How quickly can you produce a shareable water point map?

In a few minutes. Any data with coordinates can be mapped, styled by a field such as functionality, and shared by link, so a map for a meeting does not need a GIS specialist or a desktop tool.

Video: Build a Water Point Map in mWater in under 3 Minutes on YouTube

Why this matters

Speed matters here for a practical reason: maps get made when they are cheap to make. If producing a district map is a week of specialist work it happens once a year, and decisions in between get made without one. Being able to produce a current map during the meeting that needs it changes how often spatial information actually informs a decision.

How to do it

  1. Start a map and choose the data source holding the points, such as a site table or survey responses.
  2. Style the markers by a field that matters, for example functionality or service level.
  3. Add a filter so the map shows the district or programme in question.
  4. Add a background layer such as satellite imagery or administrative boundaries for context.
  5. Share the map, or add it to a dashboard alongside the figures it illustrates.

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