that do not possess those technical data mapping capabilities could miss the opportunities to benefit from the advantages mentioned above or will have to rely on external interventions. Both will slower and stop their data analysis.
Through the Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) program, the AKADEMIYA2063’s Department of Data Management, Digital Products and Technology has developed an extensive experience in satellite remote sensing data processing and Geographical Information System (GIS). The team has trained hundreds of individuals in GIS fundamentals and mapping across the continent.
However, our experience has shown that participants still experience difficulties accessing GIS mapping software after the training due to computer power, licensing-related issues, and turnover in government agencies.
WHAT DO WE PROPOSE AS A PRODUCT?
To mitigate such difficulties, the AKADEMIYA2063’s Department of data management, digital products, and Technology developed the fast-mapping tool that allows researchers, development agencies, and governments, among other stakeholders, to map their data in an automated way without any required background in GIS mapping.
The fast-mapping tool is an open-access web portal available 24/7 and from anywhere globally; it only requires an internet connection, your data, and a minimum of eight clicks. The fast-mapping tool takes data in a table format which is the most commonly used for thematic mapping, and generates a downloadable map in an image format to facilitate the mapping process for the end-users; A template is available on the portal to facilitate the end-user data re-formatting in case it does not meet the requirement for the fast-mapping tool.
The fast-mapping tool is a client-based portal and ensures your data confidentiality. The data submitted to the portal by the user is not, in any case, stored or exploited in an external storage facility, and all the required process to transform your data into a map is performed at the user level. Therefore, anyone can safely use the portal with any data for thematic mapping.
Finally, the end-user can customize the final map before downloading with features such as the title, legend, police, label, and colors, among others. The fast-mapping tool can generate maps up to countries’ level 2 administrative level and for the African regional level.