Web-based GIS Approach to Enhance Public Participation in Development Planning: Developing The Emuhaya Constituency WebGIS Portal

Abstract

This paper presents an approach taken in the implementation of a community webGIS portal. Local community empowerment and inclusion in resources planning and management were the key objectives of the project. A hybrid Y-Model methodology for webGIS development was adopted. The methodology splits up the development activities into two clear lines; the GIS development and Web development lines before integrating the two into a single product. The findings of the project indicate that disseminating information about the presence of a community webGIS will greatly influence its effectiveness. Community literacy levels also directly influence usability of the platform. Most users at the community level lack the expert technical competence it is therefore important to maintain simplicity in design and content presentation on the webGIS. The developed system leverages on web technologies to integrate data from disparate sources and make the same seamlessly available during the planning process.