APRI Conference Training: ArcGIS and Water Resource Management

Introduction

• Conference: APRI Conference Training, RCMRD International Conference (2021)
• Participants: 50 attendees from various global locations
• Opening Remarks: Focus on creating a global community of GIS professionals and interdisciplinary collaboration

Speakers and Key Personnel

• Monica Manzier: Industry Lead, Water Utilities at ESRI Africa
• Biko Olali: Industry Manager, Utilities and Telecoms
• Sydney Youngesa: Solutions Engineer, Natural Resources Industry
• Caroline Wangashin Viridi: Senior Research Officer, Kenya Water Towers Agency
• James Boga: Project Manager and GIS Officer, CODIO East Africa

Main Topics Covered

Welcome Remarks

• Different backgrounds of participants (GIS users, teachers, scientists, government workers, NGOs, business sector)
• Importance of forming a global community for GIS professionals
• Encouragement to ask questions and interact
• Team members introductions

Program Overview

1. Welcome Remarks by Biko Olali
2. Case Study: Kenya Water Towers by Caroline Wangashin Viridi
   • Integrated Monitoring System for sustainable management of water towers
   • Challenges faced by water towers
3. Complete GIS for Water Resources Management by ESRI Eastern Africa
4. Showcase: Enhancing Coastal and Marine Resilience by James Boga, CODIO East Africa
   • Focus on the western Indian Ocean
5. Q&A Session
6. Closing Remarks

Detailed Presentations

Work at ESRI - Biko Olali

• ESRI's global initiatives and support for GIS experts
• Use of GIS in addressing critical global issues: energy, environment, climate change, urban modernization
• Examples of ESRI's impact in environmental monitoring, natural resources, agriculture, forestry, land management, water sector, disaster preparation and response, imagery and remote sensing
• GIS as a key role in sustainability and managing complex global challenges

Kenya Water Towers - Caroline Wangashin Viridi

• Kenya's water towers: upland areas vital for water storage and biodiversity
• Main water towers: Cherangani Hills, Mount Elgon, Mount Kenya, Mau Forest Complex
• Importance of water towers in supporting various economic activities (agriculture, hydro power, tourism)
• Threats: human activities, deforestation, declining water quality, soil and wind erosion
• Role of Kenya Water Towers Agency: protection, rehabilitation, monitoring
• Integrated Water Towers Monitoring System: centralized data platform, long-term monitoring, stakeholder collaboration
• Use of GIS and remote sensing for mapping land cover, biodiversity hotspots, critical catchment areas, degradation levels
• Examples: Fence demarcation, rehabilitation, use of tools like ArcGIS, GPS for fieldwork

Technical Session - Sidney Youngesa

• ArcGIS for flood management
  • Hazard identification and assessment
  • Vulnerability assessment
• Field applications: instant apps, dashboards, story maps
• Example: Floodplain analysis and risk assessment

Enhancing Coastal and Marine Resilience - James Boga (CODIO East Africa)

• Focus on the western Indian Ocean
• Key issues: increased demand for food and space, ecosystem degradation, climate change impacts
• Importance of marine spatial planning
• Use of GIS for research and management
• Examples: mapping marine habitats, coral reef dispersion models, surface temperature regions, flood risk simulation
• Publications and scientific contributions

Q&A Session

• Topics included: transboundary water towers, data sharing protocols, GIS capabilities in marine and coastal research
• Feedback and engagement from participants

Closing Remarks

• Encouragement to utilize GIS capabilities in addressing environmental challenges
• Invitation for further collaboration and participation in future events