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Introduction To Geographic Information Systems (Gis) : - With A Focus On Localizing The Mdgs

This document provides an introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) with a focus on how GIS can help localize and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It defines GIS as a computer system that creates, edits, analyzes, and displays geographic information. It discusses how GIS is used by international organizations, private industry, government, and non-profits to do tasks like environmental impact assessment, resource management, and more. It also provides an overview of key GIS concepts like vector and raster data, data integration, cartography, spatial data infrastructure, and how GIS can help monitor and plan for poverty reduction and underdeveloped areas.

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Ramo Kiss
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16 views

Introduction To Geographic Information Systems (Gis) : - With A Focus On Localizing The Mdgs

This document provides an introduction to geographic information systems (GIS) with a focus on how GIS can help localize and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. It defines GIS as a computer system that creates, edits, analyzes, and displays geographic information. It discusses how GIS is used by international organizations, private industry, government, and non-profits to do tasks like environmental impact assessment, resource management, and more. It also provides an overview of key GIS concepts like vector and raster data, data integration, cartography, spatial data infrastructure, and how GIS can help monitor and plan for poverty reduction and underdeveloped areas.

Uploaded by

Ramo Kiss
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - with a focus on localizing the MDGs

Carmelle J. Terborgh, Ph.D. ESRI www.esri.com

Flying Blind

Jul 24th 2003 The Economist

We Live in Two Worlds


Natural World Constructed World

Self-Regulating

Managed

. . . These Are Increasingly In Conflict

Context and Content


Seeing the Whole
Managing Places

Patterns Linkages Trends

Watersheds Communities Neighborhoods Districts

Abstracting the Real World

What is GIS?
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a computer-based system including software, hardware, people, and geographic information A GIS can:
create, edit, query, analyze, and display map information on the computer

Geographic Information System


Geographic 80% of government data collected is associated with some location in space Information - attributes, or the characteristics (data), can be used to symbolize and provide further insight into a given location System a seamless operation linking the information to the geography which requires hardware, networks, software, data, and operational procedures not just software! not just for making maps!

Who uses GIS?


International organizations
UN HABITAT, The World Bank, UNEP, FAO, WHO, etc.

Private industry
Transport, Real Estate, Insurance, etc.

Government
Ministries of Environment, Housing, Agriculture, etc. Local Authorities, Cities, Municipalities, etc. Provincial Agencies for Planning, Parks, Transportation, etc.

Non-profit organizations/NGOs
World Resources Institute, ICMA, etc.

Academic and Research Institutions


Smithsonian Institution, CIESIN, etc.

What can you do with a GIS?


The possibilities are unlimited
Environmental impact assessment Resource management Land use planning Tax Mapping Water and Sanitation Mapping Transportation routing and more ...

How does a GIS work?


GIS data has a spatial/geographic reference
This might be a reference that describes a feature on the earth using:
a latitude & longitude a national coordinate system an address a district a wetland identifier a road name

Geography and Databases


A GIS stores information about the world as a collection of thematic layers that can be linked together by geography

Polygon

3 Scrub

17 Very high

Clay

GIS provides Data Integration

107

Vectors Topology Dimensions Surveys


ABC

Roads Land Parcels Population Utilities Land Mines Hospitals Refugee Camps Wells Sanitation

Networks

Images

Annotation

CAD Drawings
27 Main St.

3D Objects

Addresses Terrain

Attributes

Two fundamental types of data


Vector
A series of x,y coordinates For discrete data represented as points, lines, polygons

Raster
Grid and cells For continuous data such as elevation, slope, surfaces

A Desktop GIS should be able to handle both types of data effectively!

Data Representation
Raster Vector
Real World

Other features of a GIS


Produce good cartographic products (translation = maps) Generate and maintain metadata Use and share geoprocessing models Managing data in a geodatabase using data models for each sector

Hint having GIS software does not a cartographer make! Good to know something about these issues when creating a map and doing spatial analysis
Scale/Resolution Projection Basic cartographic principles regarding design, generalization, etc.

GIS is (rapidly) evolving


Projects Systems Networks Societal

Integrated

Coordinated

Cooperative

Collaborative

GIS as part of your decision making process


Problem Statement ?????

Formulate the question

Observe, acquire data

Geospatial data GroundSocioBased Economic data Other data Ancillary data

* Added

Analyze
Mitigate and change Seek solutions

Diagram courtesy of Michael Goodchild, UCSB

Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI)


Definition - the technology, policies, standards, human resources, and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain, and preserve spatial data Part of many nations e-Gov strategy www.GSDI.org

Citizens
Inventory

Geographic Knowledge

The World

Decision Support

World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002

Promote the development and wider use of earth observation technologies, including satellite remote sensing, global mapping and geographic information systems, to collect quality data on environmental impacts, land use and land use changes.

Poverty Indicators

Monitoring fair trade local banana farmers

GIS for planning underdeveloped areas

A Tale of Two Cities


The formal and the informal
Both deserve GIS complexity is not an accuse!

Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

GIS for planning underdeveloped areas


Urban poverty measured in terms of quantity and quality of public space.

The lack of public open space. Barrios have a percentage of public space between 5% and 10%. In the average city total space constitute over 30% of the total space.

The absence of adequate infrastructure, Urban furniture and maintenance which combined produces unhealthy and insecure conditions. Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

GIS for planning underdeveloped areas


DEALING WITH A COMPLEX MORPHOLOGY REQUIERES:
Understanding the existing physical order Identifying the social order conformed by community ties and with no physical evidence

Transformation capacity is determined through a detailed review of the built form Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

GIS for planning underdeveloped areas


Analysis of the social network and community ties Sustainability is preserving the small social groups

Source: Rosario Giusti de Perez

The social network is topology related.

Achieving the MDGs requires all of us

working together!

Thank You! [email protected]

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