Agricultural geospatial technologies now map coronavirus

Researchers and technicians from Embrapa Acre are employing geospecial technologies, normally used to monitor agricultural production, to map the evolution of the pandemic in the state. The tools allow generating cartographic information to help combat and control the spread of the new coronavirus in Acre.

Based on information from the Department of Health Surveillance and the Epidemiological Surveillance Division of the State Department of Health (Sesacre), professionals with expertise in soil mapping work on building a geographic database and generating different maps on the progress of Covid-19 in the state. The tools allow local health bodies to monitor the evolution of the disease and outline preventive territorial measures.

The maps on the spatialization of the incidence of the coronavirus in Acre support the production of a newsletter, published daily by Sesacre, on the spread of the virus in different neighborhoods of the capital, Rio Branco, and in the interior of the state. In addition to updated data on the number of reported cases and confirmed numbers, the publication provides the geospatial distribution of Covid-19 in the Acre territory.

Data helps healthcare agents

According to Acre's Health Secretary, Alysson Bestene, georeferencing has helped technicians in the area to guide the population about the level of incidence of coronavirus cases and to outline measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

“Technology allows us, in a very practical and quick way, to act directly on sources of contamination, including preventive and specific measures for certain communities”, reports the secretary. “In addition to being at the forefront of the most advanced technologies, Embrapa demonstrates, with this support to the population, its social commitment. This is valuable in this difficult time that everyone is going through”, says Bestene. 

exact location

According to the researcher Eufran do Amaral, general head of Embrapa Acre, the data passed on by Sesacre are linked to cartographic maps of neighborhoods and municipalities in the state. “In this way, we built a daily map with a color scale to indicate the distribution of cases by neighborhood, in Rio Branco and other cities in Acre. The tool makes it possible to know the exact location of confirmed cases”, he explains. 

Furthermore, it is possible to monitor the geospatial evolution of occurrences, integrate with other information, such as the distribution of the health network, and define strategies to prevent community contamination by the coronavirus. 

Georeferencing that saves lives

To develop the maps, the geographic information system (Geographic Information System, GIS) is used, associated with the cartographic base of the urban area of ​​Rio Branco, prepared by the city hall, at a scale of 1:10.000, that is, each centimeter on the map corresponds to 100 meters on the ground. Furthermore, it is part of the State's cartographic base, used in the Ecological and Economic Zoning (ZEE), at a scale of 1:250.000, where one centimeter on the map is equivalent to 2,5 kilometers. 

Studies reveal that the relationship between medicine and geosciences is ancient and that this interdisciplinarity between different areas of knowledge helps save lives. According to the researcher at Embrapa Territorial (SP) Marcia Dompieri, the use of spatial intelligence (GIS) in epidemic control can help define isolation strategies for groups of people, including segmentation by age and income, and locations that are most suitable for meeting the different needs of the community.

“The information can support, for example, the movement of people via cell phone geolocation signal, the identification of strategic locations for setting up field hospitals and testing suspected cases, in addition to the distribution of food and protective materials ”, exemplifies the scientist by highlighting that Brazil has renowned research centers in geomedicine, such as the Fiocruz Geoprocessing Center, which can be allies of state health bodies. Embrapa is able to support this effort with its laboratories and geoprocessing centers applied to the agricultural sector and which generate cartographic assets in all regions of the country. “The addition of this expertise to government efforts is fundamental for the work of mapping and analyzing dissemination space of the coronavirus”, according to Dompieri.

Current portrait in Acre Maps from April 12 reveal that the majority of the 77 confirmed cases in the state, 77,9%, are in the capital, and 12,9% in Acrelândia, 106 kilometers from Rio Branco. According to the data, 35% of cases are concentrated in neighborhoods in the central region of the capital: Morada do Sol, Bosque, Manoel Julião and Estação Experimental. But from April 9th, isolated cases were recorded in neighborhoods further away from the center of the capital.

Current portrait in Acre

Maps from April 12 reveal that the majority of the 77 confirmed cases in the state, 77,9%, are in the capital, and 12,9% in Acrelândia, 106 kilometers from Rio Branco. According to the data, 35% of cases are concentrated in neighborhoods in the central region of the capital: Morada do Sol, Bosque, Manoel Julião and Estação Experimental. But from April 9th, isolated cases were recorded in neighborhoods further away from the center of the capital. 

 

Use in agricultural research  Developed to produce, manage, share and analyze spatial data, geographic information systems are tools widely used in the agricultural sector in the development of zoning, planning instruments and territorial management.  In this work, the areas studied are divided into homogeneous portions, following pre-established criteria for ordering classes in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. “Zoning makes it possible to recommend better land use, have greater expectations of agricultural returns and greater effectiveness in granting credit, as it reduces production risks, among other features”, states Amaral.  In pedoclimatic (soil and climate) or agroclimatic (crop requirements in relation to climatic issues) zoning, for example, studies aim to generate information on the most suitable areas for agricultural crops and livestock and forestry activities, considering aspects of soil and climate, according to crop or forage requirements. “Zoning is an inclusive technology and can strategically become public policy at different levels of management: municipal, state and national. It is an important instrument for making decisions about planting and managing crops, in accordance with the technological standards used”, says Amaral. In Acre, the pedoclimatic zoning work, carried out within the scope of different research projects, with different focuses, will serve as a basis for the preparation of municipal agricultural plans. In Cruzeiro do Sul, in the Juruá region, the detailed mapping of the municipality's soils, completed last year, is one of the practical results of the project “Shared knowledge for local territorial management in the Amazon – Terramz”. The study brings together information on soil types, hydrographic characteristics, relief, vegetation and degree of land occupation.   Executed in Acre, Amapá, Roraima, Amazonas and Maranhão, based on the specific demands of each location, Terramz is part of the Integrated Amazon Project (PIA), an initiative financed by the Amazon Fund and operated by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment (MMA). The initiative also trains professionals from different areas to effectively use mapping data. In Juruá, the course schedule started in March this year. “The maps produced through participatory methodologies aim to generate technologies and innovations to improve the process of occupation and management of smaller territories, such as municipalities, villages and rural properties, in order to guide productive activities and territorial public policies” highlights Amaral.

Use in agricultural research 

Developed to produce, manage, share and analyze spatial data, geographic information systems are tools widely used in the agricultural sector in the development of zoning, planning instruments and territorial management. 

In this work, the areas studied are divided into homogeneous portions, following pre-established criteria for ordering classes in terms of their strengths and weaknesses. “Zoning makes it possible to recommend better land use, have greater expectations of agricultural returns and greater effectiveness in granting credit, as it reduces production risks, among other features”, states Amaral. 

In pedoclimatic (soil and climate) or agroclimatic (crop requirements in relation to climatic issues) zoning, for example, studies aim to generate information on the most suitable areas for agricultural crops and livestock and forestry activities, considering aspects of soil and climate, according to crop or forage requirements.

“Zoning is an inclusive technology and can strategically become public policy at different levels of management: municipal, state and national. It is an important instrument for making decisions about planting and managing crops, in accordance with the technological standards used”, says Amaral.

In Acre, the pedoclimatic zoning work, carried out within the scope of different research projects, with different focuses, will serve as a basis for the preparation of municipal agricultural plans. In Cruzeiro do Sul, in the Juruá region, the detailed mapping of the municipality's soils, completed last year, is one of the practical results of the project “Shared knowledge for local territorial management in the Amazon – Terramz”. The study brings together information on soil types, hydrographic characteristics, relief, vegetation and degree of land occupation.

 

Executed in Acre, Amapá, Roraima, Amazonas and Maranhão, based on the specific demands of each location, Terramz is part of the Integrated Amazon Project (PIA), an initiative financed by the Amazon Fund and operated by the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment (MMA). The initiative also trains professionals from different areas to effectively use mapping data. In Juruá, the course schedule started in March this year. “The maps produced through participatory methodologies aim to generate technologies and innovations to improve the process of occupation and management of smaller territories, such as municipalities, villages and rural properties, in order to guide productive activities and territorial public policies” highlights Amaral.