Developing a web GIS for agricultural knowledge and information in Kenya

Abstract

Information is an essential ingredient in any agricultural project where the basic information r needs are for production, marketing and environmental information. Many different organizations and actors are involved in developing and disseminating agricultural knowledge and skills in different parts of Kenya, leading to a broad range of opportunities and needs for information transfer. However, there is a lack of a central widely accessible source or 'one stop shop' for agricultural knowledge information.

The World Wide Web (WWW)also known as the internet technology widely utilized in the provision of agricultural advisory services world over. 'Web GIS' refers to applications that distribute spatial data to users through a web browser. Because it is a relatively inexpensive way of disseminating spatial data and basic GIS functionality, web GIS has become widely used by both public and private organizations.

A web GIS is a suitable platform for providing agricultural knowledge and information because it is affordable for use by the general public and has spatial and thematic aspects that enable better visualization and understanding of complex technical agricultural information.

In this project, a web GIS is developed for providing agricultural knowledge and information on the World Wide Web. The web GIS leverages two main technologies: server side technologies comprising of ArcGIS Server & Internet Information Services 7 and client side technologies comprising of a web application (built with ArcGIS API for JavaScript 2.8) & a web browser. The web GIS meets the basic information needs of agricultural individuals and institutions by disseminating environmental, crop production and marketing information.