SADC Groundwater Information Portal (SADC-GIP) User Manual

Transcription

1 SADC Groundwater Information Portal (SADC-GIP) User Manual version 20 July 2017

2 Program / Client: Project: Southern African Development Community - Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI) Resuscitating the SADC Hydrogeological Map Report title: SADC Groundwater Information Portal (SGIP) User Manual Date: 20 July 2017 Version: Version 2 Organization Name: International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC) Address: Westvest AX Delft The Netherlands Website: Point of Contact G.J Nijsten geert-jan.nijsten@un-igrac.org

3 Contents Colophon Introduction to SADC Groundwater Information Portal Viewer Interface (identical for public and protected viewer) Layer panel Catalog Active layers Additional functionalities Main menu and tools Query Add a map from an external source (add WMS layer) Map View Feature panel Password Protected Workspace and Viewer How to register Protected Workspace User roles and authorisations Accessing the protected workspace Viewing private layers Managing layers Uploading map data Create Legend (SLD) Uploading documents (.pdf /.jpeg) to MIM Searching documents in the Meta Information Module P a g e 1

4 Colophon This is the User Manual for the SADC Groundwater Information Portal (SADC-GIP). SADC-GIP is an online portal, which IGRAC has set up for the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI). IGRAC has been contracted by SADC-GIMI to execute the project Resuscitating the SADC Hydrogeological Map. The SADC-Hydrogeological Map has been compiled in 2010 in the SADC Hydrogeological Mapping Project (SADC HGM project). The results of that project were published on-line in an interactive web portal. The original web portal is no longer functional. With the current project SADC-GMI aims to reinstate the SADC Hydrological Map online. This manual will be updated when new functionality becomes available. Version history: - Version 2-20 July Version 1-3 May 2017 The SADC-GIP is accessible via: The system has a public viewer accessible to anyone, and a password protected viewer which contains more information and which allows download of data and maps. If you would like to gain access to the password protected viewer please contact the SADC-GIP manager: SADC-GMI: info@sadc-gmi.org or contact the system administrator: IGRAC: info@un-igrac.org Published by: IGRAC Delft The Netherlands P a g e 2

5 1 Introduction to SADC Groundwater Information Portal The SADC Groundwater Information Portal (SADC-GIP) is a map-based information system providing access to the harmonised SADC Hydrogeological Map and Atlas. The map and atlas were developed in 2010 under the SADC Regional Groundwater Management Programme to provide an overview of the groundwater resources in the SADC region. The original web viewer became dysfunctional, and with the SADC-GIP this important groundwater information is revived again. The newly developed SADC Groundwater Information portal also gives access to other groundwater relevant maps like the Global Groundwater Vulnerability Map to Floods and Droughts from the World-wide Hydrogeological Mapping and Assessment Programme (WHYMAP), and the Map of Transboundary Aquifers of the World from IGRAC/UNESCO-IHP. The portal is set up as a service to professionals, scientists and other stakeholders in SADC member states who are involved in groundwater management, groundwater development and research on groundwater or related fields. Users can browse maps and underlying data online and can create overlays of different maps to create new insights. Maps and data can also be downloaded for further analyses off-line. The SADC-GIP is integrated into the Global Groundwater Information System (GGIS). The GGIS is an interactive, web-based portal to groundwater-related information and knowledge. The main purpose of the system is to assist in collection and analysis of information on groundwater resources and its sharing among water experts, decision makers and public. Structure of the SADC-GIP The public viewer is the main entry point to SADC-GIP. For advanced use and administrative purposes there is also a password-protected viewer and a data management workspace. These modules are only accessible to registered and authorised users. The look and feel of the password-protected viewer is identical to those of the public viewer. As access is restricted to authorised users this viewer can be used to share draft maps and data, or to share information which is considered sensitive. The data management workspace is used by the system administrator to upload new maps and data, but it is also possibly to assign similar rights to other partners (e.g. SADC Groundwater Focal Points) so that the SADC-GIP can be used as a truly communal system for all SADC-member states. Reading guide Chapter 2 provides general information on the viewer interface and its functionalities. This functionality is the same for the public viewer and the password protected viewer. Chapter 3 provides specific explanations on functionalities that are only available to authorised and registered user after logging in to the password protected workspace for managing data in the SADC-GIP Access to SADC-GIP Weblink to access SADC-GIP: The SAD-GIP can also be accessed via the SADC-GMI website: and the GGIS homepage: (SADC-GIP is listed under Regional and national groundwaters) The SADC-GIP is developed and maintained by the SADC Groundwater Management Institute (SADC-GMI), with assistance from the International Groundwater Resources Assessment Centre (IGRAC). For questions, comments or suggestions please contact SADC-GMI via info@sadc-gmi.org or IGRAC via info@un-igrac.org. P a g e 3

6 Figure 1 GGIS homepage with different GGIS modules P a g e 4

7 2 Viewer Interface (identical for public and protected viewer) The viewer can be accessed directly via The user interface consists of four main components (see Figure 2) 1. Layer panel o Top: Catalog containing all map layers (thematic maps) structured in folders o Bottom: Active layers panel, indicating which layers are currently visible and the associated legends 2. Main menu and tools 3. Map view to visualize the selected data on a geographic location 4. Features panel provides tabular output of the selected data (hidden by default). Figure 2: Viewer interface of the GGIS 2.1 Layer panel The layer panel is located on the left side of the viewer. It can be opened or closed by clicking on the button. The layer panel consists of two components: the catalog containing all layers (thematic maps) structured folders and the active layers panel indicating which layers are currently visible in the viewer and the associated legends Catalog The catalog contains a folder structure with all map layers. To visualise data on the map, simply activate the layer by checking the little box in front of the name and the data are shown on the map. The legend of the map layer will be shown in the lower left section of the screen under Active layers Active layers The active layer window shows which layers are currently visible. For each layer it shows the layer title and the corresponding legend. Several controls are available to adjust how data is displayed in the map view (see table 1). P a g e 5

8 Table 1 Controls in the active layer panel Icon Tool Description Up/down arrows Layers can be dragged to change the order in which layers are displayed on the screen. By manipulating the order in which maps are drawn the user can create their own map overlays. The upper layer will also be drawn on top of the underlying layers. Checkbox Transparency slider The checkbox in the active layer can be used to remove the layer from the map view. To activate the layer again, select the layer again from the catalog. The transparency slider changes the layer opacity from 0% (left = fully transparent) to 100% (right = not transparent); by default an overlay layer has 65% opacity Additional functionalities Right-clicking on a layer in the catalog will open a context menu (see Figure 3a). In Table 2 a description is given for the different options available in this context menu. Figure 3 a) right mouse click context menu; b) example of a pop-up window of layer properties Table 2 Tools and description of the context menu Tools Query Zoom to layer extent Download excel Download shapefile Description Information on query data will be discussed in Chapter 2. (Main menu and tools). This function will zoom to the extent of the selected map layer. The data can be downloaded as excel file for further processing offline. The data can be downloaded as shapefile for further processing offline Layer properties Provides meta information on the layers. More information is given below. P a g e 6

9 Layer properties The layer properties allow the user to modify the visualisation of the data on the screen and provide metainformation on the layer: The Display tab makes it possible to filter data, thereby only displaying data on the screen that corresponds to the filter you have applied. Figure 4 provides an example how the filter function can be used. Only polygons that match the statement(s) are displayed on the map. The Available styles tab provides an overview of the legend connected to the layer. The About tab shows metadata like title, description and source (reference) of the data. Figure 4 Example of the filter functionality. Only polygons matching the condition rock type = Dolomite and limestone are displayed P a g e 7

10 2.2 Main menu and tools The main menu is located on the top above the map view. It consists of the following tools: Table 3 Functionalities within the main menu Icon Public viewer only: Password-protected viewer only: Tool Link to Link to password-protected viewer. Go to Password-protected viewer to switch from the public viewer to the protected viewer, only available after log in. Link to public viewer. Go to Public viewer to switch from the protected viewer to the public viewer. link to document repository, including all SADC-HGM related documents Go to project workspace to enter the workspace to upload and manage map layers. link to technical document describing in detail all data in the SADC-GIP thematic maps link to SADC-GIP user manual link to GGIS (Global Groundwater Information Systems) homepage onigrac website: Select Help to find manuals on the GGIS About provides information on the GGIS platform (development, contact information). Zoom to extent: Zoom to previous extent. Zoom to next extent. Tool to measure a length or an area. - Measuring length on the ground with a line or path. - Measuring area with a polygon. Feature info. Activate this tool and then click a point on the map to return information about the features at that point Query. Activate this tool to perform queries (filters) on attributes tables. Search location. Search for a location will zoom to the location you are looking for. You can search for cities, provinces and countries. Add layers. The add layers tool ( ) is present in the Layer panel and can be used to add WMS layers from other sources P a g e 8

11 Feature info The feature info is activated by default. When clicking on a point on the map, the feature info popup window will appear to return information about the features at that point (Figure 5). Figure 5 Example of a feature info pop-up screen By default, the feature info will return information on the upper layer. However, if there is multiple feature info on the selected point, the information per layer will appear below each other in the screen Query Make a query on the data to see which map features match a specific condition. The query can be activated in two ways: by selecting query in the main menu and tools ( ) above the map panel or by right clicking on the layer in the catalog. The query is only available when there is a layer active (selected from the catalog). You can add more conditions via (add conditions). You can select to query the data matching any, all or none of the specified conditions. P a g e 9

12 Figure 6 Query functions Figure 7 Query window. Example of a query that matches the conditions Electrical conductivity (ms/m) > 250 and Yield (L/s) >5. Adding WMS layers Add a map from an external source (add WMS layer) As the system is using Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards, it is very easy to add map layers from external sources to the viewer making use of WMS layers. WMS (Web Map Service) is a standard protocol for serving georeferenced map images over the internet generated by a map server. 1. To add a map layer click on the green button 'add layer' in the left corner 2. Select 'Add a new server' from the dropdown menu 'View available data from'. 3. Enter the valid WMS server link (e.g Select 'Add server'. 5. Select one or more layers you would like to visualize, and select 'Add layers'. 6. The layers will be added to the catalog in the folder other overlays 7. Select 'Done' to close the WMS window If the system supports the type of WMS layer, you can find the data within the folder 'other overlays'. Note: Data added as a WMS layer can be displayed in the GGIS viewer. However, the WMS layer can only be displayed, functionalities, such as query, filter, download or feature info is not available for these layers. P a g e 10

13 Also the external WMS layers cannot be saved and will need to be reloaded again when the user accesses the system again. 2.3 Map View The SADC GIP (like all viewers in the Global Groundwater Information System) uses the Mercator projection. Any 2D map projection results in some form of distortion the true layout of the Earth's surface. The Mercator projection exaggerates areas far from the equator. Navigation tools allow you to zoom in and out and pan around maps. These tools are located in the corners of the Map View. Zooming can also be done with the mouse wheel or with the keyboard. The map view is by default zoomed to maximum extent. The (+) and (-) allows you to zoom in and zoom out. The (o) will zoom to maximum extent. In the lower left corner of the view the scale bar is displayed with below the coordinates (longitude, latitude in degrees) of the location of the point of your mouse. Useful shortcuts Mouse: [SHIFT] + [Drag with mouse pointer] allows zooming in to a specific area. Double-click allows zooming in. Mouse-scroll zooms in with a forward scroll, or out with a reverse scroll. Keyboard: [+] on keyboard allows zooming in. [-] on keyboard allows zooming out. 2.4 Feature panel The feature panel is located on the right of the map view. It can be opened or closed by clicking on in the upper right corner. The data of the selected layer will be shown in a tabular form. Note that the feature panel will be empty if there is no data selected. The feature panel is closed by default. Only 25 items (locations/regions) can be shown at the same time in the feature panel. You can find more data by going to the next page. ( ). It is also possible to sort data on alphabetical or numerical order, or to reshuffle the order of the columns. This can be done simply by selecting the column name and drag it left/right. The data can be downloaded by using the download button in the lower left corner ( ). Note: If you have queried / filtered data, only the data that meets the query will be displayed in the feature panel. P a g e 11

14 3 Password Protected Workspace and Viewer The password-protected environment consists of a 1) workspace to upload and manage data and 2) a password-protected viewer. The password-protected environment can be accessed via the public viewer by selecting go to password-protected viewer or go to project workspace. Access is also available via the homepage. This chapter provides instructions on how to work with the protected environment (for registered users only, like SADC national experts and SADC GMI staff). 3.1 How to register To access the protected workspace, a user needs to have a GGIS user account and have the correct role assigned by IGRAC - the system administrator. Users can register following the steps described below: 1. Go to the GGIS homepage ( and select register 2. Fill in the registration form. You will receive an with a verification code to complete the process. After verification of your address, you are a registered GGIS user. Note: Your address is your username. 3. Please inform the system administrator (see colophon) once you are successfully registered in the GGIS. The system administrator will provide you the appropriate access rights to the selected workspace. 4. Besides a registration to the GGIS, you have the option to create an online public user profile. You can add additional information on contact information and your area of expertise. This information will be available online and can be used by third parties to get in contact with (local) groundwater experts. - Select my profile, this will appear next to your username. - Select Yes, create a public user profile. - Fill in the form, and select save. P a g e 12

15 3.2 Protected Workspace User roles and authorisations Anyone with internet access can browse the maps and data in the public viewers (no registration needed). To upload data and to view data in the protected workspace, a user needs to have a GGIS user account and have the correct role assigned by IGRAC - the system administrator (see section 3.1). Various roles with different authorizations have been defined in the system. 1. Project partners - have access to view the data in the protected project workspace - also need to register. 2. National experts - have access to view the data in the protected workspace - can upload map data (Excel, Shape, GeoTIFF), upload legends (SLD) and upload documents to the MIM module (see MIM user guide). - Need to register 3. Regional coordinators (IMS managers) - have the same authorizations as the national expert, and - can accept/delete data uploaded by national experts - can move data from the protected workspace to the public viewer - need to register 4. System Administrator - The System Administrator (IGRAC) has the same authorization as the national experts and the regional coordinators in order to assist the team with the SADC-GIP where necessary Table 4: Overview of authorisations for different SADC-GIP users Need to register? Access Public viewer Access Protected viewer Upload files* Manage map layers** Manage authorisations*** General public NO X Project partners YES X X National experts YES X X X Regional coordinators YES X X X X System Administrator YES X X X X X * : Upload of documents, maps and legends ** : Move map layers to/from public view, delete map layers ***: Assign user roles/authorisations to registered users Accessing the protected workspace The workspace can be accessed via the public viewer ( and pressing in the menu bar the button [Go to project workspace]. This will take you to the SADC-GIP workspace (see figure 8). Registered and authorized users can access the protected project workspace via the public viewer. Only if you are signed in to the system, the additional options will be available. Depending on your access rights, these include: view private layers, upload data or manage layers (see figure 9). P a g e 13

16 Figure 8 SADC-GIP Project workspace (before signing in) Figure 9 SADC-GIP Project workspace including the additional options for authorized users (after signing in) Viewing private layers The view private layers gives you access to browse and visualize all data that has been uploaded by national experts/ regional coordinators to the protected aquifer workspace. The option view private layers will only appear once you are signed in as a partner, national expert or regional coordinator Managing layers The manage layers option is only available to national experts and the regional coordinator (and administrator). The regional coordinator has the task to accept, delete and/or make data publicly available. By selecting Manage Layers you are redirected to an overview of all data which have been uploaded: P a g e 14

17 Figure 10 Uploading layers The overview shows the layer s name, the name of user who uploaded the data, the status (PUBLIC means data is also available in the public viewer and PRIVATE means in the protected view only) and the date of the upload. By default, the data is only available in the protected view. By selecting (make public) data will be published in the public viewer. To make the data only available in the protected workspace (because data needs further consultation in the project group, for example) you can select (make private). The data can also be completely deleted from the system (delete data). By selecting (upload SLD) you can upload a new legend. The legend should be an SLD (Styled Layer Descriptor) file (see section 3.3) Uploading map data National experts, regional coordinators and the system administrator can upload data (project results) into the system. The system makes a difference between map data (georeferenced data, based on locations and coordinates) and other documents and images (reports, tables, images, etc.). This section describes the upload of map data. Upload of documents and images will be described in the next chapters (3.4 uploading documents). Data format of georeferenced data that can be uploaded into the system A user can upload these file types into the IMS: - Excel Spreadsheet (version 97 or higher) - Can be used to upload point data. Examples include borehole data or groundwater monitoring data. Minimum requirement is that the excel file contains the coordinates of the point data. - ESRI Shapefile (.zip archive) - Can be used to upload polygon and line data. Examples include delineation of the aquifer, recharge zones, contour lines (for example aquifer thickness) - GeoTIFF raster file - Can be used to upload georeferenced images. Examples include satellite images of the region or a Digital Elevation Model The GGIS makes use of international standards to be compatible with all Geographic Information System globally. Therefore, before attempting to upload, it is important to check if your data meets the following requirements. P a g e 15

18 Requirements EXCEL FILES File extension must be xls/xlsx (excel version 97 or higher) The first row of the spreadsheet determines the column names The column names ( = headers) can only be letters, numbers or underscore _. Use of diacritical marks (like á, ë) or symbols (@, #, ) is NOT supported. The column name may not be empty and it may not contain any spaces The column name must be of cell type text For no data value it is not allowed to use NULL. Use instead to indicate that there is no data in a cell The coordinate values must use a point for decimals and a semicolon ; or a space ) as separator between longitude and latitude (see image below). Please, note that first the coordinate for longitude should be placed and then latitude. The data should be uploaded in WGS84 coordinates. If you have a file with another (local) coordinate system, it is recommended to upload the excel file as a shapefile. As such, you can select the local projection and keep the local coordinates. Another possibility is to create additional columns in the excel file, one column that contains the coordinates in WGS84, and one column that contains the local coordinates. Upload limit is records Requirements for the ESRI SHAPE FILES The GGIS only accepts shapefiles as a zip archive A valid shape archive has to contain at least the three main files: shape definition (.shp), index (.shx) and dbase-table (.dbf). Optional are the projection (.prj) or a spatial index (.qix,.sbn of.sbx). The geographical coordinate system is ideally WGS_84. The system supports all coordinate systems that are included on the To convert from another system, use the Projection tool, a function available in most GIS software. For questions please contact GGIS system administrator. All text should be in English. Column names in the Attribute Table (=headers) are capital sensitive. Only use small caps! The use of diacritical marks and symbols (like: (á, è,,, ^, /, &, -, ~,,,. ) in the filenames may cause errors. Use of the underscore _ is allowed (example: 1103_boundary_aquifer) P a g e 16

19 All data from the attribute table will be uploaded to the system. Therefore make sure that all column names have logical names and remove irrelevant columns prior to uploading the data. The upload limit is 100 MB or records Requirements GEOTIFF FILES The file extension must be.tiff The file must be a valid GeoTIFF file, coordinate system WGS_1984. The Upload limit is 100 MB Meta data (documents in general see chapter 1.5) The file (pdf/jpeg) can be maximum of 15 MB. It is also possible to upload a hyperlink of the document in case the file is already online available. Upload process The upload process can be started by selecting upload data. You will be redirected to the upload form. This chapter will describe step by step what you have to fill in in each column to publish your data. The fields with an asterisk (*) are mandatory to finish the upload process. The other fields can be used to provide additional information on your data: P a g e 17

20 Figure 9 Uploading data 1. Choose your file type: - Select the correct file type for the data you want to upload (Excel spreadsheet, ESRI Shapefile or GEOTIFF). P a g e 18

21 2. Module: Your data will be uploaded to the workspace sadcgip_private. 3. Layer name (* mandatory): The layer name is used to save the data in the database. The layer name may not contain any spaces or special characters (only the underscore _ is allowed). The maximum number of characters for the layer is 63 characters. It is advisable to use logical names (include name of the aquifer and/or country, include theme, type of data). It is advised to start all layernames with the gip_. 5. Metadata of the layer name for excel file (not mandatory): Provide here how title of the layer should be visualized in the viewer. Use short but easy to understand names and include the units. For example: Mean Temperature July ( C). 6. Metadata keywords (not mandatory): Here you can provide keywords on the data you will upload. This can be used at a later stage to find relevant maps using the search functionality. For example, layername: gip_aquifers_surface-rocktype polygon should contain the following keywords: SADC, surface, aquifers, rock type. 7. Metadata description (not mandatory): Here you can provide a description of your data, which will be displayed in the system. For example, the reference to the source of the data or a short description explaining the data. 8. Label column (not mandatory): The label column is the column in the excel file that should be used for labeling. For instance, region name from the example excel spreadsheet can be used. The labels will be shown in the map. 9. Name of value column ( * only for excel and shapefiles) The value column is the column containing the data to be used to draw the map (map layer). All other data columns are only shown as attribute data in the table linked to the map. In the example below, we want to visualize the GeositeType (column GeositeType ). This name should be filled in in name of value column. The other columns from the excel file will also be uploaded to the system as attribute data to GeositeType column name. P a g e 19

22 The same applies for uploading of shapefiles. The column name selected in name value column will be published as a map layer. All other data from the attribute table in the shapefile will be available as attribute date. 10. Name of geographic column (* only for excel) ESRI shape files and GeoTIFF files are already georeferenced file types. For excel files a column is needed that can be used to map the data to a geographical location. The example excel spreadsheet used above shows for example the column name coordinates as the geographic column (coordinate data should be provided as longitude and latitude separated by a semi-colon ; ) address This address is used to notify the user if the update was successful or not. By default the address used to sign into the system is used. 11. Choose the file containing the data Here the actual file for the upload is selected. Note that this field is emptied by the browser after an error occurred. Browse on the computer for the correct file to select it. 12. Upload this form Select Upload this form to finalize the upload. Depending on the size of the file and speed of your internet connection this can take a little while (sometimes more than 3 minutes). After the upload you will get P a g e 20

23 redirected to the start screen. An automatically generated notification will be sent to you to confirm the upload. 3.3 Create Legend (SLD) As the system is based on international standards and should be compatible with all other GIS systems, legends of the system can only be uploaded as a Styled Layer Descriptor (SLD). SLDs are a standard for visualizing geospatial data. Using map terminology one could say that SLDs are primarily used for legend design (cartography) and filtering. You can make an export from QGIS and upload the SLD in manage layers. A short description on preparing SLD files in QGIS is provided below. For full reference the user is referred to manuals / tutorials for QGIS or other suitable GIS software (links provide at end of section) To prepare the SLD file in QGIS, follow these instructions: 1- Open a new project in QGIS. 2- Load the shape-file you are going to work with. You can use either the add vector layer tool or search through the catalogue tree. 3- Right click and choose properties and then styles in the left menu. 4- Start editing the legend options on the top menu (press arrow beside single symbol ). 5- When the legend is finalized, press Style and save it as a SLD-file (Save Style). Give a name and location which you will be able to find later on. P a g e 21

24 If there are difficulties with obtaining the SLD please contact the IGRAC system administrator. Important note for ArcGIS users: sending the layer file is not enough. ArcGIS layer files can only be used in ArcGIS software and is therefore not compatible with other GIS information systems. Note that QGIS is free and open software. Useful links: QGIS home page: Download QGIS: QGIS Tutorials: Figure 10 Uploading documents to MIM 3.4 Uploading documents (.pdf /.jpeg) to MIM To upload documents, you need to be logged in. For uploading of documents the GGIS Meta Information Module (MIM) is used. As a registered SADC-GIP user you will see a button upload document to MIM in the lower left corner of your screen. MIM is the module used to access users, organizations and documents. Adding a document can be done by filling in the metadata, and upload a file. Besides uploading a file, it is also possible to upload the website hyperlink where the document can be found. However, keep in mind that website link might change over time and the link to the document can get lost. To ensure a quick connection between the SADC-GIP viewer and the uploaded documents please add: P a g e 22

25 Data for SADC module as applicable region, and include the SADCgip in the summary text. Figure 11a) add a new document b) add the region to connect the document with the SADC GIP Searching documents in the Meta Information Module All the MIM content can be searched using the meta information search engine, which is accessible from the menu bar on the homepage. This search page offers a free text search in combination with an extensive filter option. The search results are by default unfiltered. Using the filter options on the left hand side of the page the total list of results can be narrowed down. Documents The MIM Documents can be accessed through the Documents item in the MIM menu bar. All available documents are listed and can be filtered using a free text search filter. The documents can also be directly accessed via the menu in the SADC-GIP viewer Documents. P a g e 23

26 Delft - Netherlands