159 Mitigating Risk and Increasing Resilience and resolution of spatial data has increased, we can get really powerful insights.” Alcis has 20 years of experience in Afghanistan and has worked in many other complex, fragile regions of the world—collecting data, delivering information products, and consulting on policy. Its clients include national governments, international agencies, banks, private businesses, and the United Nations. Understanding the Needs of a Population In places such as Afghanistan, where the chaos of conflict forces frequent relocation, it’s difficult to find an accurate map of where people live. Since 2017, more than 1.5 million Afghans have been internally displaced. Over the past 50 years, seven million Afghans have migrated to other countries. Alcis uses GIS, imagery, and input from residents to map the current conditions impacting the people and economies of countries in conflict or recovering from it. GIS provides a portrait of the situation, with workflows to reveal where people require assistance. The formula considers factors including population density, crop health, who farms highervalue orchards and vineyards, number of livestock, whether lights are on at night, the distance to roads and markets, and access to healthcare or education. With this information, aid organizations can see where to respond and learn who needs the most assistance. Alcis delivers insights to humanitarian groups such as the World Food Programme. Drilling into the Details Location-based analysis also revealed interesting trends in Afghanistan’s water usage and poppy production. Water scarcity is a cause for concern in the desert region, with the potential for widespread displacement of people if groundwater is depleted. Alcis uncovered a trend of farmers using solar-powered pumps to pull water from the aquifer beneath the desert in southwest corner of the country, with more than 100,000 reservoirs popping up since 2022. “This is just one house pulling water to irrigate those crops,” Brittan said, pointing at the features on a map. “The dark green is opium poppy; this is wheat.” Data showed that many of the farmers do not own the land. So, Alcis determined the most marginalized are growing poppy there and pulling water they need now but without long-term stewardship of the land. An elevated view of the Bamiyan Valley of Afghanistan reveals a variety of crops under cultivation.
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