Janeth Erasto Mwakisole
My name is Janeth Erasto Mwakisole, a graduate with a degree in Environmental Sciences and Management. Later on, I was certified as a drone expert and geospatial data analyst from ADDA. Currently, I am a secretary and a drone pilot of a non-profit organization (GEOTE) that is aiming to solve environmental problems using geospatial technology and open data for sustainable development. I am interested in using drone technology and GIS to solve problems that arise in my community, empower women, and engage them in the drone industry and science and technology as a whole
Session
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), flash floods are defined as floods of “short duration with a relatively high peak discharge”. This rainfall driven flash floods are accelerated by a range of non-climatic factors such as unplanned settlement patterns and solid waste dumping into rivers, streams and channels. Lack of effective disaster response capabilities to flash floods events in Morogoro municipality and Ifakara Town Council in Tanzania has been linked to lack of updated maps and enough data that addresses risks and vulnerability of local communities to flash floods. In this context, local communities who are at risk and first responders might not be aware of evacuation routes and safe areas. This project was granted by WMO and Global Water Partnership (GWP) to SMCoSE YouthMappers as winners of Integrated drought management program (IDMP) and Associated Programme of Flood Management (APFM) Initiative for Youth led projects. The specific objectives were (1) Field and remote (OSM) community data gathering (2) Flood protection zones and evacuation routes mapping using GIS techniques (3) Project findings dissemination through workshops to stakeholders. The results are both web maps and base maps that show the evacuation routes and flood extent zones that will assist the local government in response to flash floods in Morogoro and Ifakara Town council. This project is at its final stages and seeks to share the knowledge and methodology to stakeholders and out scaling it in vulnerable communities in Tanzania and Africa at large. The proposed talk is a continuous effort by SMCoSE YouthMappers, a YouthMappers chapter at Sokoine University of agriculture who have been addressing flash floods challenges through community mapping programs.