TITLE:
Development of an Integrated System to Enhance Spatial Data Processing & Management for Planning Authorities
AUTHORS:
Clayton Lumwaya, Jackson Phiri
KEYWORDS:
Integrated Information Management System, Geographical Information System, Planning Authority
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.11 No.3,
March
13,
2023
ABSTRACT: In a world where there is constant data generation and processing, the
need for an integrated system cannot be overemphasized. The systems that enable
storage of large amounts of spatial data and must be made available to multiple
users in real time. Studies have shown that standalone desktop spatial systems
are often rigid and inflexible to support multiple data processing or demands
from multiple users. The integrated spatial management system was designed to address the above
highlighted challenges by bringing enhanced possibilities of utilization of
spatial data though improving accessibility, visualization, and processing
spatial information. The present work employed a mixed approach of qualitative
and quantitative techniques to obtain the desired result. Qualitative data collection
tools were used to collect field data required to design the prototype. The
research sought to establish whether the integrated systems are in use by the
targeted institutions, the findings highlighted that 71.4% have no integrated
spatial data systems while 28.6% have partial-integrated systems. An overview
of the architecture of integrated spatial systems consists of a well distributed
database linked to multiple tools and platforms to query both the spatial and
non-spatial data. The WEB-GIS and Mobile GIS interfaces were developed to allow
multiple users to access information through the web in real time and data
collection, respectively.