The Data Tool Box

2006 baseline data from the Danida supported
NREM Programme 2001 -2006

Royal Danish Embassy
8 House -Street 352
P.O. Box 100, Phnom Penh
Cambodia
Tel: +855 023 987 629
Fax: +855 023 993 065
pnhrpk@um.dk
www.phnompenh.um.dk/en

BACKGROUND FOR THE NREM DATA TOOL BOX

The NREM DATA TOOL BOX has been funded and developed on the basis of Danida's support to Save Cambodia Wildlife Atlas of Cambodia with the purpose to bring the data and GIS data layers of the Atlas to the public domain.

The Atlas of Cambodia can be obtain from the Office of Save Cambodia Wildlife in Cambodia or from bookstores in Cambodia and overseas.

ABOUT THE ATLAS

THE "WHY-WHAT-WHO" AND POSSIBILITIES

WHY: The website www.cambodiaatlas.com is the first of its kind in Cambodia maybe the first in Asia where data and GIS has been combined into the public domain with the purpose of sharing information to the public. The key feature of the website has also been to provide a platform for other partners in Cambodia to contribute to the sharing of information to the public domain.

The website is an interactive homepage where more that 5 years of maps (GIS layers) and data has been complied into one simplified homepage. Data has been generated from Danida funded projects and by use of public or other donor supported project data.

The development of the www.cambodiaatlas.com has been an interactive process with the software developer Aruna Technologies, Cambodia and features and options have been constantly changing over time to integrate more user friendly options and features.

WHAT: The current features of this website can be summarized as follows

  • View and pint of geographical maps (GIS layers) of Cambodia at incremental scales
  • View and print of geographical maps and social, economic and natural resource data by provinces, districts and communes
  • The "Search" tool provide a quick way of finding the location of a specific commune (in future also district)
  • The "Identifier" tool provide an overview of the basic data of the selected commune
  • The "Query" tool is a innovative data analytical search tool in which the user can:
    • Search 140 data set of all communes and print related maps and data
    • Export selected maps and data for reporting purposes and/or further analysis.

WHO: The starting point of the www was to collect and disseminate all data generated over a 5-6 year period of Danida support to Cambodian partners with a possible view that date could be be used as base line for future Danida support. However, during the course of development, the possibilities of providing ongoing and updated data for supported partners at all level of government were identified to be very useful and relevant. At mid 2007 it is possible for:

  • National level government (and others) institutions to obtain social, economic and natural resource data and associated maps by province, districts and commune councils
  • The civil society, NGO and researchers and universities can locate, combine and extract data form the www and download this data for further research and analysis
  • Provincial and district level administrations (with internet access) can in advance of projects visits, meetings and follow up etc. search for relevant data on the place to visit and be provided with an overview of issues on the specific locations

POSSIBILITIES: Additional functionalities and uses have been identified and further developed and implemented by CDC Programme Partner of Danida/DFID. Already inbuilt features are the possibility to:

  • Add more and updating of maps (GIS layers). This could be school or health centre catchments areas, forest cover assessment 2006, protected parks, new soil maps, flooding maps etc.
  • Additional data such as health, school, MoP and commune data 2006 and further any other data, which follow the design and format, established.

Under the Danida/DFIF supported NRML Programme 2006-2010 further development is being planned to provide "Push Bottom" (like Goggle Earth) for individual local level activities located and placed by partners of the programme. This feature will provide an interactive dissemination and communication tool between all partners. This tool may be extended to other users and the public in general and provide new information and a community room for engagements and debate.

Data and clearinghouse functions: The website has been designed by Danida/CDC and software developed with Aruna Technologies. The website is fully functional up to 1. May 2008 with a possibility for updating of data and maps according to specific quality and specifications defined. Map layers should have a specific characteristic before it can be uploaded on the webpage. The technical requirements for the map layers are: Map datum: Indian Thailand 1960, Everest. Projection: UTM. Any irregularities on the map layer mean that there are costs involved. Aruna will calculate these for you and will send a proposal before uploading.

To ensure data harmonization and compatibility of data, addition data and maps need to be verified and consolidated by the Multi Donor Livelihood Facility (MDLF) and Aruna Tech before posting on the website. On this site there is a metadata form, which can be downloaded, where new map layers and or map layers for updating can be requested. This form will be send to MDLF for approval and then to Aruna. Normally the new map layer should be uploaded within 14 days.

Danida and Aruna has enter into and agreement with the exclusive copy right for the use of this website. With allow other institution and organisation in Cambodia to participate in the project.

Technical questions can be directed to Aruna whereas user needs and possibilities can be directed to Danida which also authorize the uploading of new data.