Workshop Explores Data Innovations and Earth Observation for Informed Decision-Making in Kenya
KSA engaged stakeholders in a workshop held at a Nairobi hotel on Data Innovations and Earth Observation to strengthen Decision support and enhance Urban resilience in Kenya.
The workshop brought together representatives from pertinent government agencies (both National and County levels), the World Bank, International Agencies, Academia and private companies engaged in Spatial planning and urban development.
This was to explore strategies to map and monitor the growth of urban centres in Kenya, facilitating decision-making and informing policy on urban planning. Central to the discussion was the proposition of establishing an urban observatory, which would serve as a centralised platform housing diverse datasets on urban and human settlements, and facilitating visualization of temporal changes.
Some of the highlights from the deliberations include:
1. ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐:
Discussions centred on developing a comprehensive roadmap encompassing data collection l, dissemination, analysis, and tool utilisation to bolster data-driven decision-making.
2. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐:
Various stakeholders presented case studies, offering insights into adaptable models for Kenya's context.
3. ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฟ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐:
Detailed discussions were held to outline the framework of the Urban Observatory, define its objectives, involve stakeholders and address pertinent issues and gaps.
4. ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ป๐ด๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐:
Recognising the importance of continuous data collection and institutional support, discussions highlighted the integration of tertiary institution students in data collection efforts and internship programmes.
5. ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐:
It is envisaged that the establishment of the Urban Observatory will play a pivotal role in empowering both National and County governments with the requisite data-driven insights to formulate informed policies, particularly in infrastructure development and revenue generation.
The workshop underscored the critical importance of data integration from diverse stakeholders, emphasizing its utility in driving informed decision-making processes. It served as a crucial platform for fostering collaboration among stakeholders and laying the groundwork for a robust urban development support system in Kenya and a Community of practice.
