A Framework for Deploying GIS Applications to Monitor the Spatial Distribution of Epidemics COVID-19 Epidemic in Libya Case Study

Abstract

A Geographic Information System GIS is a computer program that can analyze big geospatial data to recognize the patterns of that data and obtain structured and organized information from it. Processing geographic information manually is not an easy task. Additionally, the obtained results often do not meet the needed accuracy. As a result, GIS programs have achieved worldwide success and spread due to their compared accuracy and flexibility. Also, the recent development of artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques significantly contributed to increasing the efficiency and accuracy of these programs. On the other hand, technological advances in digital electronics and the advent of cloud computing have significantly lowered costs, which allowed even small businesses to access satisfactory GIS software. This paper explains the importance of geographic information systems in displaying, tracking, and monitoring spatial data to support strategic decision-making bodies. To illustrate our point, we decided to present a framework for developing a GIS dashboard to track the spread of COVID-19 in Libya as a case study.