Exercise Track: Larkana Flood Response

Overview

This exercise track focuses on the assessment of flood impact on the health and logistics sector. In this track, you’ll step into the role of a information manager analysing flood impacts in Larkana, Pakistan. You’ll learn how to find secondary data and export data from OpenStreetMap, perform basic spatial analyses identifying flood impacted healthsites, create informative maps, and digitise new data. This hands-on track is designed to build practical GIS-skills while exploring how geospatial tools support real-world disaster response efforts.

Context

In 2024, the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan in Pakistan experienced devastating floods due to intense and prolonged rainfall. The floods impacted the functioning of health services and impeded logistical access to different regions in Pakistan. In this exercise track, we wil use real data to identify which healthsites and roads are impacted by floods and visualise our findings in a map.

In a second step, we will prepare a poverty index map for our field staff and further create a security risk map. Due to a cholera outbreak in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and other Partner National Societies (PNS) have mobilized a team to this region. The primary objective of the team is to conduct a comprehensive assessment on the ground and facilitate coordination for any necessary future responses.

• Module 2 Exercise 3: Data Sources:

  • find datasets on the web using:

  • OSM

  • Healthsites.io

  • HDX

• Module 2 Exercise 4: Exporting OSM Data:

  • export OSM data using different services

    • Geofabrik

    • HOT export tool

    • QuickOSM

    • use the QuickMapServices Plugin

    • write simple data queries (for OSM data)

• Module 3 Exercise 5: Larkana Flood Response:

  • Selecting and exporting data entries

  • Select and Extract by Location

  • Reprojecting layers

  • Editing the attribute table

  • Classification

  • Create new layer and digitise point data

• Module 4 Exercise 2: Creating a Flood Situation Map of Larkana, Pakistan:

  • Using SVG markers

  • Importing SVG library

  • Classification

  • Create point layer

  • Using the Print Layout to create a map

  • Adding an overview map

• Module 5 Exercise 3: Security in Peshwar, Pakistan:

  • Using the QuickMapServices plugin

  • Digitising points with additional information

  • Using buffers

  • Creating point layers from CSV-files

  • Count points in polygons

  • classification

  • join by field value