Under our 16 Days of Activism Campaign, Meet Saba Zehra, a seasoned professional with nine years of experience in a USAID funded program, currently pursuing a degree at the University of Sydney. Saba’s passion lies in using data to address climate change challenges and promote open data initiatives for communities and policymakers. Throughout her career, she’s been a vocal advocate for accessible and transparent information, believing in the power of open data for positive and sustainable outcomes.

Saba’s latest venture under IVLP Impact Award Project is titled as “Streamlining River Indus: A Geospatial Portal for Sindh Waterways.” This project aims to create a user-friendly web portal for accessing and analyzing hydrological data in Sindh Province. The portal will feature an interactive map, data visualizations, and tools for analysis, benefiting stakeholders, researchers, policymakers, and the public.

Saba has been hard at work, gathering input from stakeholders, completing research on the Indus River and its tributaries, and consulting with the government of Sindh and hydrologists for best practices. She’s not stopping there. Saba plans to lead a training session for irrigation department officials on using the GIS portal and will collect feedback to improve it before the public launch in December 2023.

Saba Zehra’s project reflects her commitment to practical solutions, making data accessible for informed decision-making in Sindh’s water management. Her story is one of utilizing data for positive change, and her project promises a more streamlined and efficient future for managing water resources in the region.