My career in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for humanitarian aid
My career in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for humanitarian aid
My name is Pierre Tambwe, and I'm originally from South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A civil engineer with a degree in industrial electricity, my passion for geography and cartography naturally led me to the world of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The beginnings: a vocation born in the field
It was in 2018 that I discovered GIS tools, in particular ArcMap, through a training course given by a Senior GIS Officer from the IOM (International Organization for Migration) (view reports) in the DRC. The training focused on the collection of geographical data using Garmin GPS in sites hosting people displaced by armed conflict. In particular, we had to subdivide camps, identify blocks and record the location of essential infrastructure
After the data collection phase, I had the privilege of processing the raw data and producing maps for humanitarian actors, in order to improve the coordination and planning of humanitarian aid in these sites.
A rise in responsibility and skills
Between 2018 and 2019, we carried out around 40 mapping missions in several IDP camps in the east of the country. In 2019, I was appointed Team Leader of the GIS team, a role in which I consolidated my technical skills through online and face-to-face training.
It was during this period that I began the transition to ArcGIS Pro, while fully integrating GIS into my civil engineering projects, particularly in site planning and camp layout.
Professionalization in the humanitarian fieldIn 2020, I joined a humanitarian organization (World Need Help) specializing in information management as a GIS Officer. One of my greatest challenges in this position was to produce, in just two days, a flood risk assessment map following a major incident, in order to support urban management and the accessibility of humanitarian aid in the affected area.
Thanks to this experience, I quickly gained in efficiency, and in 2022, I was promoted to GIS Analyst, a position in which I worked on integrating cartography in the fight against climate change while supporting humanitarian operations.
Shortly afterwards, I was promoted to GIS Manager, where I now coordinate advanced mapping projects, particularly in the field of Web Mapping.
Today: GIS at the heart of humanitarian response
To date, the ArcGIS package has proved to be a powerful lever in my career, particularly in the humanitarian sector. My role now is to support humanitarian coordination teams in tracking population movements, managing space in camps, planning aid and making strategic decisions using geospatial data.
