- Governor Wilber Ottichilo says his county had no choice but to adopt digital technology.
- Ottichilo, an expert in GIS and Earth Observation, says the use of technology has enabled the county to map the degraded catchment areas.
The Vihiga government has mapped water resources through the use of Geographic Information System and Earth Observation for effective planning.
Governor Wilber Ottichilo on Thursday said his county had no choice but to adopt digital technology.
“We have mapped water systems such as rivers, streams and boreholes, among others, through the use of technology. We have high-resolution maps showing our water resources for quick planning,” he explained.
The county boss made presentations on Thursday at the Kenya Water Institute during a Geographic Information System and Earth Observation symposium.
The theme of the two-day event was 'Supporting Water Service Provision and Water Resources Management Through Utilisation of GIS and Earth Observation Technologies'.
Ottichilo, an expert in GIS and earth observation, said the use of technology has enabled the county to map the degraded catchment areas before embarking on restoration.
“We have used bamboo because it is very good for conserving water,” he said.
Ottichilo said GIS and earth observation have been used in the reforestation of Maragoli Hills and Kibiri Forest.
The county boss said technologies have been used in shaping climate policy, county climate bill, replacement of eucalyptus with bamboo within the county and riparian restoration programme with bamboo.
Ottichilo said all water pipes, levels, distribution networks and capacities are known.
“All the boreholes have been mapped, together with their water quality and areas served. We know where next we can put a borehole,” he said.
Ottichilo said the move has improved water quality and reliability in the county. He said water quality is tested, adding that more than 2,000 water springs have since been rehabilitated.
Ottichilo said 15 counties have benchmarked in the county on how technologies such as GIS and earth observation can be used as planning tools.
“GIS and earth observation is important for managing data, modelling and creation of new information,” he said.
GIS has analytical capabilities of overlaying data sets that are put together to represent what features are on a given ground area.
Out of these, more data sets can be created representing more information.
These data sets can be used for data modelling and data mining.
The County Government Act, 2012, mandates every county to develop a five-year integrated development plan that informs each county’s annual budget.
They are also supposed to develop a 10-year sectorial plan, a 10-year spatial plan reviewed every five years, and city and municipal plans.
The Act obligates counties to establish a GIS-based database system to be used as a tool for decision-making for the development of those plans.
Ottichilo said such technologies are useful as they enable rational decision-making. He said the availability of such information promotes public participation and transparency.
Ottichilo said maps can be generated down to the village level, thus helping shape how public participation is undertaken.
“GIS and earth observation defines the digital world and everyone must embrace it,” he said.