Master’s student of GIS creates first ever socio-economic atlas of Zimbabwe
A comprehensive socio-economic atlas of the Republic of Zimbabwe was developed by Alexander Chiundidza, a master’s student at the Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies.
The work was completed under the guidance of Elena Pudovik, Chair of the Department of Geography and Cartography, as part of the preparation of his master’s thesis, which the young researcher successfully defended this summer.
“The atlas, developed as a geo-information product, is designed as an electronic collection of maps. In the future, a web version with dynamic data updating will be created. The project is designed to overcome the problem of fragmented information about the socio-economic development of the South African nation. Data from different sources are integrated into a single multi-level system: national population censuses, household surveys and health care systems, financial reports, as well as satellite images,” said Dr Pudovik.
As Alexander Chiundidza said, the atlas is divided into four analytical blocks: demographic, social, economic, and environmental. It includes more than 50 maps, graphs and cartograms that reveal key indicators: from population density and ethnocultural composition to poverty levels, income distribution, the state of industry and the characteristics of agro-ecological regions. The methodology is based on modern GIS technologies and the principles of thematic mapping.
“The Atlas not only documents the current state of the country, but also illuminates the necessary path to creating a fairer and more prosperous future for all Zimbabweans,” noted Chiundidza. “The study revealed a deep spatial organization of inequality, characterized by a dominant urban core and a marginalized periphery.”
The first socio-economic atlas in the history of Zimbabwe, according to its creator, will help representatives of government agencies, local administrations, researchers and international organizations make more informed decisions, and will also contribute to the formation of a unified system of spatial analysis in the country.