In 2013, a research team from Humboldt University of Berlin analysed Dhaka’s satellite data for the period 2006-2010. Considering that the lack of knowledge on the spatial occupation of a city, in particular its informal neighbourhoods, is an obstacle to public action, the aim was to map the slums of Dhaka.

The study took place at a distance by remote detection using several sources of data which had been scattered and under-used up till then:

• Quickbird high definition satellite imagery for the period 2006-2010;
• “Slums of Urban Bangladesh, Mapping and Census 2005”, a report which described the underprivileged neighbourhoods of Dhaka in 2005;
• Older geolocalised photos and Google Earth.

This data was integrated in the same format into a GIS GIS Geographic information system: system designed to gather, store, process, analyse, manage and display all types of spatial and geographic data . An analysis of the impacts on public health was conducted, enabling inter alia the integration of informal dynamics on the development of Dhaka and environmental change. Data processing allowed a predictive model to be developed showing the trends in urban development and the propagation of pollution and disease.

http://www.megacities-megachallenge.org/dhaka3.php
http://gdi.geo.hu-berlin.de/wiki/Dhaka

Lessons learnt

• The support of a university for data collection, processing and slum mapping was a condition for success.
• Harmonised and geolocalised data in a public database can be re-used to examine other development processes and challenges.