Assessing the use of GIS in the poverty alleviation strategy of the West Coast District Municipality

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Poverty is a complex issue and has many causes which are wide-ranging with devastatingeffects. In order for these effects of poverty to be minimilised and contained, a povertyalleviation strategy has to be implemented in an effective and efficient manner. In order for apoverty alleviation strategy to be effective for the main stakeholders in the decision-makingprocess the various components of poverty have to be fully comprehended. The extent ofpoverty needs to be determined by employing poverty measurement techniques which willenable the decision-maker to use a (GIS) to store the poverty data. This GeographicalInformation System (GIS) enables the decision-makers to capture, manage, store andanalyse the poverty data. The GIS can be used to map poverty data and allow a visualdisplay of the poverty data to indicate where the greatest needs are and to allow that therelevant stakeholders and policy makers focus scarce resources and efforts to these areas.Therefore poverty mapping can greatly assist government with the implementation process ofthe policy process specifically in the West Coast region, where a Poverty Alleviation Strategyis currently being implemented. This implementation plan of the West Coast PovertyAlleviation Strategy can be much more effective if used in conjunction with a GIS for povertymapping. Therefore decision-makers in the West Coast District Municipality will be providedwith an opportunity to utilise the poverty data in a more effective manner which will improvetheir decision-making process thorough the assistance of a decision-support tool such as thevisual display of poverty in the West Coast region.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University