Public bodies in Panama apply geospatial technology

About 40% of government bodies in Panama support your operations through Geographic Information System (GIS).

Technology that tries to bring answers closer to the demands of the population acts as a cogwheel between needs, territory and the offer of infrastructure, care or services, he believes. Rocío Vega, Esri Panama Manager.

The tool, which has been present in Panama for more than 10 years through various public institutions, became visible with the covid-19 pandemic through the implementation ArcGIS Onlinehe GIS mapping software based on the cloud that connected people, locations and data through interactive maps.

This is an operational dashboard that monitored calls for attention and facilitated the management of health authorities’ resources to respond to health emergencies, Vega explains.

Through ArcGIS Online, the location of covid-19 testing centers, the demand for supplies in urgent care centers, among other things, were monitored day by day. “A great strategy that is directly related to Epidemiological surveillance system of the Ministry of Health (Minsa) where, among other things, the distribution of cases, infections, hospitalizations, and deaths was monitored.

“The platform was implemented in less than two weeks and reduced patient response times by 40% to 50%,” Vega said.

In addition to the urgent health situation, conservation of the coastal sea, afforestation, transformation of urban dynamics in Panama are implemented Geographic Information System (GIS), having as a common denominator geographical space.

“Users can understand and decide where to apply strategies through a computer-driven real-world model,” Vega explains.

Just like him Ministry of Health (Minsa), other institutions such as National Institute of Aqueduct and Sewerage (Idaan), Ministry of the Environment (Mi Ambiente), Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama (IMHPA) and the Panama Canal They make decisions by generating data provided by the Geographical Information System (GIS).

Idaan responds to leaks and faults in its distribution lines by applying Geographic Information System (GIS) enabling them to identify damage, location and respond.

Among the success stories of this technology, an update Forest cover and land use map 2021. Panamawith the Ministry of the Environment, which marked the recovery of 3% of Panama’s forests.

The map represents a permanent result of the state of the country, the preservation of forests, through quantification over time, Vega pointed out.

From satellite images, they use GIS for quantification and comparison in different periods. Mi Ambiente was able to determine the areas where it increased, where there was a greater transformation and recovery of forests.

Among other important milestones in environmental protection issues are the weather forecast models worked on with IMHPA.

He Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology of Panama (IMHPA), from its predecessor Hydrometeorology, updated the databases of meteorological stations in the country. A finer grid with information on rain forecasts and energy production, Vega explains.

Meanwhile, Cpanama anal He is a long-time user of technologies and their evolution, watershed conservation, property management, operations and more.

Apart from the demand of the market and the world, the digital transformation of companies is the only way to be competitive and have strategies to understand where the managed things are, points out Vega from Esri Panama.

Likewise, this type of technology enables companies to be more efficient, optimize resources and budget more accurately, as well as focus staff where needed. This type of technology helps reduce risks by identifying project strengths and weaknesses, he explains.

However, a major challenge in Panama is the lack of a workforce trained for these new technologies. Esri has provided in-house training for a year that opens doors both within the company itself and injects into the labor market, offering companies trained staff through a network of experts.

Starting August 29, the ninth Esri user conference “CUE Panama 2023 – Creating the World You Want to See” will be held at the City of Knowledge Convention Center.

The conferences will culminate in the festival “Esri Fest” on September 1, where digital citizens who want to update their knowledge and be part of the geo-employment fair can participate.