Atlases

Visualizing spatial information is oftentimes a challenge in developing countries, where there is little hydro/meteorological/ecological data, and what little data there is, exists as tables in reports. In addition, there are global meteorological datasets, but these too often  have to be downloaded, processed, and are still in table form. GIS is oftentimes restricted to just a few major government offices, on account of license and cost. Maps are incomplete and dated. However, the spatial data can show many meaningful patterns and information if it can be displayed on a map, to allow people to connect that data with other spatial information.There are two forms of such atlases:

1. Printed maps and atlases

Maps of different themes have been a very good way to display geographical information in a simple format since ancient times. 

2. Digital Atlases

A digital atlas allows the user flexibility in terms of seeing the spatial data. Unlike a paper map, the user can zoom in for greater detail, click on places and items for more information, customize the range of colours and levels for display, and so on. The Digital Atlas of Water Resources of the Wami/Ruvu Basin is created in the open-source Atlas Development application GeoPublisher that is platform-independant and does not require an internet connection to run. It can be installed via a USB drive into a computer running Windows or Mac or Linux. The Digital Atlas can also be hosted online.

 Basically, the software imports shapefiles, raster geoTiffs and pdfs, then the developer can create thematic maps by combining various layers ( shapefiles, geoTiffs) and arrange the thematic maps in a menu. 

see below for an example created with some basic data from the Wami Ruvu Basin in Tanzania

http://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapTools/index.html?appid=7173c4859ee04e8884232eb00e24051c

http://gis4geomorphology.com/watershed/

The art of cartography and the use of global datasets

Mapmaking is an art. To effectively convey spatial information, maps need to classify data and present them in meaningful symbols and attractive colours. Some considerations for displaying climate/forest cover/topography are described in this document.