The Zaatari refugee camp located in northern Jordan is home to more than 80,000 refugees. These refugees are making the most out of their current circumstances, constructing metal caravans mixed with tents and other materials for shelter in an effort to, “create a sense of home” for themselves [i]. Early in 2015, geographer Brian Tomaszewski visited this refugee location along with other researchers with the intention of studying the wireless and information infrastructure of the camp. During his time spent at the camp, he observed the living situation of its inhabitants as well as the geographic complexity of the camp itself. It was evident that the current state these people were experiencing was deeply challenging and taxing, as they were all trying to rebuild their lives in order to give themselves and their families a better chances of survival and potential opportunities in the future. It is important to comprehend that individuals with a developed comprehension of geographic implications recognize that, “places are also a strong influence, for better or worse, on people’s physical well-being, their opportunities, their lifestyle choices... and are the sites of innovation and change, of resistance and conflict” [iv]. With the introduction of GIS technology into the lives of the refugees, they were able to increase their geographic awareness, and consequently, improve their chances of protecting their livelihood.
With his nuanced understanding of this significance, Brian assessed the lack of geographical awareness as well as the unsatisfactory status of the camp’s maps. These various shortcomings include, “keeping track of the electrical grid, understanding where people live within the camp, and locating other important resources, such as schools, mosques and health centers” [i]. The Zaatari camp officials had some maps in their possession, but they often failed to reflect the most recent status of the camp’s geographical layout, as it was so susceptible to frequent changes. In order to better equip the refugees with their own geographical knowledge, Brian decided to conduct an experiment with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in hopes of providing the refugees with some much-needed insights into the space that they occupied. Geographical Information systems, “store geographic data and allow their manipulation and representation” [x]. They are also continuing, “to gain important recognition from disaster practitioners and academic researchers during what is arguably the most publicly visible disaster management phase – disaster response” [ii]. Brian further explains in his published journal article that, “the inherent geographic nature of displacement in refugee camps is requiring further use of Geographic Information Systems technology for community-based information and asset management. Additionally, refugees have a fundamental need for livelihood development in host countries due to the protracted nature of displacement” [iii]. The experiment that he planned to conduct would hopefully lead to the creation of more recent and relevant maps of the camp as well as the education of its residents with valuable GIS training.
Providing individuals in refugee camps with the ability to effectively utilize and navigate maps as well as accurately represent their own locations spatially using Geographic Information Systems will provide them with ability to increase their livelihood potential as well as get paying jobs in Zaatari and elsewhere that require the knowledge of GIS. Aside from the practical advantages of their GIS education, refugees have also been found to experience the empowerment effect that technology education and livelihood development can bring to the camp residents. In the case of a humanitarian emergency, mapping typically does not take precedence over the other basic essentials such as food, water, and shelter. However, Brian was able to find that having access accurate maps stands as one of the more helpful tools to have in response to disaster or emergency circumstances. His experiments that he conducted at the camps offered insights into how modern digital mapping tools have been essential for locating resources and making decisions in a number of crises, “from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti to the refugee influx in Rwanda” [i]. With this information in mind, Brian began to see the potential for refugees to create and adapt their own maps to achieve the most accurate representations of their areas.
While there are individuals that stand firm in their view that professional geographers and cartographers should be in control of generating maps, it is easy to ignore the innate knowledge of the geographical intricacies that the local inhabitants possess. Their advantage should be utilized in generating updated maps that are able to portray a more holistic representation of the space. Brian asserted that, “they have intimate knowledge of the camp’s layout, understand where important resources are located and benefit most from camp maps” [i]. It is important to recognize who is given primacy in the visualization of maps, because there can be a relationship barrier between who is creating the map and who is intended to actually use the map. In the case of the refugees, it was evident that the maps they had access to prior were insufficient representations of their locations, limiting their spatial and geographic knowledge of their surroundings and inhibiting their ability to act efficiently in the case of a crisis.
In order to begin the GIS training with the refugees, Brian’s team collaborated with the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees and Al-Balqa and Princess Sumaya universities in Jordan. During the 18 month training sessions, the team taught the cmap residents skills and concepts such as, “coordinate stems, map projections, map design and geographic visualization” as well as, “how to collect spatial data in the field using GPS” [i]. With these new skill sets, the refugees were then able to translate this knowledge by mapping locations of interest like schools, mosques, and shops. The refugees also spent time learning how to map data using mobile phones, subsequently used to support a wide array of camp activities and update camp reference maps. The ultimate goal was to have the refugees be self-sufficient and independent in their ability to use this technology, and relatively soon after, the camp residents were able to map professionally and serve camp management staff as well as themselves.
In conclusion, GIS could help refugees create a better future for themselves and their future homes. If people return to their home countries, maps – essential to activities like construction and transportation – can aid the rebuilding process. If they adopt a new home country, they may find they have marketable skills [i]. Computer programming, web development, and other traditional IT skills often take precedence over GIS in regard to refugee technology training. However, I would argue that GIS should be given equal importance. It offers a rich and interactive way to learn about people, places and spatial skills – things that I think the world in general needs more of. Refugees could help lead the way [i].
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