GIS and Remote Sensing Based Assessment of Malaria Risk Mapping for Boricha Woreda, Ethiopia
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Date
2010-06
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Addis Ababa Universty
Abstract
Ethiopia is a predominantly malaria prone country like most sub Saharan African countries with about 75% of the landscape being favorable for the breeding of malaria vector. This study aims to explore how the interplay between environmental factors, GIS and Remote Sensing could be applied for the identification, mapping of malaria risk and contribute to the prevention and control efforts of malaria in Boricha Woreda of Sidama Zone. The study reveals that ability of GIS and remote sensing to deal with large data sets and incorporate satellite images makes it easy to analyze the environmental determinants of malaria. For mapping malaria hazard areas at Boricha Woreda seven parameters were selected. The parameters include rainfall, temperature, altitude, soil, slope, distance from swamp areas, and distance from rivers. These layers were combined by using weighted multi criteria evaluation. Similarly, risk map was developed depending on the malaria hazard layer, land use/land cover, distance from ponds and population density layers of the study area. The resulting malaria hazard map depicts that 14.5percent, 74.3percent and 11.2percent of the total area is subject to moderate, high and very high level of malaria hazard. The risk map produced from the overlay analysis of the four parameters shows as a result 5.0percent, 46.5percent, 24.3percent and 24.2percent of the total area is subject to very high, high, moderate and low to malaria risk respectively. In general, most of the kebeles in the study area are subject to moderate, high and very high risk of malaria. Among them Konsore Chefa is almost fully in very high malaria risk. Most part of Hanja Chefa, and Elawo Orfe and some part of Etawo Dawale, Alawo Siso, Dila Arfe, Hanja Goro and Belela are subject to very high risk of malaria, moreover the remaining part of these Kebeles is under high risk of malaria. In conclusion, more than 85percent of the total area is highly exposed to malaria hazard and over 51percent of the total area is under high and very high risk of malaria. Since maps of malaria risk are considered as one of the very vital input it is therefore, critical to use them in every aspect of planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of any development processes as well as malaria eradication and prevention program in the Woreda.
Key words: GIS, Malaria, Remote Sensing, Risk and Weighted Overlay
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Keywords
GIS, Malaria, Remote Sensing, Risk and Weighted Overlay