“This is the first time this community is on a map…” — Digital Community Mapping in Nigeria
Recently I wrote a blog about how the Nigerian Red Cross, with support of the British Red Cross, are strengthening their Information Management capacity, including GIS and Mobile Data Collection, as part of a Disaster Management Programme.
That blog was about what we were going to do — but what have we done?
Well, over the course of the year, we have run several activities that created maps displaying the capacities and vulnerabilities of communities that the programme is working with, and made any public data collected available online as open data.
The process to create these maps pulls on elements of the data readiness framework, building data literacy and data preparedness in the Nigerian Red Cross in the process — there is more on this in the previous blog.
Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCAs)
A Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) is a participatory process developed for communities to become more resilient through the assessment and analysis of the risks they face and the identification of actions to reduce these risks.
It is made up of several different tools, which we worked through with a community.
Two of these tools are Community Mapping — drawing and visualising on a map the resources, vulnerabilities, and hazards in a community, and a Transect Walk — walking through the community to observe and discuss the daily activities, the surroundings and the risks and resources.
In the Nigerian Red Cross and British Red Cross Disaster Management programme, VCAs were going to be conducted in each community, each taking 3 days. This started in October 2021. I was grateful to support the Nigerian Red Cross in conducting these in person.
To achieve our aims of building the Information Management and GIS (mapping) capacity of the Nigerian Red Cross, we saw an opportunity with the VCA to make a paper tool, digital. The intended results were enhancing data literacy — with a Missing Maps mapathon; enhancing data preparedness — with mobile data collection and survey design training; and enhancing data readiness — through the creation of products such as maps and by using OpenStreetMap to share open data.
Our Digital Approach to Vulnerability and Capacity Assessments (VCAs)
Below, I have written up our approach to make the Community Mapping and Transect Walk exercises digital.
1) Back in June, the Nigerian Red Cross held a Missing Maps Mapathon — volunteers from the local branch and members of HQ all joined in. Using the HOT Tasking Manager, buildings and roads were traced into OpenStreetMap from satellite imagery of the communities that the programme is working with. This created a basemap showing only building and road outlines, with no local detail. Local information would be added to the maps later!
2) Using the map information contributed to OpenStreetMap, maps of the community were created in QGIS by the Information Management Focal Point at the Nigerian Red Cross and printed in A4 and A1.
Working with community members, the A1 maps were used as a tool to initially identify capacities and vulnerabilities within a community. This aided with identifying a route around a community. The A4 maps were then used as pocket maps to help guide teams around a community.
The mapathon and subsequent map making, built the data literacy of the Nigerian Red Cross and highlighted the use of open geographic data, which could then be used to create maps if a disaster were to occur in the future.
3) Next, to create maps displaying the vulnerabilities and capacities of each community, we firstly needed to know what vulnerabilities and capacities were going to be mapped in the communities. Stakeholder meetings were held to discuss this and engage community members, stakeholders, and the Nigerian Red Cross. From these, a survey was created in Kobo Toolbox (a mobile data collection tool). We ensured that the survey could record features that were vulnerabilities, capacities, and both (e.g., a health centre could have been present - a capacity; but lack medical staff - a vulnerability). This meant that our data collection was structured and therefore map production would be quicker!
We planned that information about capacities, such as schools or health facilities, was going to be added to OpenStreetMap after the digital community mapping exercise, to facilitate the open sharing of data. As such, we used the OpenStreetMap tagging guide to support how we should ask questions about community features. We ensured that the survey had a GPS question, which assisted in creating the final map of capacities and vulnerabilities.
This supported building the data preparedness of the Nigerian Red Cross in best practices for mobile data collection and survey design.
4) Once a basemap of the community was made, and we knew what information we were going to collect, the Nigerian Red Cross then trained Red Cross branch focal points. These focal points lead on certain VCA tools, such as supporting the Digital Community Mapping and Transect Walk exercises. Topics covered included how to complete the Mobile Data Collection form to enable effective data collection and subsequently a quality community map to be made. This training is transferable to emergency response, where needs assessments are conducted using similar tools.
5) Next, we visited the communities and conducted the Digital Community Mapping and Transect Walk exercises on the first of three days spent with each community. Of the community members supporting all the VCA tools, a subgroup was selected, made up of different ages and genders. We then used the A1 maps with this group to identify capacities and vulnerabilities in the community, to assist planning a route to be walked.
6) We then split up into smaller groups to walk around the community. Groups walked around the community led by the community members, and when a capacity or vulnerability was identified, this was recorded using the Kobo Mobile Data Collection survey. Groups also recorded topography and changes in the community they were walking in. In addition, we talked to the community members and used direct observation to understand how people go about their daily activities. After this exercise, all the groups debriefed together. We discussed what was recorded and any community areas which had not yet been visited.
A top tip: Try to do the community mapping exercise in the morning; walking around a community for several hours in high temperatures can be too much for volunteers and community members!
7) Straight after the exercise, we downloaded the results from the Kobo survey. Working with other VCA leads we shared the data collected to identify if any vulnerabilities or capacities that were identified from the Digital Community Mapping and Transect Walk that were not included from other VCA tools that they conducted. This helped with planning for other VCA exercises on the second day.
8) On the second day, using GIS software, we then created maps of the community. Other VCA exercises were happening in the community concurrently to prioritise hazards. These maps displayed community features that are capacities, vulnerabilities, and both capacities and vulnerabilities. Once created, we printed these maps for the following day where we would verify the data we had collected with community members.
9) On the third and final day we went back to the community. Community members were placed into focus groups and studied the maps created. They identified if any capacities, vulnerabilities, and both capacities and vulnerabilities, were missing or incorrect, and drew corrections on top of the maps. We asked questions such as:
- Is what was recorded correct?
- Do you think they have been categorised correctly (capacity, vulnerability, both)?
- Are any community features missing from the map (e.g., community spaces, health centres, water points, etc)?
After this stage and along with other VCA exercises, the community worked through how and why hazards affect them. The next step was deciding what actions can be taken to prevent and/or mitigate a potential disaster. The community, with support from the Nigerian Red Cross, came up with potential actions for each of the priority hazards identified. These answered the questions: how can capacities be strengthened, and what actions can be taken to reduce exposure or address vulnerabilities? Discussion addressed prioritising these actions and defining how, when, where and who will implement them.
This is all summarised into a final VCA report shared with the community ensuring everyone is clear about the identified risks and the agreed actions. This can then be used to raise awareness, increase resilience, and mobilise support for the actions or share with other stakeholders.
A final verified community map displaying the vulnerabilities, capacities, and both vulnerabilities and capacities supports this report. Not only that, it can also be placed on a wall and shown to stakeholders! This leads us on to the final steps.
10) Using this verified information from the community members, also triangulated with other VCA tools, we then updated the maps previously created. We made large maps (A1 in size) that were printed and then handed to the community leaders to support the final VCA report.
We did not stop there…
“This is the first time the community is on the map, and people, the government, can see that they exist and have capacities” — Nigerian Red Cross
As mentioned earlier in the blog, we added any data that was collected that is public knowledge (such as schools, health centres etc.) to OpenStreetMap using tools such as the ID Editor and JOSM. OpenStreetMap is an open source, editable map of the world, owned by its contributors and importantly, freely shareable with everyone globally. It is widely used by humanitarian agencies and local communities during disaster response.
By adding all this local knowledge to OpenStreetMap we are adding “colour” to our plain “black and white” basemap we created in step 1. All this local detail is now online, on OpenStreetMap for anyone to see, use and update!
The Nigerian Red Cross with support from the British Red Cross as part of a Disaster Management Programme, has built its capacity in Mobile Data Collection and GIS (mapping). Expanding on a Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) exercise with communities, that was traditionally paper based, the Nigerian Red Cross has continued its journey to become more effective and efficient during disaster response. It has done this through upskilling in the data literacy of its HQ staff and volunteers with a mapathon activity; becoming more data prepared by creating and completing effective mobile data collection surveys; and becoming more data ready by being able use survey data and open data to create effective map products by and for communities.
It has been a pleasure to work with Nigerian Red Cross and see the changes in their capacity first hand. With thanks to the Nigerian Red Cross with whom we are working with in the programme and the communities visited.
