Accurate Mapping: The first step to better Spatial Information Management by African utilities

Abstract

African utilities, faced with the challenge of providing diverse services to some of the fastest growing urban areas in the world, have to improve their management systems, especially the management of their spatial information if they are to rise to this challenge. This paper argues that for this to happen, urgent revision and expansion of large scale base mapping, more investment in thematic mapping by the utilities themselves, plus greater commitment to digital management support systems such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are necessary. Reviews of the status of large scale mapping in Kenya's major towns and the level of map usage at Nairobi's major utilities are presented as examples to support this argument.