The Potential Role of the GIS in the Assessment of Basic Physical Infrastructure Facilities in Awka Public Housing Estates.

Abstract

This research examines the potential role of Geographic Information System (GIS) in the assessment of basic physical infrastructure facilities in Awka public housing estates. It was motivated by a desire to evaluate the status of basic infrastructure facilities in our public housing estates considering the rapid relocation of occupants to private estates and neighborhoods and on the premise that these are model housing estates. Also the rigorous nature in the manual method of assessment has brought so many constraints in public housing management. It identifies the quantity, quality, maintenance and level of residents’ satisfaction on the basic infrastructure facilities which are roads, sanitary and non- sanitary facilities, water, electricity, and solid waste disposal facilities. A total of five hundred and six households representing seventy-two point three percent of the total households in five habited estates in Awka, vizUdoka, Ahocol I and II, Iyiagu and Real estates were examined through a fifty-four item questionnaire and analyzed using Arc View GIS 3.2. Results obtained reveal generally that though the quantity of basic infrastructure facilities provided in the estates are fairly adequate, the quality and maintenance of these facilities are poor. The residents of the estates are generally dissatisfied with the provisions. The paper recommends for the digitization of all manual layout designs of estates in our Government offices to be stored into the system for durability, accessibility and flexibility. It also recommends creation of periodic data base for the public housing estates to determine the status of infrastructure facilities.

Keywords: Public housing; Basic infrastructure; Infrastructure provision