By George Mponda

Karonga, February 25, Mana: The National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) has said the Geo-Enabling Initiative for Monitoring and Supervision (GEMS) mapping is essential in enhancing the effectiveness of the Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP) in Karonga.

NLGFC's Cluster Coordinator for the Northern Region and Nkhotakota, Duncan Magwira said this on Tuesday in Karonga during an orientation on the GEMS portfolio mapping tools for the District Environment Subcommittee (DESC) and Designated Officers for CSEPWP in the district.

Magwira said; "GEMS enables real time monitoring and supervision of project activities. The initiative provides a platform for tracking progress, identifying challenges, and making informed decisions thereby enabling us to respond quickly to challenges and make adjustments to the implementation strategy of CSEPWP.”

"The objective of the questionnaire used is to obtain critical data about the implementation of development activities financed by the World Bank, African Development Bank and their partners. It uses geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing technologies to collect and analyze data on project activities which is then used by decision makers and ensure that project resources are utilized effectively", he added.

On his part, District Programme Facilitator for Karonga, Austin Kafere said the use of GEMS in the climate smart programme will enhance transparency and accountability.

"The initiative provides a platform for stakeholders to track project progress and access information on project activities. This will help to build trust among stakeholders and ensure that project resources are used for their intended purpose," Kafere said.

According to Kafere, the CSEPWP in Karonga has 16, 417 participants who are working on soil and water conservation in 18 catchments around the district.