Geographic Information System - Case Study Example

What is GIS? GIS or Geographic Information System (GIS) is the software used to support decision making for the real world problems by means of toolsand procedures. It generates the maps to study the geography component of the real world features like cities, trees, animals, rivers, roads or weather. GIS is not only capable of generating maps but it also helps in providing the powerful spatial analysis framework so that to solve real world problems. In comparison with paper maps, GIS has a plus point that it stores the maps digitally in the database of a computer. There are individual layers stores individually each type of feature that is rivers, roads, forests and towns. By means of these layers and database, GIS analyses can be made. The computer database allows making calculations and querying regarding the map. Like the distance measurement between the two points and other details about any specific location. If you want to know about multiple details like roads and rivers in a single map then you can add a layer of river or even more. This is called as spatial overlay that is combining different layers which helps in making better decisions. There are number of queries that a person can ask from the GIS software. Like what features are present at X location or which intersects, near or contains at location Y? or you may ask the question like show me the examples of sites that are near to the river, 200 m away from road having slope less than 20% and with such attributes. You may also question the if-else conditions. Like if we transform a forest into pasture then what could be the consequences relating river levels, watershed runoff and flow rates? Environmental Management by GIS: GIS can be used to study the environment, environmental phenomena reporting and make an analysis of the factors that man-made and natural activities have on the environment. ESRI GIS software is usually used for the management of different types of geographic data, measures the groundwater purity and runoff and the change in the wildlife habitat encroachment. It also develops the models showing the impact over forest health and provides analysis of how the workflow processes can be improved. When you are up to planting crops, monitoring endangered species, drilling for oil or restoring habitats then the use of GIS can surely help you in making a sustainable decision. Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) The Decision Support System concept was first introduced by Simon in 1960. Then later in 1989, Densham and Goodchild make further developments and brought SDSS for handling ill-defined and complex spatial decision problems that GISystem was unable to do. Since 1990, there has been number of developments made to SDSS at NCGIA and now there has been great systems developed for complex decisions also. In simple terms, we can say that SDSS is an interactive, computer-based software or system to make effective decisions by solving semi-structured problems. Thus SDSS pay more attention to the effectiveness of the decision rather than an efficiency and also provides strong basis to make better decision. There are 3 types of problems that are: Unstructured decision problems: the problems that cannot be structured by the decision maker by using the available theory. Like if you want to hire the staff for the environmental organization then you can decide this using any computer based software but the user itself has to make decision. Semi-structured decision problems: the real-world spatial decision problems that lie between structured and unstructured spatial decision problems. In such case a user can take information using the computer based software but still the end decision has to be made by the user itself. Like if you need to select a site for the national park then which place will be suitable or if you are planning to plant trees then which season is better. Structured decision problems: the problems that the decision maker can solve using the available relevant history via computer based software. For example measuring the risk involved to property in case of flood can be calculated via computer on the basis of previous data and a user can make decision exactly as what is advised by the computer. Talking about the DSS, that is specially known for solving the semi structured decision problems is now incorporated in modern SDSS software that also includes GIS, expert knowledge and RS models, thus they are capable of visualizing and analyzing the geographical data that are based upon question-specific decision tree. The developments in SDSS software has now made it possible to even solve the problems exactly that were considered as unstructured or semi-structured. For example the decision of whether to provide a loan or not was previously considered as semi-structured but now it is completely automated. Similarly, it is possible to help the farmers in identifying the suitable area for plantation or designing the site suitable for crops. For these kinds of semi-structured problems user may take help of DSS that will also provide number of best alternatives like DSS gives number of choices of the sites available for reforestation. Thus user does not need to run the complete software but just use DSS and make decision of the best choices available. But for that it is important for the user that he must be quite familiar of how to visualize, interpret and evaluate the results. However, GIS is not as capable of making the exact decisions because it only provides the tools that support the decision process and the most important point is that it does not has an expert system. The cases where different perspectives have to be considered along with each other, then it become hard for the GIS to make perfect decision. Therefore we cannot say that the GIS makes depth analysis of the cases and then present the most suitable choice for the user. Additionally, since GIS lacks knowledge, foresight, intelligence and expertise therefore it cannot perform perfectly in giving the rational choice to solve the conflicts in decision making but still it helps quite positively in supporting the decisions. Taking an example of insurance cost damage after flood, if GIS makes the report of the calculated cost then it may be wrong because it will not include the associated costs along with the major damages and definitely it will open more problems if the costs not estimated properly. Similarly in case of other scenarios too, poor results lead to poor outcomes. The example of nuclear waste disposal by NIREX faced problems due to wrong decision making and the wrong decisions were made because of the limited information. There are many other cases where the GIS failed to bring the positive results. The GISystem still needs lots of developments and the most important thing that it requires are the expertise and intelligence to support in making decisions. References Forrester: The value and role of GIS to planned urban management and development in cities in developing countries. Michael F. Goodchild: Geographic Information Science and Systems for Environmental Management. Jin Yong Choi: Web based GIS and Spatial Decision Support System for watershed management. 2005 P J Densham: Spatial Decision Support System. Dr. Kostas: Development and Application of a Versatile SDSS for ICZM Classification Purposes. Paul V Bolstad: Errors in GIS. Berry: GIS Technology in Environmental Management: a brief history, trends and probable future.1999 Davis: Environmental Sustainability: The role of Geographic Information Science and SDI in the Integration of People and Nature Read More